Changeling -- Part X

Los Angeles Times file photo Gordon Northcott ignores his attorneys and argues with the judge, Dec. 5, 1928.

Oct. 17, 1928: The Police Commission decides not to punish Capt. J.J. Jones for putting Christine Collins in a mental ward. View Larger Map The most enduring question from "Changeling" is what became of Christine Collins. Unfortunately, the answer is fairly murky. We know from The Times that she lived at 217 N. Avenue 23, above, when Walter was killed by Gordon Northcott in 1928.           Los Angeles Times file photo Prosecutors asked for an all-male jury, saying that the evidence would be too gruesome for any woman.

Oct. 17, 1928: Neighbors say Christine Collins was delusional. Sept. 13, 1930: Collins wins $10,800 in damages against Capt J.J. Jones. "Attorney Hahn pictured Mrs. Collins as an anguished mother thrown in among deranged persons to emerge disgraced, unnerved and branded as of unsound mind."

Sept. 14, 1930, left: Christine Collins plans to use the damages assessed against Capt. J.J. Jones to find out what happened to her son Walter. Oct. 1, 1930, above: Shortly before Gordon Northcott was executed, Collins met with him one more time. She spoke with him for an hour, never asking directly if he killed her son. He finished the interview by saying: "I only have two days to live, Mrs. Collins, and I am telling you the truth. I know nothing about your boy."

Oct. 1, 1930: Northcott makes obscene goodbyes to death row inmates on his way to the execution cell. Jan. 29, 1941: The last time we hear of Christine Collins. The Times did not publish her address.

View Larger Map According to the 1936 city directory, a woman named Christine Collins lived at 584 E. Avenue 28, but no one by that name appears in the later online directories. I was also unable to find her in my 1941 city directory and 1946 Los Angeles phone book. The 1940-1997 California death records list 16 women named Christine Collins. A search in the Social Security Death Index produces 60 women by that name.

Comments

[Rinky Dink]

Just saw the movie and after reading what's posted here, I see that the "true" story is not true after all.

[Andrew Hunt]

Hi Larry,

I found the 1941 article on ProQuest from the Los Angeles Times that mentioned Christine Collins' suit against J.J. Collins (the story was dated January 29, 1941, I believe). But after that, the trail grows cold, newspaper-search-wise. I searched other major papers on ProQuest. As a historian, i also have access to Newspaperarchive.com and I performed a number of searches (they have by far the most comprehensive collection of digitized newspapers online). Nothing. I used to have access to Ancestry.com but, alas, I no longer do. Maybe some other readers will have better luck than me when it comes to sorting out whatever became of Christine Collins.

All of this begs the question: Where do these claims that Collins died in 1935 originate? Clearly, she turns up in newspaper references after 1935. You have your work cut out for you, Larry....
Good luck!
Andrew Hunt

[Jim]

So I have two questions about items that were in the movie, but do not appear in the Times coverage.

First--was the evangelist pastor in the movie a fictional character?

second--Did the anti-LAPD protests at City Hall really occur?

[cassandra]

excellent movie best ever i too wonder if she ever found her son and what happen to her
just goes to show u the la police have a long full history of corruption
nothing much has changed if they did this to white woman i can imagine what was done to black people
dirty shame

[MC]

saw the movie, fascinating. also wonder what happened to Christine?

[Matthew Biggs]

Just finished watching the film, What a sad story but brillantly casted and directed, really gets you thinking of what you would do if you was in christine shoes......Who knows if she found her son, but I m sure they are together in eternal peace now......

[AK Risso]

Saw the movie and was again amazed at how veristile Angie is in her abilities as well as in Eastwoods directing.
As for the movie and the story, it is a very sad one, especially knowing that to date, Walter has never been located. It leaves so many options of what couldv'e happened to him. But it also shows what a mother's love and beleif will do for her.
It took a lot for her to stand up against society and not budge. I commend Ms. Collins and only wish they she had found resolution in the end. But then, like one poster said, she may have after she passed. She and Walter may be together again.
Just an awsome movie and story. Bravo

[caroline almeida]

I just saw the movie too and some questions don't want to get out of my head. there are many of them, and i can't even explain them. i just keep thinking that from all the terror we saw, the worst one is when you don't have anybody to count with. when the people qho are paid to get you safe are doing exatelly the opposite. and, how, how, how can people be so bad? i really hope (if there is any kind of life after this one) Christine be with her walter because even trying i cannot get any close to what see felt in all those years....

[koya]

fascinating movie, really sad story.. was hoping that she eventually found her Walter...but from what I read it seems not.... :( :( : :'(

[Sary]

They twisted parts of the true story in the film.

[dweet]

she did find walter..when she died...he was playin in heaven...

[Alley]

A think alot of people are missing the point here...the moved is BASED on a TRUE STORY..... Walter was never found and Christine is dead....Fantastic movie...Clint did bloody well to take this one to the big screen!

