RIP Bill Collins

[Dry Rot]

Australia's 'Mr Movies', Bill Collins, dies aged 84
Michael IdatoJune 21, 2019 — 12.35pm

For more than five decades, as we gathered around our television sets to watch the Sunday night movie, Australian audiences were given a free masterclass in cinema by film historian Bill Collins.

Bespectacled, with a gentle smile and a twinkle in his eye, we called him "Mr Movies".

Collins, who spoke about the films he presented with authority, rare insight and great passion, died last night. He was 84 years old.

Australia's 'Mr Movies', Bill Collins, dies aged 84

The legendary film historian, who famously filmed his monologues in one take, had a career spanning five decades.

www.smh.com.au

 

[DEVO]

I used to see/read plenty of his reviews back in the 80's and 90's and with regards to the films from those years I very rarely agreed with him, but with the "Golden Oldies" he loved so much I agreed with him more often than not. Although I seemed to remember he loved John Wayne (at least I think it was him), which I never understood.

RIP Bill

 

[footyfan1978]

Was a good link back to the distant past of black and white movies well before any of us born. If you ever bothered to watch old movies on tv back in 90
s or 80's from the five decades earlier he gave a good feel for whom were the movie stars of the time and some context. Apart from that did not know him much. Actually Sam Newman relayed a story about him yesterday. Some radio show Sam was a part of rang Bill Collins to ask him about the western movie "Unforgiven".. on live air he said he never seen it and was not sure he was interested to... ha ha.. moments later the radio producer lets the on air host know they rang the wrong Bill Collins... Was the famous horse race caller instead... radio presenter fell off chair, not laughing, but embarrassed ..dead air for minutes with Bill Collins hanging on the other end of line wondering what going on... ha ha

 

[BlakeyNoFlakey]

He was an icon of aussie TV back in the eighties and nineties. RIP.

 

[raskolnikov]

I thought he died ages ago tbh. I remember watching him back in the 80s and thinking he looked ancient back then. RIP.

 

[Roobs321]

I thought he died ages ago tbh. I remember watching him back in the 80s and thinking he looked ancient back then. RIP.

Yeah last I saw him was probably 2012-2013 ish. Assumed he was older. Him and Orbison can tend to blend together in my mind a bit, and because Orbison has been gone for so long I assumed Collins was as well (turns out Orbison would only be 83 today weirdly enough).

As others have stated, didn't know too much about his life but he did introduce me to many great B&W films as a kid.

 

[sandeano]

Went to an auction of his film posters some years ago and bought a few.

I'm 6'4" so you could say I'm pretty tall and for that reason I tend to notice those taller than me. On the few times I met Bill he towered over me. He must have been 195, pushing 200 cm tall.

First time I met him was in the old Moviola shop in Melbourne which was a regular hangout for me and I was discussing with the shop owner my dad's heart medication after a recent operation. Bill was in the shop and an came over, apologised for butting in and proceeded to go into great detail about why my father should not use this particular medication and try another instead. He wrote it all down for me. Dad was a fan of Bill so took his advice and his GP agreed and it seemed to work well.

I would not say that he was a particularly incisive film 'critic' but his unabashed love for the films he presented was something I admired greatly. For it is far easier to take the piss or be negative and 'above' such films, instead he took the braver route of opening his heart. You could see his adoration for an Bette Davis romance by the fact he was close to tears in his monologues.

For championing classic Hollywood for decades he remains something of genuine icon of Australian television and his absence from Foxtel is evident in that so few films of that era are now found on that service, since he left. He was the last of his kind.

He was like a cup of warm milo on a Saturday night, a comforting presence and a gateway (for me with his channel 10 work) to older Hollywood cinema.

Thank you Bill. You were a continual presence for this geeky movie-loving kid who loved sick days from school knowing you'd be there with the midday movie.

 

[DroopStDanny]

On the few times I met Bill he towered over me. He must have been 195, pushing 200 cm tall.

I would never have guessed that about him. Sitting behind his desk I had the impression he would have been short and stocky.

Institution in our household on Saturday nights in the eighties.