Actress Dorothy Patrick; Featured in ‘40s, ‘50s Films

Dorothy Patrick, who played a series of wholesome wives and sweethearts in films in the 1940s and ‘50s, has died of the complications of cancer. She was 65 when she died last Saturday at UCLA Medical Center.

A former Powers Model in New York, where she moved from her native Canada, she was a “Chesterfield Girl” when that cigarette company used beautiful women in its advertising campaigns and was appearing on stage when seen by a Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer talent scout.

Her first film was “Boy’s Ranch,” and over the years she was seen with such stars as Joan Crawford, Loretta Young, Robert Taylor and Wallace Beery in pictures ranging from “Come to the Stable,” “Men of the Fighting Lady,” “Mighty McGurk,” “Torch Song” and more than 25 others.

She was cast opposite Robert Walker as Mrs. Jerome Kern in the musical biography, “Till the Clouds Roll By,” and portrayed Billie Holiday’s employer in “New Orleans,” the only film the legendary jazz singer ever made. She left her screen career in 1956 to raise her sons.

In addition to the sons, Terry Bowen and Les Patrick, she is survived by four grandchildren. Services are scheduled at Pierce Brothers Westwood Village Mortuary at 11:30 a.m. today.