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Collier Young

Collier Young (August 19, 1908 – December 25, 1980) was an American screenwriter, film producer, and creator known for his work in independent cinema during the 1950s and later contributions to episodic . Young began his career in after serving in the during , where he produced documentary films, and by 1948 had formed his own production company under an agreement with to create low-budget features. In 1948, he married actress , and the couple co-founded the independent production company The Filmmakers in 1949, which focused on socially conscious, low-budget films addressing taboo subjects such as , mental illness, and . Through The Filmmakers, Young produced and co-wrote several notable films directed by Lupino, including (1950), which tackled the aftermath of ; (1950), exploring and ; Hard, Fast and Beautiful (1951); (1952); (1953), a tense about a psychopathic drifter; (1953), starring Lupino and ; and (1954). The company also distributed its own films independently starting in 1953 via Filmakers Releasing Organization. Young and Lupino divorced in 1951 but continued collaborating professionally for several years. In the late 1950s, Young shifted his focus to television, producing and writing for anthology series such as Star Stage and creating the supernatural drama One Step Beyond (1959–1961), which ran for three seasons and emphasized eerie, real-life-inspired stories without relying on traditional horror tropes. His most enduring television success came with Ironside (1967–1975), a crime drama starring Raymond Burr as a wheelchair-bound detective, which aired for eight seasons on NBC and earned multiple Emmy nominations for its innovative portrayal of disability. Young continued working in television until later in his career, including contributions to shows like Night Chase (1970). He died from injuries sustained in a car accident weeks earlier, at age 72.

Early Life and Education

Childhood and Family Background

Collier Hudson Young was born on August 19, 1908, in . He was the son of attorney William Tandy Young Sr. (1863–1947) and Eddine Hudson Young (1870–1948). The Young family relocated to Indianapolis, Indiana, in 1910, when Collier was about two years old, establishing their permanent home there as his father built a legal practice in the city. Raised in a professional household amid the cultural and educational vibrancy of early 20th-century , Young grew up in an environment that strongly valued intellectual development, formal education, and rhetorical skills. His father's career as a likely reinforced an appreciation for articulate expression and , shaping Young's early interests in leadership and communication. Young attended in , a prestigious institution known for its rigorous academics and extracurricular programs. There, he demonstrated early promise in , representing the school in the National Oratorical Contest; in 1925, he secured first place in the local competition against students from all Indianapolis high schools and second place at the district level. His involvement extended to student governance, culminating in his election as president of the senior class in 1926. These experiences highlighted the formative role of his Midwestern upbringing in fostering confidence and oratorical talent.

Academic Achievements and Initial Interests

During his high school years at in , , Collier Young demonstrated exceptional oratorical talent by winning the state oratorical competition in 1926, earning a $500 prize for his speech delivered in Caleb Mills Hall. This victory highlighted his early aptitude for and persuasive expression, skills that would influence his future endeavors. Young pursued higher education at , a liberal arts institution, where he graduated in 1930 with a degree. His time at exposed him to a broad emphasizing , , and , fostering an appreciation for narrative structures and eloquent communication that aligned with his high school experiences in . Following graduation, Young initially entered the field of , taking on roles that involved crafting compelling messages and stories to engage audiences. This early career phase allowed him to refine his abilities in persuasion and narrative development, bridging his academic background in and to practical applications in commercial storytelling.

Professional Career

Entry into Entertainment Industry

After graduating from Dartmouth College in 1930, Collier Young initially worked in advertising before transitioning to the entertainment industry. In 1940, he joined as a story editor, marking his entry into Hollywood's . Young's roles at RKO involved script evaluation and development, honing his understanding of narrative structure. He subsequently advanced to , where he focused on story acquisition and editing. Later, at , he worked in similar capacities, contributing to the studio's script department by analyzing properties for adaptation potential. During , Young served in the U.S. Navy as a , where he produced documentary films documenting South Pacific battles and contributed to training films and efforts for military audiences. These projects included short films used for troop instruction and morale-boosting content, drawing on his story editing expertise to craft concise, impactful narratives. In 1948, following his military service, Young formed his own production company under an agreement with to create low-budget features. Through these early positions, Young developed key skills in script analysis, identifying adaptable stories from novels and plays, and refining adaptation techniques to suit cinematic formats, laying the groundwork for his later production work.

