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GRAND MARSHAL

DON

COLLIER

from

The "HIGH CHAPARRAL"

ON NBC-TV

Don Collier might well have ended up as a successful "chicken plucker" if it hadn't been for a thing
called the acting bug.
The son of Homer and Mary Loie Mounger, Collier was born near Los Angeles, California at Inglewood,
Oct. 17, 1928. He left Van Nuys, Calif. High School in his senior year to join the Navy in 1945 but was
released as a Seaman First Class a year later under general demobilization. He returned to graduate
high school.
Over a two-year span h~ worked as a logging hand, seaman and ranch hand.
The ranch job changed the course of Collier's life. The ranch was owned by actor Francis Lederer who
took an interest in and coached young Don. He landed parts in three Western movies, "Massacre River,"
"Indian Scout," and "Fort Apache." The parts were small but the bug had bitten.
With cowboys in oversupply in 1949, Collier accepted an athletic scholarship to Hardin-Simmons
University in Texas. The following year he transferred to Brigham Young University to study geology.
He kept his finger in acting by working in the college drama group.
Restless, he returned to Southern California in 1951 and married - - - a marriage that brought three
children, Pamela, 15, Diane, 14 and David 12, (which broke up in 1958.)
For the next several years, Collier spent his time in the poultry and fish business. But acting still had
it's appeal and he sold the business to study under Estelle Harmon in Hollywood for 18 months while
working as a surveyor to pay for groceries.
In 1960 his determination paid off and he was signed for the starring role of Will Foreman in NBC-TV's
"Outlaws" which ran fottwo years.
Collier married childhood sweetheart Joanne Gray in January, 1960 and they have three children,
Don, Jr., 11, Steve, 7 and Mike, 6.
Following the "Outlaws," Collier moved into a brief season in 1963 as co-star private detective Abel
Forsythe irt NBC-TV's " Ben Jerrod," and guest shots in "Bonanza," "Gunsmoke," "Wide Country,"
"Kraft Theatre," "Peyton Place," and "Death Valley Days."
He appeared in the feature film "Safe at Home" in 1962 and "War Wagon" with John Wayne in 1966.
Collier was cast for his role as "The High Chaparral" ranch foreman Sam Butler by executive producer
and creator David Dortort, based upon his performance in "Outlaws" and running numerous appearances
in television and movie westerns.