Eddie Collins

The real Dopey

Animator Art Babbitt recalled taking Les Clark to the Follies Theater in Los Angeles to see a burlesque show featuring Eddie Collins, whose walk struck them as perfect for the dwarfs—especially Dopey.

Indeed, The Billboard of May 18, 1935, notes that Eddie Collins was then finishing his third year at that theater, performing alongside Joe Yule, the father of Mickey Rooney.

After filming him with a 16mm camera without asking permission, the animators shared their discovery at the studio. The veteran performer was then officially brought on as a live-action model and filmed reference footage for the animators. His talent was well appreciated, particularly by Wilfred Jackson, who even mentioned him during the November 10, 1936 meeting on the dwarfs’ personalities.

After the film’s release, Eddie Collins was featured in the press, most notably in a lengthy article titled “The Dramatic Life and Death of Dopey”, which included his photo and told the story of how he was discovered. He also appeared in the British magazine Film Pictorial.

The article also described the beginning of a new chapter in his career: “A bit in In Old Chicago grew into a fat role in Alexander’s Ragtime Band, and Mr. Collins found his world of burlesque left behind—thanks to Dopey.”