Patricia Collinge
Eileen Cecilia "Patricia" Collinge (September 20, 1892 – April 10, 1974) was an Irish-American actress and writer. She was best known for her stage appearances, as well as her roles in the films "The Little Foxes" (1941) and "Shadow of a Doubt" (1943). She was nominated for an Academy Award and won a NBR Award for "The Little Foxes". Early life. Collinge was born in Dublin to F. Channon Collinge and Emmie (née Russell) Collinge. She was educated there first by a visiting governess and then at a girls' school. She took dance and piano lessons, which held  no interest for her, and determined to be an actress. Stage career. Collinge first appeared on the stage in 1904 in "Little Black Sambo and Little White Barbara" at the Garrick Theatre in London. She immigrated to the United States with her mother in 1907. Soon after, she appeared as a flower girl in "The Queens of the Moulin Rouge" (1908) and as a supporting player in "The Thunderbolt" (1910) starring Louis Calvert, which was staged at the New Theatre (Century Theatre). In 1911, Collinge played Youth in the Broadway production of "Everywoman," with Laura Nelson Hall in the title  role. She reprised the role in the 1912 London production starring Alexandra Carlisle. She appeared as Agnes with Douglas Fairbanks, Sr., Amelia Bingham, and William H. Crane in "The New Henrietta," a play based on a comedy by Bronson Howard, produced at the Knickerbocker Theatre on Broadway in December 1913. In 1914, she again appeared with Fairbanks in "He Comes Up Smiling." Collinge toured in "A Regular Businessman," was the original Pollyanna Whittier in "Pollyanna," and toured with "Tillie" in 1919. In 1932, she appeared in "Autumn Crocus." Her acting was acclaimed by a "New York Times" critic, who wrote , "Miss Collinge plays with the soft, pliant sincerity that makes her one of the most endearing actresses." She was a member of the original Broadway cast of "The Little Foxes" with Tallulah Bankhead as the lead in 1939, playing the role of the tragic Birdie Hubbard. In 1941, she played the same part in the motion picture version, which starred Bette Davis. Other stage work included roles in productions of "The Heiress," "Just Suppose," "The Dark Angel," "The Importance of Being Earnest," "To See Ourselves," and "Lady with a Lamp." Her final stage appearance came in December 1952 in "I 've Got Sixpence" at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre. Film career. Collinge's film debut in 1941's "The Little Foxes" earned her an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress nomination. Other films included "Shadow of a Doubt" (1943), "Tender Comrade" (1943), and "The Nun's Story" (1959). According to the featurette included with the DVD of "Shadow of a Doubt", Collinge rewrote the scene that takes place in the garage between Teresa Wright and Macdonald Carey. Director Alfred Hitchcock and the actors were reportedly unhappy with the dialogue. Hitchcock was reportedly delighted with her work and used it in the  film. She also reportedly worked with Alma Reville (Hitchcock's wife) and Ben Hecht on the screenplay for Hitchcock's "Lifeboat" (1944), which also starred Tallulah Bankhead. Television. Collinge appeared in four episodes of the popular series "Alfred Hitchcock Presents." In one episode, "The Cheney Vase", based on the play "Kind Lady", she played a vulnerable, elderly, wealthy woman kept hostage in her own home by ruthless crooks (Darren McGavin and Ruta Lee) attempting to steal her valuable possessions. She also appeared in such television dramas as "Laramie" (1961), "The United States Steel Hour" (1962), "East Side/West Side" (1963 ), and "N.Y.P.D." (1967). Author. Collinge wrote the play "Dame Nature" (1938), an adaptation of a French drama by André Birabeau, in addition to some short stories for "The New Yorker", and contributed to "The New York Times Book Review". She also wrote "The Small Mosaics of Mr. and Mrs. Engel", a travelogue that earned her a gold medal from the Italian government, and "The B.O.W.S.", which she co-authored with Margalo Gillmore. Personal life and death. Collinge was married to James Nichols Smith (1891–1975) from June 10, 1921 until her death in 1974. They had no children. Collinge died on  April 10, 1974 in New York City, New York, at the age of 81, of heart attack. She is buried with her husband at Saint Mary's Cemetery in Nantucket, Massachusetts.