Cora Sue Collins was the girl who had everything Hollywood wanted. By age five, she was already a veteran of the screen, pulling in $250 a week during the height of the Great Depression. That’s roughly $5,800 in today’s money. For a kid. She didn't just stand there and look cute, either. She was the go-to choice for directors who needed a child actor who could actually act—specifically, a child who could cry on command and hold her own against legends like Greta Garbo and Bette Davis.
But then, she just vanished.
Most people know Shirley Temple or Judy Garland. They don't always remember the dark-eyed girl who played the young Queen Christina. Honestly, it's a bit of a tragedy because Cora Sue Collins movies represent some of the most sophisticated work done by a child in the 1930s. Unlike the sugary sweetness of some of her peers, Collins brought a gravity to her roles that felt almost unnerving.
The Greta Garbo Connection and the MGM Years
If you want to understand why she was a big deal, you have to look at her relationship with Greta Garbo. Most stars were terrified of Garbo. She was the "Swedish Sphinx," notoriously private and cold to coworkers. Yet, Garbo personally hand-picked Cora Sue to play her younger self in the 1933 masterpiece Queen Christina.
They clicked.
It wasn't just a one-off thing, either. Garbo liked her so much that she insisted Cora Sue play her daughter, Tania, in Anna Karenina (1935). They stayed friends for decades, long after the cameras stopped rolling. Think about that. A five-year-old kid from West Virginia becoming a lifelong confidante to the most mysterious woman in cinema history.
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Cora Sue Collins Movies: A Career Built on "Mini-Me" Roles
Hollywood had a specific formula for Cora Sue. Because she had these deep, expressive features, she spent a lot of her career playing the younger versions of the leading ladies. It was basically a "who's who" of Golden Age icons.
- Smilin' Through (1932): She played Norma Shearer’s character as a young girl.
- The Dark Angel (1935): She was the child version of Merle Oberon.
- Blood and Sand (1941): She played the young Doña Sol (the adult version was Lynn Bari).
She was essentially the human bridge that helped audiences connect with the backstories of Hollywood's biggest stars. But she also did some gritty stuff. In The Scarlet Letter (1934), she played Pearl. If you’ve read the book, you know Pearl isn't exactly a ray of sunshine. She’s a "sprite" born of sin, and Cora Sue nailed that eerie, detached vibe.
The Tom Sawyer Tallness Problem
Here’s a weird bit of trivia: she was almost Becky Thatcher. In the 1938 production of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, she was the original choice for the lead girl. Then, puberty happened. Or rather, a growth spurt.
She grew too tall.
Tommy Kelly, who played Tom, was shorter than her. In the 1930s, Hollywood was obsessed with the "man must be taller" visual, even if the "man" was a twelve-year-old boy. They bumped her to the role of Amy Lawrence instead. She later joked that she got to keep the fancy costumes anyway, so she didn't mind too much.
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What Really Happened in Louis B. Mayer’s Office
For years, nobody knew why she quit. She was 18, she was beautiful, and she had 47 films under her belt. She could have easily transitioned into adult roles. Instead, she married a Nevada rancher and walked out of the studio gates for good in 1945.
The truth didn't come out until very recently.
In interviews given late in her life—she lived to be 98, passing away in April 2025—she revealed a disgusting encounter that killed her love for the business. When she was 15, a screenwriter named Harry Ruskin (who was 50 at the time) told her he’d written a lead role just for her. The catch? She had to sleep with him.
She was horrified. She went straight to the top: Louis B. Mayer, the head of MGM.
Mayer didn't help. He reportedly told her, "Darling, you'll get used to it," and threatened that she’d never work again if she didn't play ball. Her response? "Mr. Mayer, that's my heartfelt desire." She finished her contract and never looked back.
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A Legacy Beyond the Screen
It's easy to look at child stars as victims of the "Hollywood machine." In a way, Cora Sue was. But she was also a survivor who took her agency back before most people even had a word for it. She moved to Mexico, became an expert waterskier, married a few times, and lived a long, full life in Beverly Hills and Phoenix.
She didn't need the spotlight.
If you're looking to dive into her filmography, don't just look for her name in the lead credits. Half the time, she was uncredited or listed as "child." But when you see a little girl in an MGM film from 1934 who looks like she’s seen a thousand years of history, that’s probably her.
How to Watch Cora Sue Collins Today
If you want to see her at her best, start here:
- Queen Christina: Watch the coronation scene. Her poise is incredible.
- The Unexpected Father: This was her debut. She beat out Judy Garland for this role.
- Youth on Trial: Her final major role where she plays a "juvenile delinquent." It shows what she could have been as an adult actress.
She died in 2025 as one of the last living links to the silent era and early talkies. She wasn't just another kid actor; she was a professional who saw the darkest parts of the industry and chose her own dignity over a star on the Walk of Fame.
Next Steps for Classic Film Fans:
Check out the TCM archives or the book This Was Hollywood by Carla Valderrama. It contains the full, harrowing account of Cora Sue’s departure from the industry and provides much-needed context for the films she left behind. You can also find her interviewed in Dickie Moore's famous book about child stars, Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star.