Micheline Patton (1912 – 30 June 2001) was an Irish actress who worked on radio, stage and television from the mid-1930s to the mid-1960s.

Biography

Micheline Elizabeth Patton was born in Belfast in 1912, and died on 30 June 2001 in Godalming, Surrey. Her father was Billy Patton, a surgeon. She went to school in Malvern Girls' College, and studied Modern History at St Hugh's College, Oxford, graduating in 1935. One of her cousins was the Irish playwright, BBC producer and war correspondent

Denis Johnston (William) Denis Johnston (18 June 1901 – 8 August 1984) was an Irish writer. Born in Dublin, he wrote mostly plays, but also works of literary criticism, a book-length biographical essay of Jonathan Swift, a memoir and an eccentric work on co ...

Radio

Between 1935 and 1947, Patton read several short stories for

BBC Radio BBC Radio is an operational business division and service of the British Broadcasting Corporation (which has operated in the United Kingdom under the terms of a royal charter since 1927). The service provides national radio stations covering ...

, including works by

Katherine Mansfield Kathleen Mansfield Murry (née Beauchamp; 14 October 1888 – 9 January 1923) was a New Zealand writer, essayist and journalist, widely considered one of the most influential and important authors of the modernist movement. Her works are celebra ...

, Anton Chekhov, and Helen Colvill. She acted in radio plays, including playing the role of Winifred in the 1947 BBC Radio adaptation of '' In Chancery'' from ''

The Forsyte Saga ''The Forsyte Saga'', first published under that title in 1922, is a series of three novels and two interludes published between 1906 and 1921 by the English author John Galsworthy, who won the Nobel Prize in Literature. They chronicle the vici ...

''.

Television

Patton acted in early BBC television broadcasts. In December 1937, she appeared in a

backless dress A backless dress is a style of women’s clothing designed to expose the wearer's human back, back. The back may be either partially exposed with a low cut or fully exposed with the use of strings. A backless dress is most commonly worn on formal ...

in the final episode of the early fashion documentary ''

Clothes-Line ''Clothes-Line'' was an early BBC television programme broadcast live in six parts between 30 September and 3 December 1937. It is notable for being the first television programme dedicated to the history of fashion.Taylor, Lou, ''Establish ...

''. Patton was viewed from behind, giving an illusion of nudity, which led to outraged viewers writing in to complain. The episode was titled ''Grandmamma Looks Back'', inspiring the copresenter

Pearl Binder Pearl Binder, Baroness Elwyn-Jones (pronounced ; 28 June 1904 – 25 January 1990) was a British writer, illustrator, stained-glass artist, lithographer, sculptor and a champion of the Pearly Kings and Queens. Binder was a well-known charac ...

's quip, "Grandmamma looks back but Micheline has no back to be seen."

She went on to appear in a November 1938 adaptation of

Robert J. Flaherty Robert Joseph Flaherty, (; February 16, 1884 – July 23, 1951) was an American filmmaker who directed and produced the first commercially successful feature-length documentary film, '' Nanook of the North'' (1922). The film made his reputati ...

's book ''The Captain's Chair'' (produced as ''The Last Voyage of Captain Grant'').

and in July 1939, a drama based on the Parnell Commission. In 1947 Patton had a small role in ''Weep for the Cyclops'', a biographical 1947 television drama on

Jonathan Swift Jonathan Swift (30 November 1667 – 19 October 1745) was an Anglo-Irish satirist, author, essayist, political pamphleteer (first for the Whigs, then for the Tories), poet, and Anglican cleric who became Dean of St Patrick's Cathedral, Dubl ...

, which was written and produced by her cousin Denis Johnston.

Patton's final recorded BBC appearance was in 1958, with a role in ''The Ordeal of

Christabel Pankhurst Dame Christabel Harriette Pankhurst, (; 22 September 1880 – 13 February 1958) was a British suffragette born in Manchester, England. A co-founder of the Women's Social and Political Union (WSPU), she directed its militant actions from exil ...

''.

Theatre

Patton's best received role was probably as Emily Brontë in ''The Brontës'', by Alfred Sangster, produced by the Sheffield Repertory Company. She played this role from 1946–1949, receiving generally good notices. in 1946 a reviewer for the Brontë Society noted that Patton was so "exceptionally good that one suspected (perhaps too artlessly) a spiritual affinity. What strength that pale, frigid face reflected!" A reviewer for ''

Punch Punch commonly refers to: * Punch (combat), a strike made using the hand closed into a fist * Punch (drink), a wide assortment of drinks, non-alcoholic or alcoholic, generally containing fruit or fruit juice Punch may also refer to: Places * Pun ...

'' commented on the "interesting" Patton's ability to "suggest dark churnings of the soul." Less enthusiastically, in 1947, a reviewer for ''Theatre World'' commented "Micheline Patton does all that could be done with her material," calling the part "poorly written." ;1936 on the London stage * Stubble Before Swords at Globe * A Bride for the Unicorn at Westminster Theatre ;1940 in Dublin * Roly Poly (Boule de Suif) was withdrawn under Wartime Emergency Legislation (1745 Act). ;1941 in Belfast * The Passing of the Third Floor Back (

Jerome K. Jerome Jerome Klapka Jerome (2 May 1859 – 14 June 1927) was an English writer and humourist, best known for the comic travelogue ''Three Men in a Boat'' (1889). Other works include the essay collections '' Idle Thoughts of an Idle Fellow'' (1886) an ...

) was concurrent with the first Luftwaffe air-raid ;1944–1945 in various provincial Scottish theatres * Dundee Repertory Theatre ** The Patsy ** The Housemaster ** '' A Soldier for Christmas'' ** Seven Bottles for the Maestro * Perth Repertory Theatre ** Charley's Aunt ** Androcles and the Lion ** Caste ** Hamlet ** Sheppey ;1946 English provincial theatre * Bristol Old Vic ** Weep for the Cyclops ;1946–1949 Sheffield Repertory Theatre and touring – most saliently, St James Theatre London *The Brontes ;1949 London Players * Aftermath ;1950 St James Theatre * Venus Observed ;1951 Citizens Theatre Glasgow * As You Like It ;1954 Hythe Summer Theatre * The Powder Magazine ;1957 Piccadilly Theatre * The Rape of the Belt ;1960 Richmond Theatre * Gracious Living

Film

Patton appeared as Mrs. Broome in ''

The Yellow Teddy Bears ''The Yellow Teddy Bears'' (US: Gutter Girls and The Thrill Seekers) is a 1963 British drama film directed by Robert Hartford-Davis and starring Jacqueline Ellis, Iain Gregory, Raymond Huntley and Georgina Patterson. Premise The pupils at a gir ...

'' in 1963.

Notes

References

External links

Ulster Actors – Micheline Patton
{{DEFAULTSORT:Patton, Micheline 1912 births 2001 deaths Actresses from Belfast Alumni of St Hugh's College, Oxford British film actresses British radio actresses British stage actresses British television actresses Film actresses from Northern Ireland Irish film actresses Irish radio actresses Irish stage actresses Irish television actresses Radio actresses from Northern Ireland Stage actresses from Northern Ireland Television actresses from Northern Ireland