This droll, dry-witted London-born gent came from a family of actors. He made his stage debut in 1932 and established his reputation in stylish plays. He progressed to films in 1939 but his career was immediately interrupted after only one movie appearance by WWII, serving as a lieutenant colonel in the infantry. He managed to regain his footing ...
[on stardom] The only criterion by which an actor should be judged is by his work .... If being a star means that people want to know how drunk I can get or what a hell raiser I can be, I don't want to be known as a star. (Winnipeg Free Press, July 28, 1960)
2
Remarking on how he saw the difference between the US film industry's response to periodic downturn in comparison to that of the British: The difference in the two industries I suppose is that when we have a panic over there it's complete. They start closing down studios and everyone says what are we going to do. Over here you seem to take your panics in stride. Or so its appears. (Ottawa Citizen, 1 May 1956)
3
You have to be slick and fast and not fall over the furniture. - talking about his dual role as director/lead in the stage production of The Best of Friends. November 1969.
4
"My very best investment": That's an easy question - my answer is 32s 6d, spent on a special marriage licence nineteen years ago. For those few shillings I got a pretty girl who became housekeeper, nurse, mother, mistress, companion, secretary, adviser, dresser and washer-woman. And the important thing about this investment was that I never actually spent the 32s 6d - because I was working all hours at the time, my future wife had to get the licence herself!. UK Woman Magazine April 25 1970.
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Fact
1
Died in St. Bartholomew's Hospital, London just a few weeks after undergoing cancer surgery.
2
A memorial service celebrating the life of Nigel Patrick was held at St. Paul's Church, Knightsbridge, London on 12th November 1981. Actresses Julia McKenzie and Celia Johnson delivered the readings.
3
From the autumn of 1934 (the year of his debut), he was out of the West End only during the war or upon visits to the United States and South Africa.
4
In a poll carried out by the US trade magazine "Motion Picture Herald" he was named by operators of British Film houses as one of the top ten home (British) box office draws of 1952. Bob Hope was the overall top draw when considering all nationalities (he had become a US citizen in 1920). This success was repeated again the following year.
5
Was reputed to have been offered the role of Prof. Jerusalem Webster Stiles in Raintree County (1957) after the then MGM boss Dore Schary watched his performance as Mr Jingle in the Pickwick Papers (1952) on television in his hotel suite in New York.
6
Advertised "Curtis Gin" of London (1953), under the slogan "Nigel Patrick discovers the smoother gin!".
7
Changed birth name, Nigel Dennis Patrick Wemyss-Gorman, by Deed Poll on 30 April 1940 to Nigel Dennis Wemyss Patrick (London Gazette 3 May 1940). As an actor he was known simply as Nigel Patrick. At that time his address was listed as 27 Dryburgh Road, Putney, London.
8
He represented British Actors Equity at the memorial service for Jack Hawkins held at St. Martin-in-the-Fields, London on September 14 1973.
9
When war broke out in 1939 he joined the King's Royal Rifle Corps. His commission was confirmed in the "London Gazette" on 16 February 1940 (serial no. 117838). By the end of the war he had served in the Middle East, North Africa and Italy and risen to the rank of lieutenant-colonel.
10
His London home, in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, was at 54 Ovington Street.
11
He and his wife Beatrice Campbell were the face of the Parker Pen Company advertising during the mid-1950s using the slogan "Beatrice Campbell gave Nigel Patrick a Parker '51' for his birthday".
12
His professional stage debut was the 1932 production of "The Life Machine" at the Regent Theatre.
13
Made two films with Beatrice Campbell. The first Silent Dust (1949) - before their marriage - and the second Grand National Night (1953).
$16 Million
