Richard J. Collins (born 1914) is an American screenwriter and producer. He began his writing career with the 1939 movie Rulers of the Sea, and gradually moved into TV writing during the 1950s. Amongst his writing credits are Maverick, 87th Precinct (starring Ron Harper), Planet of the Apes (episode "The Interrogation"), Remington Steele and Diagnosis Murder. He also developed a career as a TV producer with shows such as Bonanza (127 episodes), The Family Holvak and Matlock (supervising producer or producer on 131 episodes). From 1945 to 1952 Collins was married to actress Dorothy Comingore, noted for her performance in Citizen Kane and the anti-Communist blacklist which ended her career.