Ray Collins
Known for
A veteran American character actor, Ray Collins came from radio and Orson Welles's Mercury Theatre to a long screen career. He is memorable as the corrupt political boss Jim Gettys in Welles's masterpiece 'Citizen Kane' (1941), and later became widely known to television audiences as Lieutenant Tragg on the long-running series 'Perry Mason'. His authoritative, resonant presence suited lawmen, executives and men of standing. An American actor of the classic Hollywood and early television eras, he died in 1965 after a remarkably prolific career.
Ray Collins
75 Movies
8 Series
A veteran American character actor, Ray Collins came from radio and Orson Welles's Mercury Theatre to a long screen career. He is memorable as the corrupt political boss Jim Gettys in Welles's masterpiece 'Citizen Kane' (1941), and later became widely known to television audiences as Lieutenant Tragg on the long-running series 'Perry Mason'. His authoritative, resonant presence suited lawmen, executives and men of standing. An American actor of the classic Hollywood and early television eras, he died in 1965 after a remarkably prolific career.
Movies
Plays Jim W. Gettys
Citizen Kane
1941
Plays District Attorney Adair
Touch of Evil
1958
Plays Mr. Milton
The Best Years of Our Lives
1946
Plays Jasper G. Wingait
Summer Stock
1950
Plays Jack Amberson
The Magnificent Ambersons
1942
Plays Glen Robie
Leave Her to Heaven
1945
Plays Rev. Daniels
Good Sam
1948
Plays Roger Enright
The Fountainhead
1949
Plays Sheriff Masters
The Desperate Hours
1955
Plays Mr. Tremaine
Athena
1954
Plays Beemish
The Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer
1947
Plays Jefferson Almond
The Heiress
1949
Plays Leonides
Night in Paradise
1946
Plays Davis Banton
Boys' Ranch
1946
Plays Arch Strobie
Vengeance Valley
1951
Plays Alfred Metcalfe
The Solid Gold Cadillac
1956
Plays Mica Ralston (rancher)
Texas Lady
1955
Plays Rear Adm. L. C. Tennant
You're in the Navy Now
1951
Plays Mortimer Welsh
The Racket
1951
Plays Big Ed Carter
The Man from Colorado
1948
Plays Arthur Burdett, alias Philip J. Fogarty
Hideout
1949
Plays Johan Bergesen
Commandos Strike at Dawn
1942
Plays Colonel Hooker
Francis
1950
Plays Lt. Col. Avery Silver
Homecoming
1948
Plays Mr. Macauley
The Human Comedy
1943
Plays Wallau
The Seventh Cross
1944
Plays Gordon Stewart
Two Years Before the Mast
1946
Plays Dr. Bailey
Never Say Goodbye
1956
Plays Professor B
The Big Street
1942
Plays Gen. Birabeau
The Desert Song
1953
Plays Cardinal von Faulhaber
The Hitler Gang
1944
Plays Alfred Greenleaf
It Happens Every Spring
1949
Plays Victor Donlan
A Double Life
1947
Plays Dr. John Carey
Crime Doctor
1943
Plays Storey
Column South
1953
Plays Maj. Desmond Lansing
Command Decision
1948
Plays Dan Reasonover
Bad for Each Other
1953
Plays Jonah Evans
Kill the Umpire
1950
Plays Dr. Fredericks
Paid in Full
1950
Plays Timothy Stone
Dreamboat
1952
Plays Edmund Jethrow
Young Man with Ideas
1952
Plays Col. John Mason
Salute to the Marines
1943
Plays Grover Kendall
Whistling in Brooklyn
1943
Plays Harvey Elwood
For the Love of Mary
1948
Plays Insp. Appleby
Rose Marie
1954
Plays Emil Blanchard
The Return of Monte Cristo
1946
Plays Senator Frost
Can't Help Singing
1944
Plays Dr. Lowell
Crack-Up
1946
Plays Fred Houlihan
The Senator Was Indiscreet
1947
Plays Johnny Adair
Barbary Coast Gent
1944
TV Shows
Plays Lieutenant Tragg
Perry Mason
1957
Plays Barton Keyes
Lux Video Theatre
1950
Plays Gen. Sam Woolery
Studio One
1948
Plays Herbert Brenner
Alfred Hitchcock Presents
1955
Plays Jerome Harris
Climax!
1954
Plays Daniel Webster
Cavalcade of America
1952
Plays Evan Gracie
Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre
1956
Plays Dean Wilson
Father Knows Best
1954
Latest Trailers
Watch Trailer
Touch of Evil
Full Filmography
I'll Give My Life
John Bradford
1960
Film
Touch of Evil
District Attorney Adair
1958
Film
Perry Mason
Lieutenant Tragg · 271 episodes
1957–
TV
Spoilers of the Forest
Eric Warren
1957
Film
Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre
Evan Gracie · 1 episode
1956–
TV
The Solid Gold Cadillac
Alfred Metcalfe
1956
Film
Never Say Goodbye
Dr. Bailey
1956
Film
The Go-Getter
J.P. Miller (sometimes called J.B. Miller)
1956
Film
Texas Lady
Mica Ralston (rancher)
1955
Film
Photos
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Ray Collins still alive?
Ray Collins passed away on July 11, 1965 at age 75.
What are the most famous roles of Ray Collins?
Ray Collins is best known for roles in Citizen Kane, Touch of Evil, The Best Years of Our Lives.
How many movies has Ray Collins been in?
Over a 34-year career (since 1931), Ray Collins has appeared in 75 movies and 8 TV shows.
What was Ray Collins's first movie?
The career of Ray Collins began with One Way Out (1931).
What is Ray Collins's most recent movie or series?
Ray Collins's most recent release is I'll Give My Life, which premiered on February 3, 1960.
What TV shows has Ray Collins appeared in?
On television, Ray Collins has appeared in Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Perry Mason, Father Knows Best, Studio One.
Ray Collins
1889-12-10 · Sacramento, California, USA
Ray Bidwell Collins (December 10, 1889 – July 11, 1965) was an American character actor in stock and Broadway theatre, radio, films, and television. With 900 stage roles to his credit, he became one of the most successful actors in the developing field of radio drama.
A friend and associate of Orson Welles for many years, Collins went to Hollywood with the Mercury Theatre company and made his feature-film debut in Citizen Kane, as Kane's ruthless political rival.
Collins appeared in more than 75 films and had one of his best-remembered roles on television, as the irascible Lieutenant Arthur Tragg on the television series Perry Mason.