Hugh McCollum (March 9, 1900 â€" March 16, 1968) was an American film
producer best known for his credits on Three Stooges short subject
comedies.McCollum was born in the Philadelphia suburb of Ridley Park,
Pennsylvania. He attended the Episcopal Academy in Philadelphia and
later matriculated at the University of Pennsylvania for one year. In
1929, McCollum was hired as a secretary to the Columbia Pictures head
Harry Cohn. He gradually worked his way up the corporate ladder, and
when the studio's short-subject department became successful enough to
support two units, department head Jules White led the first unit, and
Hugh McCollum was placed in charge of the second.In 1945, McCollum
gave Columbia sound engineer Edward Bernds an opportunity to write
scripts for the shorts department, and then to direct. His first
assignment in the director's chair was the Three Stooges film A Bird
in the Head (1946). Bernds was excited at his big chance, but was
shocked when he saw that popular Stooge Curly Howard was ill, having
suffered several minor strokes prior to filming (something Jules White
failed to mention to Bernds). Years later, Bernds discussed his trying
experience during the filming of A Bird in the Head:Bernds feared that
his directing days would be over as soon as they began if A Bird in
the Head (featuring a sluggish Curly) was released as his first
effort. Hugh McCollum acted quickly, and reshuffled the release order
of the films Bernds had directed (Bernds had also completed
Micro-Phonies and The Three Troubledoers (1946) in addition to A Bird
in the Head). As a result, the superior Micro-Phonies (in which Curly
was on his mark) was released first, securing Bernds's directing
position. Bernds would forever be indebted to McCollum for this act of
kindness; henceforth, McCollum produced all of Bernds's Stooge films.
producer best known for his credits on Three Stooges short subject
comedies.McCollum was born in the Philadelphia suburb of Ridley Park,
Pennsylvania. He attended the Episcopal Academy in Philadelphia and
later matriculated at the University of Pennsylvania for one year. In
1929, McCollum was hired as a secretary to the Columbia Pictures head
Harry Cohn. He gradually worked his way up the corporate ladder, and
when the studio's short-subject department became successful enough to
support two units, department head Jules White led the first unit, and
Hugh McCollum was placed in charge of the second.In 1945, McCollum
gave Columbia sound engineer Edward Bernds an opportunity to write
scripts for the shorts department, and then to direct. His first
assignment in the director's chair was the Three Stooges film A Bird
in the Head (1946). Bernds was excited at his big chance, but was
shocked when he saw that popular Stooge Curly Howard was ill, having
suffered several minor strokes prior to filming (something Jules White
failed to mention to Bernds). Years later, Bernds discussed his trying
experience during the filming of A Bird in the Head:Bernds feared that
his directing days would be over as soon as they began if A Bird in
the Head (featuring a sluggish Curly) was released as his first
effort. Hugh McCollum acted quickly, and reshuffled the release order
of the films Bernds had directed (Bernds had also completed
Micro-Phonies and The Three Troubledoers (1946) in addition to A Bird
in the Head). As a result, the superior Micro-Phonies (in which Curly
was on his mark) was released first, securing Bernds's directing
position. Bernds would forever be indebted to McCollum for this act of
kindness; henceforth, McCollum produced all of Bernds's Stooge films.
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