Los Angeles Times file photo
Gordon Northcott ignores his attorneys and argues with the judge, Dec. 5, 1928.
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Oct. 17, 1928: The Police Commission decides not to punish Capt. J.J. Jones for putting Christine Collins in a mental ward. |
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.
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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."
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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."
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Oct. 1, 1930: Northcott makes obscene goodbyes to death row inmates on his way to the execution cell.
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Jan. 29, 1941: The last time we hear of Christine Collins. The Times did not publish her address.
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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.
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ladailymirror.com 
Just saw the movie and after reading what’s posted here, I see that the “true” story is not true after all.
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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
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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?
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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
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saw the movie, fascinating. also wonder what happened to Christine?
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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……
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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
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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….
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fascinating movie, really sad story.. was hoping that she eventually found her Walter…but from what I read it seems not…. 😦 😦 : 😥
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They twisted parts of the true story in the film.
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she did find walter..when she died…he was playin in heaven…
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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!
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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
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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.
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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…
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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 .
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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
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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!!!
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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 😦
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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?
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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!
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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.
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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…….
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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
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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!!!!
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A lot of people have questioned why the boy who appeared after 5 years was never questioned about what happened to Walter. The boy told police after the escape he didn’t see them again so was unable to tell police if the others survived or were caught.
It is possible Walter survived and lived a happy life. He however may have died in the wild as he ran from his captors. His fate will never be known.
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Had to respond to a comment made by Rebecca on Feb.23….This crime occurred in the 1920’s-1930’s, and I am assuming that DNA testings were not done on the recovered human remains most likely because there was NO SUCH THING AS DNA TESTING back then…and forensics was simply a travelling gypsy with a deck of tarot cards…
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I’m x a fan of Angelina Jolie but I must admit that she really played well in the movie.She acted as if she herself is Christine Collins.. Amazing! But, I’m still wondering why didn’t she finds Clark and asks him did they managed to capture Walter when they were on the run?Since Clark recognised Walter in the photo, he must have remembered well if Walter had been captured when he and Gordon went in car to chase.
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Hey everyone! i would like to put my own 2 sense into this little message board here. I actually just finished watching the movie. Im not sure how i feel at this point, disturbed, saddened, hopeful? too many emotions are running through me. I beleive that Angelina Jolie is an inspirational, and flat out amazing actress. I also think clint eastwood is a fantastic director. This movie makes me weary of what the world is really like. People are out there who do such things and it makes me want to throw up because of both scaredness and madness. I personally think i was too young to watch that movie, being only 15. I will definatly be more cautious of myself and of my 8 yr old brother and 11 yr old sister. I feel very much more protectie at this point. i hope that demon murderer is getting what he deserve. A point in the movie that made me extremley infuriated was when the judge said “may god have mercy on your soul”. Thats messed up, he absolutley deserves NONE of it. I guess thats procedure though. All in all, amazing yet disturbing movie. i am moved.
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Acabo de ver la pelicula y no paré de llorar. Qué historia tan triste!! Me llegó muy profundo, felicito a los actores y al director. Me gustó mucho.
Saludos from Argentina
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as many of those who posted here and those who havent too (maybe)… i have this one particulary question in my head…. why didnt they asked Sanford Clark if they finally caught the running children that night????
….well… then i just came up with this one answer… and it’s that since S. Clark recognized Walter in one of the pictures as one of the dead boys… then they must have really caught him and murdered Walter that night….
right?….
so sad….
btw… Angelina was great
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Just watched the movie and was totally moved by it all. enough to look up a search of Walter Collins to see if he is real. So I found this site, obviously. Al, the person who pointed out that thought…they treated white people like this, imagine blacks…….I’m not so sure that was out of ignorance, unfortunately, back then, that was simply the way it was. It was wrong, but it was that way.
I think we all owe it to Walter to keep the search alive. Lets see if we can find out what happened to him and his mother. we have the power of the internet. We have progressive forensics, DNA, and most of all we have a reason. Do not let Walter be forgotton. For all the children who are never found, lets keep the interest up. They must have had family, friends, neighbours, work collegues. Someone knows something. Lets put it together.
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Was a great movie,really top all around.The only part that troubles me,is the fact that the dont give enough detail at the end of the film about Walter Collins.Did Christine Collins find her son or not.
was about 80 years ago,im pretty sure information about Christine Collins finding her son or not is a fact by now of which they could have stated at the end!
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I just saw Changeling. It was a sad but beautiful and touching movie. I wish that I didn’t know that it was based on a true story, I can’t stop researching the story of Christine Collins. Despite all the so called ” proof ” on websites I cannot find out about what happened to Christine or Walter. I guess that no-one will ever find put how she died or whether Walter did die at age 9.
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Hmm, it bothers me that a lot of you ask why they wont do DNA testing on the bones now, now that we have the oppertunity. But ehm, you need something to compare them to? You cant just test a bone, and then see who it is. You need something from Walter too, so you can test if they match. SO that should put a stop to that theory.
And btw, a lot of you ask too, why they dont ask Stanford Clark if they caught Walter, but remember that the fact that clark recognized Walter from the photos could be fictional. And the fact that the surviving boy remembered Walter could very well also be fictional.
Dont assume that everything in the movie is correct,
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Posted by Dweet: “A think alot of people are missing the point here…the moved is BASED on a TRUE STORY”
That is absolutely incorrect.
This movie is a ‘true story’, not one based on a true story.
That is my basic beef with this movie……….a movie is a movie and that is fine, but when they say that the movie is a true story and not based on one, that requires a much stronger adherence to the real facts.
The screenwriter went to great lengths to demonstrate to the Universal Legal Department that each and every scene was based on clippings and newspaper accounts to verify that it ‘really happened’.
