The star of Shirley Valentine died peacefully in her London care home on November 6 surrounded by her family, having had Parkinson’s for several years.
Although she will be best remembered for her portrayal of disgruntled housewife Shirley Valentine who escapes to Greece, she also starred in the first series of sitcom The Liver Birds and became a household name in Upstairs Downstairs.
Collins was nominated for an Oscar for Shirley Valentine in 1990 and her critically acclaimed performance won her both a Golden Globe and a Bafta.
She came to Weymouth to film scenes for a TV movie called Knockback at Weymouth Railway Station and other locations in the town in May 1984.
In the film, a love story, Collins played the role of Sylvia, a prison worker. She was pictured filming with fellow actor Nicola Wright, who played a character called Dawn in the film.
Knockback was based on a true story about the first man to be sentenced to life imprisonment in the UK for murder following the abolition of capital punishment.
Pauline’s character Sylvia falls in love with Alan, who spends most of his sentence in solitary confinement.
She lobbies parliament on his behalf, and after 17 years, he is released.
Local children William Maxted, Emma Jane Hillson and Sarah Burt (in the pram), were also part of the filming.
Scenes were also shot at the Nothe Fort, the Verne on Portland the Jubilee Clock.
At the time of filming, location manager Nigel Taylor told the Echo: “These places should be instantly recognisable as Weymouth is such a distinct place anyway. We shall be recreating scenes inside the Verne.
“It’s such an unusual role for Pauline Collins to play as she is mostly in comedies.”
The TV film was screened in two 90 minute parts on BBC2 in the autumn of 1984.
Tributes flooded in after the news of Collins’ death.
Her husband John Alderton, who she starred with in Upstairs Downstairs, described his wife as “a remarkable star”, having worked with her more than any other actor.
“What I saw was not only her brilliant range of diverse characters but her magic of bringing out the best in all of the people she worked with,” he said.
“She wanted everyone to be special and she did this by never saying ‘Look at me’. It’s no wonder that she was voted the nation’s sweetheart in the 1970s.
He added she would always be remembered for Shirley Valentine, “not only for her Oscar nomination or the film itself, but for clean-sweeping all seven awards when she portrayed her on Broadway in the stage play, in which she played every character herself.”