On Sept. 19, 2015, the world said goodbye to one of its most celebrated authors in recent times: Jackie Collins. Collins, a 32-time New York Times bestseller lost her six-and-a-half year battle to breast cancer just two weeks before her 78th birthday. Her writing career spanned almost five decades, beginning with the release of her first novel, "The World Is Full of Married Men," and concluding with her final novel, "The Santangelos," which was the final installment in her popular Lucky Santangelo series.
Jackie’s sister, actress Joan Collins, is well known for her roles in TV and film, especially her portrayal of the devious Alexis Carrington in the popular 1980s primetime drama "Dynasty." However, Jackie had her fair share of contributions to the screen as well – even collaborating with her sister on more than one occasion. Though most of her work was behind the camera, she did foray into an onscreen performance on a few occasions: notably her failed '90s talk show "Joan Collins Hollywood" and her 2004 E! Entertainment Television miniseries "Jackie Collins Presents" – where she discussed the lives of the rich and famous. Portraying the salacious and scandalous lives of the rich and famous has always been the modus operandi of Jackie Collins, and her contribution to this trope in film and TV cannot be overlooked. Here are eight times Jake Collins influenced film and TV:
The Stud (1978)
The film based on Collins’ 1969 novel of the same name starred Joan Collins as the adulteress Fontaine Khaled. Joan credits this film for revitalizing her struggling career at the time. The film revolves around Khaled, the wife of a wealthy businessman, who squanders his money on her nightclub and partying. She begins a torrid affair with the manager of the nightclub, Tony, and from there it only gets more salacious. The movie chronicles the adultery and affairs committed by not only Fontaine, but also her lover Tony, her own stepdaughter, as well as Fontaine’s husband. The film also included an orgy scene that may seem tame in today’s film landscape but was very scandalous in 1978. The film was a hit and earned $20 million on a $600,000 budget.
The Bi**h (1979)
(Warning: Trailer is NSFW!)
1979 was a busy year for Ms. Collins as she had three films released that year; two were adaptations of her novels and one was an original screenplay. "The Bitch" was released in the same year as the novel and was a direct sequel to "The Stud." Joan Collins reprised her role as Fontaine Khaled, who in this sequel owns a popular disco but is now facing financial problems. She runs into various problems with the men in her life as well the Mafia and features an intricate plot full of schemes and sex. The film, though critically panned, was a commercial success.
The World Is Full of Married Men (1979)
The adaptation of her first published novel of the same name, "The World Is Full of Married Men," was released 11 years after the novel’s publication. Collins tried her hand at screenwriting for this film, and her husband Oscar Lerman held a co-producing credit. The film revolves around Linda Cooper, who discovers that her husband, David, has been carrying on an affair with aspiring model Claudia Parker. Linda divorces him and begins a relationship with a Hollywood film producer, which sends David into a downward spiral. Though the novel was based in the 1960s, the film was set in the '70s and made much use of the popular disco music at the time.
Yesterday’s Hero (1979)
The only original film written by Collins and again co-produced by then husband Oscar Lerman, "Yesterday’s Hero" features Suzanne Somers ("Three's Company") in her film debut as Cloudy Martin, girlfriend of Ian McShane’s ("Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides") Rod Turner. Turner is a washed-up soccer player who seeks the help of his girlfriend, a successful rock star to revitalize his career and his life. This was the last theatrically released film that Collins had any direct involvement in and hence turned her attention toward television.
Hollywood Wives (1985)
After finding tremendous success with her sister Joan in "Dynasty," Aaron Spelling sought to find success this time with Jackie’s work and chose her bestselling novel "Hollywood Wives" as the basis of his next production. The novel itself was written after Jackie moved to Los Angeles herself and came in constant contact with the real wives of Beverly Hills. The novel was so successful that it launched Jackie into almost as much stardom as her sister Joan had at the time. The television production was a three-part, four-and-a-half-hour production on ABC and was one of the most watched miniseries of the 1980s. The series chronicled the lives of rich, white actresses, socialites and celebrities in Hollywood and the dramatic situations they were involved in. Suzanne Somers also had a starring role in this miniseries.
Lucky Chances (1990)
This television miniseries was based on the first two books of Collins’ popular Lucky Santangelo series: "Chances" (1981) and "Lucky" (1985). Collins wrote the series, which starred Nicolette Sheridan ("Desperate Housewives") as Lucky Santangelo, Vincent Arizarry ("All My Children") as her father Gino Santangelo, and Oscar winner Sandra Bullock as Maria Sanatangelo. The series explores the intrigues and passions of Gino, a Mafia Don, and his stunning daughter Lucky as tensions between two erupt into a dangerous power struggle. Filled with illegal dealings and illicit affairs, Collins creates a steamy drama spanning 40 years in the life of a ruthless underworld family. The miniseries won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Cinematography.
Lady Boss (1992)
This television miniseries was an adaptation of the third novel of the same name in Jackie Collins’ Lucky Santangelo novel series. This series featured the rise of Gino Santangelo in the casino industry of Las Vegas and Lucky’s subsequent struggle to maintain the family empire. Written by Collins herself, "Lady Boss" also featured Kim Delaney as Lucky and the late Joan Rivers as Bibi Grant. The show received an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Individual Achievement in Cinematography.
Hollywood Wives: The New Generation (2003)
This television film is an adaptation of the 2001 novel of the same name, a spinoff from "Hollywood Wives." It was aired on CBS in the fall of 2003 and featured Farrah Fawcett as Lissa Roman and Melissa Gilbert as her best friend Taylor Singer. Lissa is a singer-actress who becomes frustrated with her younger husband who appears to only want her wealth and fame. Taylor is her best friend who is married to a famous film director. She has an affair with a much younger writer after becoming fed up with not yet having her big break. The film follows with the usual dramatics including: deceit, adultery, rape, sex, and the complexities involved with getting to the top and staying there.
Jackie Collins will be sorely missed as her impact on the literary world was far reaching and unforgettable. She opened the door to a world that many people have only dreamed of but never been a part of and showed that all that glitters is definitely not gold. But it is heartening that we will still have her novels, TV shows and films to relive the magic and the drama that she brought us.