Film Production and Writing

In 1949, Collier Young co-founded an independent film production company with his then-wife, actress and director Ida Lupino, initially named Emerald Productions, to create low-budget films addressing social issues outside the constraints of the major studios. This venture allowed Young to transition from studio executive roles into hands-on producing and writing, focusing on provocative narratives that challenged conventional Hollywood fare. By 1953, they established The Filmmakers Releasing Organization (often stylized as The Filmakers), which emphasized socially conscious, independently financed projects distributed through arthouse channels to evade the dominant studio system's distribution monopolies. Young's involvement in this company highlighted his commitment to thematic depth over commercial spectacle, producing films that explored psychological tension and moral dilemmas on modest budgets typically under $200,000. Young's production and writing credits during this period exemplified his stylistic leanings toward aesthetics—marked by shadowy cinematography, moral ambiguity, and urban alienation—while prioritizing social commentary on issues like and . His first major project, Outrage (1950), served as producer and co-writer (with and Malvin Wald), crafting a stark social drama about a young woman's psychological aftermath following a , which boldly confronted in a era when such topics were rarely depicted on screen. This film, directed by Lupino, utilized semi-documentary techniques and to heighten , reflecting Young's push for authentic storytelling amid Hollywood's preference for escapist genres. Similarly, The Hitch-Hiker (1953), which Young produced and co-wrote with Lupino (based on a treatment by blacklisted writer Daniel Mainwaring), delivered a taut inspired by real-life killer Billy Cook, tracking two vacationing men's harrowing ordeal with a psychopathic hitchhiker; its relentless suspense and exploration of vulnerability under duress cemented Young's reputation for genre-infused social critique. Later in the decade, Young expanded into diverse genres while maintaining independent production values, often financing projects through personal networks to bypass studio gatekeepers. As producer of Huk! (1956), directed by John Barnwell and adapted by from the latter's novel, Young oversaw an action-adventure set in the , depicting an American planter's battle against insurgents during post-WWII unrest; the film blended tense combat sequences with themes of colonial legacy and resistance, shot on location for authenticity despite logistical challenges in remote areas. In The Halliday Brand (1957), co-produced with Robert Eggenweiler and directed by , Young contributed to a that delved into familial strife and racial prejudice on the frontier, with as a sheriff's son confronting his father's bigotry; this B-movie, though underseen, showcased Young's skill in elevating genre tropes with psychological nuance. He also produced lesser-known efforts like Private Hell 36 (1954), a police drama directed by , which examined corruption and obsession among detectives, further illustrating his affinity for gritty, issue-driven B-films that prioritized character-driven tension over high production values. Young's independent approach directly confronted the Hollywood studio system's rigid hierarchies and profit-driven formulas, where executives like him had previously chafed under creative restrictions at and . By self-financing and distributing via The Filmmakers—often partnering with RKO for limited releases before opting for direct arthouse circuits—Young achieved modest successes, such as 's critical acclaim and preservation in the , proving that low-budget ventures could yield culturally resonant work and influence subsequent indie filmmakers. These efforts not only democratized access to bold storytelling but also navigated distribution barriers by targeting urban art houses, fostering a niche audience for socially aware cinema amid the ' post-war conservatism.

Transition to Television

In the late 1950s, Collier Young shifted his focus from film production to television, marking a significant evolution in his career as he adapted his storytelling expertise to the episodic format of the emerging medium. His entry into TV came as producer of the anthology series One Step Beyond (1959–1961), an ABC program that explored supernatural themes through dramatized accounts of alleged real events, distinguishing itself from contemporaries like The Twilight Zone by emphasizing purported authenticity over fiction. This role showcased Young's ability to oversee serialized content with a focus on atmospheric tension and moral dilemmas, building on his film experience in low-budget, character-driven narratives. Young's television portfolio expanded in the 1960s with diverse genres, including the adventure series The Wild, Wild West (1965–1969) on CBS, where he served as producer for the innovative Western that blended espionage, steampunk gadgets, and humor starring Robert Conrad and Ross Martin. He also produced The Rogues (1964–1965), an NBC heist comedy-drama featuring an international cast led by David Niven, Charles Boyer, and Gig Young as suave con artists; the series earned critical acclaim for its witty scripts and sophisticated plots, winning the 1965 Golden Globe Award for Best Television Series – Musical or Comedy at the 22nd ceremony, though it was canceled after one season due to moderate ratings. A highlight of Young's TV legacy was his creation of the detective drama Ironside (1967–1975) on , starring as a wheelchair-bound consultant solving crimes with his team; the long-running series, which Young developed and produced, ran for eight seasons and 195 episodes, influencing procedural formats with its emphasis on intellectual deduction over action. In the post-1960s period, Young continued contributing through the TV movie Night Chase (1970), a suspense thriller he produced for featuring and , and as on The Next Step Beyond (1978), a short-lived revival of his earlier that revisited topics with updated production values. These later efforts, including uncredited consulting on episodic projects, reflected his sustained influence in television until his retirement in the late 1970s, solidifying his reputation for blending filmic depth with TV's weekly demands.

Personal Life

Marriages and Relationships

Collier Young married Ruth Valerie Edmonds on March 8, 1938, at in , marking the beginning of his early married life in the Northeast. The couple, who had been dating since around 1936, divorced on April 26, 1946, after eight years together, during a period when Young was transitioning into the entertainment industry. Young's second marriage was to actress on August 5, 1948, in , a union that reflected their mutual passion for storytelling and creative pursuits, though it remained short-lived. They divorced on October 20, 1951, amid the demands of their independent professional lives on the . In 1952, Young wed actress on November 12 in , entering a relationship immersed in Hollywood's vibrant social scene, where their shared industry connections fostered a dynamic but ultimately challenging partnership. The marriage lasted until their divorce on January 3, 1961, following a separation in May 1960. Young found lasting companionship in his fourth marriage to businesswoman and former model Marjory Ann "Meg" on January 16, 1965, in , a bond characterized by stability and a shared enthusiasm for travel and adventure that endured until his death. This final union provided a steady personal foundation amid Young's peripatetic professional shifts between and .

Later Years and Death

In the later years of his life, following the end of his major television projects in the mid-1970s, Collier Young resided in . Young died on December 25, 1980, at the age of 72, from injuries sustained in an automobile accident several weeks earlier. He passed away at St. John's Hospital in . His marriage to Meg Marsh endured until his death.

References

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