Cora Sue Collins dead: Hollywood 'Golden Age' child star dies as tributes flood in
The child actress, who worked alongside legends such as Greta Garbo, Claudette Colbert, Bette Davis and Irene Dunne has died.
Actress Cora Sue Collins, who was part of the 'Golden Age' of Hollywood died Sunday at her home, aged 98, in Beverly Hills of complications from a stroke.
Collins played younger versions of Claudette Colbert in Torch Singer, Frances Dee in The Strange Case of Clara Deane, and many other leading actresses of the time.
In a 2019 interview, she shared, "I must have the most common face in the world. I played either the most famous actresses of the ’30s as a child or their child. They made me up to look like everybody.”
The MGM contract player also played William Powell and Myrna Loy’s daughter in Evelyn Prentice, portrayed Amy Lawrence in The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, and appeared in the original Magnificent Obsession.
Garbo personally selected Collins to play her younger self in Queen Christina, and the two appeared together again in Anna Karenina (1935),
The star, known for being immensely private, often invited Collins into her lavish suite on the MGM lot for afternoon tea, and they remained friends until Garbo died in 1990.
Social media has seen tributes pour in for the much-loved actress, as many shared their favourite films starring Collins.
One commented: "May the delightful and talented Cora Sue Collins rest in peace. What a fascinating career she had. I will always think of her with fondness whenever I rewatch EVELYN PRENTICE (1934) — especially the infamous scene where she, Myrna Loy, and William Powell exercise together."
Another commented: "I’m so sad to learn of the passing of Cora Sue Collins. She was among the last ties to the 1930s and one of the finest child actresses of her era. I was blessed to see her at 2019 TCMFF at MAD LOVE (‘35), but she was ever present and a fixture in the classic film community."
A third added, "I’m sorry to hear Cora Sue Collins has passed away. She was a lovely person. May she rest in peace."
Collins was born on April 19, 1927, in Beckley, West Virginia. Her mom brought her and her older sister to Los Angeles just before Collins turned 4.
In a 2019 interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Collins revealed: “On the third day we were here, I went with my mother to enrol my older sister in school. We were walking up to the school entrance, my sister and I each holding one of my mother’s hands, when this huge car came screeching up.
“A woman jumped out of the car and said, ‘Excuse me, would you like to put your little girl in pictures?’ Of course, my mother said, ‘Yes!’ The woman said, ‘Get in the car with me, there’s a big casting going on right now at Universal.'”
