Nigel Patrick

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.

He represented British Actors Equity at the memorial service for Jack Hawkins held at St. Martin-in-the-Fields, London on September 14 1973.

Son of actress Dorothy Turner (d. 1969) and actor Charles Wemyss.

On TV, Nigel starred in the British series Zero One (1962), which was briefly syndicated in the U. S.

He occasionally found some support movie roles in the 1960's and 1970's with The League of Gentlemen (1960), The Trials of Oscar Wilde (1960), The Battle of Britain (1969), The Virgin Soldiers (1969), The Executioner (1970), The Great Waltz (1972) and The MacKintosh Man (1973).

Of special interest, he directed and starred in well-received productions of "The Pleasure of His Company" (1959) and "Present Laughter" (1965).

He also directed the plays "Not in the Book" (1958), Settled Out of Court" (1960), The Geese Are Getting Fat" (1960) and "Past Imperfect" (1964).

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.

Pennypacker (1955) and starred in "The Egg" (1957).

Advertised "Curtis Gin" of London (1953), under the slogan "Nigel Patrick discovers the smoother gin!".

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.

In later years he would be spotted in the plays "Blithe Spirit," "A Suite in Two Keys," "Night Must Fall" and "Avanti!"Long married (from 1951) to Irish-born actress Beatrice Campbell, who appeared with him in the film dramas Silent Dust (1949) and Wicked Wife (1953).

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".

He also played several leads in such films as The Jack of Diamonds (1949), Young Wives' Tale (1951), The Passionate Sentry (1952), Forbidden Cargo (1954), How to Murder a Rich Uncle (1957) (also directed), All for Mary (1955), Sapphire (1959) and Johnny Nobody (1961). Never abandoning the theatre, Nigel played the title role in "The Remarkable Mr.

Nigel also regained his footing in post-war films with featured roles in Spring in Park Lane (1948) and Uneasy Terms (1948).

He then moved into top supports as doubting debonairs and high ranking officials while bolstering such stars as Carole Landis in the crime drama The Silk Noose (1948); John Mills in the war film Operation Disaster (1950); James Mason and Ava Gardner in the drama Pandora and the Flying Dutchman (1951); Michael Redgrave in The Browning Version (1951) and Ralph Richardson in Breaking the Sound Barrier (1952).

He revived his career on the stage following his war service with a number of productions including "Tomorrow's Child" (1946), "Fools Rush In" (1947), "These Mortals" (as Zeus) (1948) and "Champagne for Delilah" (1949).

Pym of Scotland Yard (1940) starring veteran Mary Clare as the famed female detective. WWII interrupted his career, however, and he entered military duty, achieving the rank of lieutenant colonel in the infantry.

" (1939).

During that period, he had a strong hit with the play "George and Margaret" (1937) at the Wyndham's Theatre. These plays established his reputation in stylish plays. The actor turned to films with an appearance in the crime whodunnit Mrs.

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.

Nigel made his stage debut in the 1932 play "The Life Machine" and continued on the stock and repertory stage with "Night of the Garter" (1933), "Daddy Long Legs" (1933), "Half a Crown" (1934), "Ringmaster" (1935), "Roulette (1935), "The Lady of La Paz" (1936), Mademoiselle (1936), "Tony Draws a Horse" (1939) and "Children to Bless You.

This droll, urbane, dry-witted gent was born Nigel Dennis Patrick Wemyss-Gorman in London on May 2, 1912. Coming from a family of actors, his parents were actors Charles Wemyss and Dorothy Turner.