Who was Cora Sue Collins husband? All about the family as former child actress dies aged 98

Former child actress Cora Sue Collins has passed away at the age of ninety-eight. The news of her passing was confirmed by her daughter, Susie Krieser, in a statement to The Hollywood Reporter. The former actress was married thrice, the last time to Harry Nace, until he died in 2002.

The "Torch Singer" actress, known for her movie appearances in the early 1930s and 1940s, died from a stroke, as reported by The Hollywood Reporter.

More about Cora Sue Collins, as former child actress passes away

Cora Sue Collins was born in Beckley, West Virginia, on 19 April 1927, but later moved with her family to Los Angeles after her mother suspected her father was allegedly having an affair with his secretary. It was here that her short but memorable career in Hollywood began. She was spotted by a casting agent, who offered her a chance to audition for the movie "The Unexpected Father." This incident was recounted by Cora Sue Collins during a 2015 interview with Danny Miller. She said:

“On the third day we were here, I went with my mother to enroll my older sister in school. We were walking up to the entrance of the school, my sister and I each holding one of my mother’s hands, when this huge car came screeching up."

The "Anna Karenina" actress further added:

“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."

Cora Sue Collins' performance was loved by everyone, and it landed her a contract with MGM Studios, according to The Hollywood Reporter. This, in turn, led her to appear in a series of movies, including The Strange Case of Clara Dean, Jennie Gerhardt, The Scarlet Letter, Black Moon, Treasure Island, Get Help to Love, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, Youth on Trial, and many others.

During her conversation with Danny Miller, Cora Sue Collins was shown some pictures from her seventh birthday, prompting the actress to recount how special that day was and how it was attended by the biggest stars of Hollywood. She said:

"Do you know I’ve never seen any of these photos until now? They are so wonderful. Look at how gorgeous Jean Harlow is. She was the nicest lady. She came to the party that day right from shooting a scene from China Seas with Clark Gable. She’s wearing her costume from that film."

She added that she was not allowed to keep all the gifts she had received. She said:

"I remember that I kept Garbo’s and Pat O’Brien’s, who I loved so much and called Uncle Pat, and, of course, this amazing hand-carved autograph book that May Robson gave me that I cherish to this day. The rest of my gifts were loaded up into a huge truck and donated to needy children."

Cora Sue Collins had a close relationship with Greta Garbo, right up until the actress died in 1990. They appeared in several movies together, and Collins was personally chosen by Greta Garbo to play the younger version of her character in "Queen Christina." She said during the interview:

"She was one of the most down-to-earth people I’ve ever met. She was never curt, at least not that I saw and I was with her a lot, but she was very positive and whatever she said it was with great conviction. I don’t remember anyone ever contradicting her either."

Cora Sue Collins married Ivan Stauffer in 1943 at the age of sixteen and later retired from Hollywood at the age of eighteen. The decision to retire came not just from a desire to lead an anonymous life but also because, when she was sixteen years old, Harry Ruskin, a renowned screenwriter for MGM Studios, allegedly made unwanted sexual advances towards her. When she took her concerns to the studio head, Louis B. Mayer, her accusations were not paid much heed.

During her conversation with Image Magazine, Cora Sue Collins said that the incident took place when she was called to lunch at Harry Ruskin's house, only to realize she was there to read the script for an upcoming movie. She said:

“I was just about to turn 16-years-old at the time. I asked where everyone was and Harry said that he had wrote a synopsis for me and wanted me to be alone when I read it. Well, he knew me so well that I remember thinking it was the best synopsis I had ever read. I would have given my right arm to play that part. And there came the proposition. I was in shock. Firstly, because it seemed incestuous; he was like my father."

After leaving Hollywood, Cora Sue Collins was married for four years, until her divorce in 1947. Collins later married James McKay, with whom he had three children. McKay passed away from the complications of pneumonia in 1962, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

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The "Week-End at Waldorf" actress later married Harry Nace, who owned a theatre in Phoenix in 1969. The couple were married for thirty-three years until he died in 2002.

Although Cora Sue Collins left Hollywood a long time back, she recently attended events in memory of her friend and costar Greta Garbo. She is survived by her three children and several grandchildren.

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