Before Footballers Wive$ and Dynasty, Joan Collins was 20th Century-Fox's answer to Liz Taylor. The pics in the Joan Collins Collection are rarely stellar, but the actress is always a looker, and sometimes more.
The Girl In The Red Velvet Swing
(1955)
As real-life chorine Evelyn Nesbit — she attracted the attentions of
architect Stanford White (Ray Milland) and playboy Harry K. Thaw (Farley
Granger) — a luscious Collins taps into surprising melancholy. Too bad the
film doesn't go as deep. B
Sea Wife
(1957)
In a decent stretch, a deglamorized Collins plays a nun adrift in a raft
with Richard Burton after their ship has been sunk by a Japanese sub.
The drama is Lifeboat lite, but worth it just to see the future Alexis
Carrington whispering to God. B
Stopover Tokyo
(1957)
This poky thriller — starring Collins as an airline clerk helping Robert
Wagner foil an assassination — is a perfect example of why her film career
never reached Elizabethan heights. Her window-dressing role could have
been played by any starlet. B-
Rally 'Round The Flag, Boys!
(1958)
Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward may be the stars of this pallid suburban
satire, but Collins stands out as a sexy neighbor peddle-pushing her way
into their lives. She's funny enough to make you wonder why she didn't
do more comedy. B
Seven Thieves
(1960)
To prep for her performance as a stripper who joins Edward G. Robinson's
gang in planning a casino heist, Collins took lessons from famed
burlesque queen Candy Barr. The payoff is overshadowed by implausible
plotting and Rod Steiger's hammy overacting. B-
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