It is my understanding that Mr. Eastwood did not want to have the movie labeled as a ‘true story’, but rather as a movie ‘based on a true story’.
That would be interesting to know why Mr. Eastwood took that position.
My belief and opinion is that the ‘David Clay’ scene wherein a boy confesses that Walter may have escaped, never happened in real life.
There are way too many things that would have happened if Walter had escaped that just don’t add up.
For instance, don’t you think that Sanford Clark would have told detectives that Walter escaped, if he had?
The author of the book, James Jeffrey Paul, who wrote the true story of Gordon Northcott,and claims that he did about 20 years of research on this subject, denies that the ‘David Clay’ scene wherein it is told that Walter escaped and may be free………that author denies that ever happened.
There is an upcoming book that is from the Sanford Clark point of view that is upcoming in November, and I am willing to bet that in that book, Sanford Clark (as told to his son), will never mention that Walter escaped or that any boy escaped.
That scene had to be introduced to the movie going audience in my opinion so that we could feel the hope that somehow Christine Collins felt, in spite of the facts of the ‘true story’.
I question whether or not this particular scene was part of the ‘true story’.
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I , like everyone else just want to know if she had found her son. The movie was amazing but it would have been better if 7-8 years down the rd he shows up on her door step. I can’t imagine living back in those days, it was shocking and unnerving to see that women didn’t have as much power and influence in the society in the 20’s as they do today.
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GOOD MOVIE.. I DON’T THINK THAT THE TERM “SEREAL KILLER” WAS USED UNTILLTHE 1970’S. BUT could be wrong.
IF THEY SAY AT THE BEGINING THAT ITS A TRUE STORY THEN ITS A TRUE STORY. AS A SOUTHERN CALIFORNIAN THIS MAKES THE REACTION OF THE LAPD AND OTHER DEPARTMENTS TO A MISSING CHILD. AS I REMEMBER FROM THE 50’S AND 60’S THEY DIDN’T WAIT 24 HOURS TO LOOK FOR ANY ONE UNDER 12.
AND AS FOR LEAVING A 9 YEAR OLD AT HOME THAT
WASN’T UNHEARD OF.
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interesting thing about thing about it though was that at the beginning it did not say that it was based on a true story it said this is a true story, so they much have stayed very factual
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such a horrendously sad story, i just feel sick, god bless every child and keep them safe from all harm and all evil.
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Someone said earlier that had Christine not left Walter that day he may still be alive, that may be true but also think…..had she done that then Gordon Northcott may never have been found guilty and kept on killing more children. Thanks to Christine Collins determination he was found out and rightfully hanged!
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i recently saw the changeling film and have taken an interest to the collins case, i was wondering if it would be possible to upload somepictures of walter collins?
thanks,
deeza
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In 1934, she was living at 2121 Workman St., a multi-family home built in 1907.
In 1936, she was living at 152 N. Ave. 24 and listed as a housewife.
In 1938, she was living at 551 S. Lorena.
From 1942 to 1944, she was living at 2451 Daly St.
In 1946, she was living at 2603 Griffin Ave. Clarifies earlier error.
From 1948 to 1950, she was living at 2919 N. Broadway, Apt. D.
From 1952 to 1954, she was living at 2330 Johnston St., Apt. D
There is nothing to be found of her after 1954,
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What is truly sad, is that horror stories like this are still being played out today. Children being kidnapped, assaulted and killed. There will always be sick, disturbed, mentally ill people who will commit these crimes…and that fact is a horror in itself.
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I watched the changeling movie and i was blown away… i do not know which part disturbs me more, the fact that it actually happened, or the fact that people can be so corrupt. I am very curious as to what ever happened to Walter and Christine and I too, probably like everyone else that has watched the movie or researched the case. If I find anything I will post it back on here.
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Very interesting comments! As a mother, I’m going to post a comment that’s pretty far fetched, but in my heart is a hopeful reality. I’d like to think Christine Collins found Walter and they disappeared together – no cops, no press , no attention. Just the two of them; mother and son, changing their identities and forgetting the past to move towards a future. Walter could have married under an assumed name, had children and grandchildren and never spoken of the wineville events. Christine could have died a merry old nanna and no one would be the wiser. Like I said, far fetched but I’m a sucker for happy endings.
Great movie, directing and choice of actors!
And most importantly, let’s always work together in keeping our children safe .
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Very distressing film, can’t get it out of my mind..however, in relation to Dawn’s note re “if she hadn’t left Walter home alone that day then Northcott would never have been found” is not factually true, as much as I would myseld like to believe it was. The police were investigating Sanford Clark being in the US illegally, this led them to Northcott. The Sanford Clark immigration case was not linked to Christine Collins search for Walter until after Sanford had been interviewed.
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I wonder why Director Eastwood left out the part about Northcott’s mother???
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I saw the movie and its one question in my mind. Why the jury dose not ask to Gordon Northkat and to obligate him to say about his crime before they take the verdict to punish him in death. why why why..????? Its really terrible to hear these story. I admire the courage of Christine and she never draws away.
Rule No 1
Never start a fight always finished it.
I was looking for information if she find her son or not in reality, but as i see in internet the last information was she died and she never stopped looking for him. its so bad and i feld so much involved in this story and its not only a film that i see but a tragedy lived in eye of a mother looking for her son.
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The movie: Outstanding acting and directing
The story: sad sad sad. Mother’s love conquers all
It is a short passage through this life, so why not be kind and giving along the way.
We all have our crosses to bear, but it is made easier when we help each other.
We live much more comfortable lives now, but still there are parts of the world where people live in worse scenarios than in this sad story.
I have a daughter who is 2. She takes all my worries away when i hold her, and I could not be sadder when I am away from her. I cannot imagine the torment of such a loss as was Christine’s and others alike …
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