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Main attraction

For the second time this year, TV Tonight chats with FOX Classics movie presenter, Bill Collins, as he reflects on a week when his star rose once more.

billcollins1After 46 years on the small screen, Bill Collins will soon join an elite group of television names when he is inducted into the Logies Hall of Fame.

In acknowledging the honour, Collins was characteristically humble.

“I wonder what some of those who passed on would be saying if they could speak? ‘Oh not him, surely? Why should he be with us? Oh dear, oh dear!'” he laughed.

“I feel rather embarrassed by it to be perfectly candid, thinking ‘why are you all looking at me?’

“But it’s nice to have one’s work recognised after so many years. It’s been very pleasant. There was a lovely function for me at Foxtel the other day put on by (Director of Television) Brian Walsh and they were very nice. I was so thrilled.”

Collins says its been a busy week since news of the honour has emerged.

“My Monday was a taping day at Foxtel and it was turned upside down with the announcement, with interviews and photographers and all that sort of thing.”

Suddenly, a man who has been in the public spotlight since 1963, has become hot property all over again. Interview requests are keeping his publicist much busier than usual.

“There have been quite a few,” he said. “I was interviewed for A Current Affair. There’s plenty of ‘me’ around now, you can’t miss me!” he laughed.

Collins says he got wind of the possible nod a few weeks ago.

“I had been given notice several weeks ago that this could happen. And then it was announced last Monday morning through TV Week. I devoured the article, I read it with a great deal of enthusiasm.”

Collins says most of the questions pertain to his favourite film of all time (Gone with the Wind), and his opinion on current movies and movie-going.

One of his passions is in educating audiences to lesser-known films.

“There are a lot of good movies that people haven’t heard of. And they’re the ones that I love to present. A recent one I’ve done was a Fritz Lang film called The Big Heat.

“And I love to present films that could lead people to reading, such as No Man of her Own with Barbara Stanwyck. It’s such a great picture, based on a novel called I Married a Dead Man.”

His favourite films for presentation are movies from the 30s and 40s, but he doesn’t rule out more recent decades.

“I present newer films sometimes on FOX Classics and I’m happy to do so. Particularly if they’re films directed by Samuel Fuller. People go to the known rather than the unknown. They see the same things again and again. It’s like having every holiday in Honolulu. Why not try Tahiti for a change?”

As for Logies night, he has no idea who will be introducing him, but like the man himself, he hopes it will be a classy and humble affair.

“If you’ve got something you don’t have to flaunt it, that’s what I always say.”

7 Responses

  1. I remember taping his intros to GYOH at TCN9 in the late 60’s. “Now I want you to watch for the scene where William Lundigan drives down the street and look for the woman in the white hat crossing the street in front of the car. That’s actually Sam Goldwyn’s wife. Sam promised her a role in his new picture and that’s it”. There were always some totally useless bits of info in every film but Bill had a way of turning the worst late movie into something worthwhile. May it continue longtime. Thanks Bill. You encouraged my interest in films and the industry over the past 45 years.

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