Wissenswertes

Even though he was forced to quit playing Lt. Tragg on Perry Mason (1957) during the 1963-1964 television season due to his worsening emphysema, Collins' name was kept on the credits at the insistence of Raymond Burr. This was done not only to help keep his spirits up, but to allow him to continue to receive health coverage from SAG.

Collins was descended from a pioneer California family. His great-grandfather was John Ridwell, commandant of Sutter's Fort before the Gold Rush. He was also the son of William Collins, drama critic of the "California Bee".

Played the voice of the radio announcer who witnesses the Martian tripod machines entering New York City in Orson Welles infamous "War of the Worlds" radio broadcast.

Made his stage debut at 14 in Vancouver and toured in vaudeville, where he met his future wife Joan.

His grave is near to that of Stan Laurel.

Ray Collins passed away in 1965, appearing in only 19 episodes of Perry Mason (1957) from 1962 through 1965. A search of his credits for "Perry Mason" show credit- only for the many episodes he was unable to perform in during those final years.

He has appeared in six films that have been selected for the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically aesthetically" significant: Citizen Kane (1941), Der Glanz des Hauses Amberson (1942), Todsünde (1945), Die besten Jahre unseres Lebens (1946), Die Erbin (1949) and Im Zeichen des Bösen (1958).