Shirley Patterson, sometimes billed as Shawn Smith, (December 26, 1922 – April 4, 1995) was a Canadian-born B-movie actress of the 1940s and 1950s.
Shirley Patterson | |
|---|---|
 Shirley Patterson in 1930s | |
| Born | December 26, 1922 Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada |
| Died | April 4, 1995 (aged 72) Fort Lauderdale, Florida, U.S. |
| Other names | Shawn Smith |
| Occupation(s) | Film, television actress |
| Years active | 1942–1959 |
| Spouse(s) | Alfred F. Smith, Jr (?-1971) John L. Bodette (1979-1995) (her death)[1] |
Early years
editBorn in Winnipeg, Canada,[2] Patterson grew up in Eastend, Saskatchewan. She was the daughter of druggist Benjamin Patterson. The family moved to Los Angeles because of her father's health problems, and she finished her education there.[3]
Career
editPatterson began her acting career after being a beauty contestant in pageants in California from 1939 to 1940. In 1940, she won the Miss California Pageant but was disqualified later when it was found she was underage. The second-place contestant (Rosemary LaPlanche) won the Miss America Pageant in 1941.
She signed a contract with Columbia Pictures after a talent scout saw her perform in a little theater production.[4] Her career spanned 40 films, a few television appearances, and a serial.
Patterson played the role of heroine, Linda Page, in the 1943 15-chapter Batman serial. In 1944, she starred in The Vigilantes Ride with Russell Hayden and Bob Wills. In 1946, she accompanied Eddie Dean and Roscoe Ates in the movie Driftin River, and starred with them again the same year in Tumbleweed Trail, as well as Stars Over Texas. She also was Dean's object of affection in the song "Let's Go Sparkin'" from the 1947 movie Black Hills.
[3] Patterson played Poppea, Nero's consort, in a nonspeaking role in The Silver Chalice (1954).[2] Two of her last films were the 1957 movie The Land Unknown and the 1958 science-fiction movie It! The Terror from Beyond Space. Shortly after the close of filming in 1958 while skiing at Lake Arrowhead, California, she suffered a severely broken leg. She was in a full leg cast for a year and then a half cast for another six months, effectively ending her acting career.[citation needed]
Personal life
editShe had one child, Alfred F. Smith III (nickname,”Tory”). Patterson was married to Alfred F. Smith Jr.[3]
Filmography
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1942 | North of the Rockies | Lydia Rogers | |
| 1942 | They All Kissed the Bride | Receptionist | Uncredited |
| 1942 | Riders of the Northland | Sheila Taylor | |
| 1942 | Parachute Nurse | Katherine Webb | |
| 1942 | Sabotage Squad | Miss Cole | Uncredited |
| 1942 | A Man's World | Nurse Bentley | Uncredited |
| 1942 | Lucky Legs | Chambermaid | Uncredited |
| 1942 | The Spirit of Stanford | June Rogers | |
| 1942 | Riding Through Nevada | Gail Holloway | |
| 1942 | Boston Blackie Goes Hollywood | Stewardess | Uncredited |
| 1942 | Laugh Your Blues Away | Mrs. Knox | Uncredited |
| 1943 | Spook Louder | Perkins | Uncredited |
| 1943 | Let's Have Fun | Girl | Uncredited |
| 1943 | Redhead from Manhattan | Telephone Operator | Uncredited |
| 1943 | The More the Merrier | Girl | Uncredited |
| 1943 | Law of the Northwest | Michele Darcy | |
| 1943 | Good Luck, Mr. Yates | Secretary | Uncredited |
| 1943 | Batman | Linda Page | Serial |
| 1943 | Destroyer | Bigbee's Girl | Uncredited |
| 1943 | Dangerous Blondes | Bride | Uncredited |
| 1943 | My Kingdom for a Cook | Elevator Girl | Uncredited |
| 1943 | The Texas Kid | Nancy Drew | |
| 1943 | Klondike Kate | Dancer | Uncredited |
| 1943 | The Vigilantes Ride | Jane Andrews | Uncredited |
| 1944 | Riding West | Alice Morton | |
| 1944 | Marriage Is a Private Affair | Mary Saunders | |
| 1945 | Keep Your Powder Dry | WAC Brooks | |
| 1945 | Between Two Women | Nurse Thorsen | |
| 1946 | The Harvey Girls | Harvey Girl | Uncredited |
| 1946 | Tumbleweed Trail | Robin Ryan | |
| 1946 | Driftin' River | J. C. 'Jenny' Morgan | |
| 1946 | Stars Over Texas | Terry Lawrence | |
| 1947 | Black Hills | Janet Hadley | |
| 1953 | Second Chance | Uncredited | |
| 1953 | The French Line | Model | Uncredited |
| 1954 | The Long Wait | Carol Shay | |
| 1954 | The Silver Chalice | Poppaea | Uncredited |
| 1955 | The Shrike | Celia Johns | Uncredited |
| 1956 | The Bottom of the Bottle | Gossipy Woman | Uncredited |
| 1956 | World Without End | Elaine | |
| 1957 | The Land Unknown | Margaret Hathaway | |
| 1958 | It! The Terror from Beyond Space | Ann Anderson |
References
edit- ^ "Shawn Smith - The Private Life and Times of Shawn Smith. Shawn Smith Pictures". www.glamourgirlsofthesilverscreen.com.
- ^ a b Willett, Bob (April 23, 1955). "Lucky Nero: His Wife Doesn't Talk". The Ottawa Citizen. p. Weekend Magazine - 14. Retrieved September 26, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b c "Lucky Nero". The Ottawa Citizen. Canada, Ottawa, Ontario. April 23, 1955. p. Weekend Magazine - 16. Retrieved September 26, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Little Theater Star Gets Film Role". The Salt Lake Telegram. United Press. September 10, 1941. p. 8. Retrieved September 11, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
External links
edit
- Shirley Patterson at IMDb
- Shirley Patterson at AllMovie
- Shirley Patterson at b-westerns.com
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