Gail Patrick was a talented and versatile actress who appeared in more than 60 films between 1932 and 1948. She was often cast as the bad girl or the other woman, but she also played leading roles in some notable movies such as My Man Godfrey, Stage Door, and My Favorite Wife. She retired from acting in 1948 and became a successful television producer, most famously of the Perry Mason series. She was one of the first female producers in Hollywood and a pioneer in the television industry. She died of leukemia on July 6, 1980, at the age of 69.
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Early Life and Career
Gail Patrick was born Margaret LaVelle Fitzpatrick on June 20, 1911, in Birmingham, Alabama. Her parents were Lawrence C. Fitzpatrick Sr., a municipal fireman, and Margaret Lavelle Fitzpatrick. She had an elder brother, Lawrence Jr., and possibly other siblings. She graduated from Howard College, where she was the acting dean of women. She then completed two years of law school at the University of Alabama and aspired to be the state’s governor.
In 1932, she entered a Paramount Pictures beauty and talent contest for a role in Island of Lost Souls, starring Charles Laughton and Bela Lugosi. She did not win the contest, but she was offered a standard contract by the studio. She negotiated for a higher salary and refused to do cheesecake stills. She also changed her name to Gail Patrick, after her brother’s girlfriend.
She started her career with small parts in various genres, such as fantasy, thriller, musical, and comedy. She soon rose to prominence as a co-star or leading lady in several films, such as Disbarred, where she played a woman lawyer, and Wagon Wheels and Wanderer of the Wasteland, where she starred opposite Randolph Scott in Zane Grey westerns.
Famous Roles and Rivalries
Gail Patrick is best remembered for her roles as the cool, aloof, and unsympathetic other woman who often clashed with the main heroine. She had a knack for playing these characters with wit, confidence, and elegance. Some of her most famous roles include:
- Cornelia Bullock in My Man Godfrey (1936), where she was Carole Lombard’s spoiled and treacherous sister who tried to sabotage her romance with William Powell.
- Linda Shaw in Stage Door (1937), where she was Ginger Rogers’ cynical and ambitious rival who stole her boyfriend Adolphe Menjou.
- Bianca Bates in My Favorite Wife (1940), where she was Cary Grant’s second wife who had to deal with the return of his first wife Irene Dunne, who was presumed dead.
- Eve Carstairs in Love Crazy (1941), where she was Myrna Loy’s scheming cousin who attempted to break up her marriage with William Powell.
She also had some real-life rivalries with some of her co-stars, such as Carole Lombard, Ginger Rogers, and Joan Bennett. She once said that Lombard was “a mean-spirited woman” who tried to upstage her on the set of My Man Godfrey. She also claimed that Rogers was “a bitch” who resented her success in Stage Door. She had a feud with Bennett over their costumes in The House Across the Bay (1940), which resulted in Bennett slapping her in front of the crew.
Retirement and Television Career
Gail Patrick retired from acting in 1948 after marrying Cornwell Jackson, a literary agent who represented Erle Stanley Gardner, the creator of Perry Mason. She became interested in television production and formed Paisano Productions with her husband. They acquired the rights to produce Perry Mason as a television series starring Raymond Burr as the titular lawyer.
The series ran from 1957 to 1966 and was a huge hit. Gail Patrick was the executive producer and supervised every aspect of the show. She was the only female executive producer in Hollywood at that time and one of the first women to have such a position. She also served as vice president and president of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences.
She tried to revive Perry Mason with The New Perry Mason (1973), but it failed to attract viewers. She also produced other shows such as The Wild Wild West (1965-1969) and Ironside (1967-1975).
Death and Legacy
Gail Patrick was diagnosed with leukemia in 1979 and underwent chemotherapy. She died on July 6, 1980, at her home in Los Angeles. She was cremated and her ashes were scattered over Malibu Beach.
She left behind a legacy as a trailblazing actress and producer who broke barriers for women in Hollywood. She was praised for her intelligence, beauty, and professionalism by her colleagues and friends. She was also a philanthropist who supported various causes, such as education, health, and animal welfare.
She has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and was inducted into the Alabama Women’s Hall of Fame in 1983. She is also remembered by fans of her films and television shows, especially Perry Mason, which is still popular and influential today.
According to Wikipedia, IMDb, The Movie Database, and Pantheon.
