Constance Collier - Hollywood

Hollywood

In the late 1920s Collier relocated to Hollywood where she became a voice coach and teacher in diction. This was during the tumultuous changeover from silent films to sound and many silent actors with no theater training were scrambling for lessons. Her most famous pupil was arguably Colleen Moore. In the 1970s television producer Kevin Brownlow interviewed Moore for his 13 part series Hollywood about the silent film era. Moore recounted that upon taking voice lessons from a 'very famous lady' the teacher asked "is it true that you make 10,000 dollars a week?" Moore replied, "no ma'am, I make 12,500 a week". The teacher Moore was referring to was Constance Collier. Collier nevertheless maintained ties to Broadway and would appear in several plays in the 1930s.

In 1932 Collier starred as Carlotta Vance in the original production of George S. Kaufmann and Edna Ferber's classic comedy Dinner at Eight (play). The role was played in the 1933 film by Marie Dressler.

She appeared in the films Stage Door (1937), Mitchell Leisen's Kitty (1945, a comedic performance as Lady Susan, the drunken aunt of Ray Milland), Perils of Pauline with Betty Hutton, Alfred Hitchcock's Rope (1948) and Otto Preminger's Whirlpool (1949).

During the making of the film version of Stage Door, she became great friends with Katharine Hepburn, a friendship that lasted the rest of Collier's life.

Constance Collier was presented with the American Shakespeare Festival Theatre Award for distinguished service in training and guiding actors in Shakespearean roles. Collier was a drama coach for many famous actors, including Audrey Hepburn, Vivian Leigh, Marilyn Monroe, and coaching Katharine Hepburn during Hepburn's world tour performing Shakespeare in the '50s. Upon Collier's death in 1955, Hepburn "inherited" Collier's secretary Phyllis Wilbourn, who remained with Hepburn as her secretary for 40 years. Collier has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.