[bel]

Why didn't she ask the young boy that was with that horrid killer if they killed Walter. I never understood why they didn't ask him

[Ana Mady]

I just saw the movie.... I adore Angelina,and in this movie she was fantastic! And like you people here,I wonder what did the story continued like? I don't understand how come NOBODY knows what ever happened to christine? Why can't we find the answers on the internet? There are so many people with acces to some informations,more so if it's old informations and are not confidential anymore ( no? )... In ending,please excuse me if my english wasn't too good,I'm romanian.

[Amy]

If the movie was true to form, then why didn't the boy who was involved with the killings tell whether they caught him the night the boys escaped or not? If Walter wasn't caught, he could have been alive - if they got in their truck as the movie showed, and caught him, then that boy would know if he was killed that night or not...

[tara]

i watched this movie last night , and this morning . i wanted to see if i missed anything , and i sure did . like other's are saying , how come the police [the good one anyways] ask the young boy who was with the killer if they ever caught walter that night ? that's what gets me . there could have been some closure to this case if they would have asked just that one , simple , self explanatory question . it kills me to know that if she just would have refused to go into work that day [in the movie] and she would have just taken walter to the movies , it would have never happend . i think a childs wants is more valuable then working one day at work ; especailly in this case - correct me if im wrong .

[giuliana torres]

I was wondering what she would thought about the movie, I think she never found herself as a real fighter for her son, she did everything in her hands but I think she continue beliving her son was alive and that is something only a mother can feel.

I wat to know if the other boy who was found after the killer died, is a real caracter or simple a ficctional caracter.

Godd Luck

[Me]

I also have that question about why didn't they asked Clark if Walter was killed or not that night. And about the fact that she shouldn't have gone to work that day, we have to remember that she was a single mother, who could not afford to loose her job. She had probably done that before, going to work in her free days if they needed her and nothing happened to her son. More so, in the movie she tells Walter that she will ask someone to stop by, so she didn'd just leave him on the streets. But all in all, this is a tragic story, an extraordinary movie and a brilliant, moving, stunning performance of Angelina. She proves once again, if needed, that she is an amazing actress, capable of any kind of role. Shame that her performance wasn't awarded at any of the many awards lately, but what matters most is that she did her job perfectly and it doesn't take an award to see that. Bravo, Angie!!!

[Me]

giuliana torres> the boy that was found alive is real. He escaped that night, helped, ironically, by Walter. But at one point, the group of boys separated, and he never saw Walter since. I keep thinking that if only Walter had stayed with David (the boy that was found alive), he would have jumped in that train with him and would have made it :( But..... it wasn't meant to be :(

[Rebecca]

If they havent proven Walter's escape and/or death, then why dont they do DNA samples on the bones? Or ask Sanford Clark if they ever caught any of he 3 boys who escaped that night? He must know the answer. Or both?

[Kennedy]

Just for clarification: The Pastor Gustav Briegleb WAS real. One of the articles above mentions his name clearly during one of the trials. I think it mentions more of him, but that's all so far. So he was real, whether the movie deplicted accuracy, I don't know. I think when Clint said it's not all based on a true story, he's write, there are too many empty holes to fill in a movie like this (considering he also left out parts that were clearly found as well).

Great movie though. Clint is awesome!

[Natasha]

I'm sure that if they hadn't tried to cover up the terrible mistake the LAPD made and the remains are gone. I was just thinking that they couldn't do DNA back then but now they could .... It's sad that she had to die not ever knowing the truth...also, someone mentioned that she shouldn't have left her soon at age 9 alone to work - we are talking about the late 20s, those kind of things that we find so common place now were not even imagainable back then. The neighborhood was there, everyone knew everyone ... she did nothing wrong that day. The man that stole and murder her son is the beast to blame.

[Mother of one]

I watched this movie last night. I have seen the previews on T.V. didn't pay much attention to what this movie was about. My heart just hurts for Mrs. Collins and her son and every family that was affected by this. I cried through out the whole movie.. It was awesome I felt so many differnt feelings : I was shocked disgusted, Happy and want to thank the Clint Eastwood for producing this story.. Sharing it with the Public because all of this kinda of stuff is still happening today.... The courage that Mrs. Collins had is so commendable she stood up not only for herself and her son she stood up for everyone in California.. To show the cops that they can get away with stuff like this.. I have a seven year old boy. I couldnt even begin to image the pain all of these families endured...... We can only live and learn not only from our mistakes but others as well..... It is very unfortuate that there are evil people out there.. All I can say is Love your Family and Friends to the fullest...... treat people like you want to be treated........... God Bless you All.......

[amanda]

I pray that walter survived somehow and just never could make it home but found a new family that movie just really made me sad

[Al]

Great movie. Remember people it was just a movie. Only enterainment. Keeps u guessing what happens, and what's gonna happen. Remember the Blair witch project? Everybody thought it was true!! Once again just a movie!!!! Somone wrote "they treated white people like this, imagine blacks".......So ignorant!!!!