Nigel Dennis Patrick Wemyss-Gorman (2 May 1912 – 21 September 1981) was an English actor and stage director born into a theatrical family. During the late 1940s and 1950s, he became known as a debonair leading man in British films, though he could also portray rogues. He featured in '' The Sound Barrier'' (aka, ''Breaking Through the Sound Barrier'', 1952), under the direction of

David Lean Sir David Lean (25 March 190816 April 1991) was an English film director, producer, screenwriter and editor. Widely considered one of the most important figures in British cinema, Lean directed the large-scale epics ''The Bridge on the River ...

Biography

Patrick was born in London, England, the son of Thomas Joseph Charles Aubrey Wemyss Gorman (born 1875 – died 19??) and actress Dorothy Hilda Turner (1890–1969).

Stage actor

He made his professional stage debut in ''The Life Machine'' at the Regent Theatre, in Kings Cross, London, in 1932 following a period in repertory. Thereafter he appeared in many successful plays, including ''Half a Crown'' (1934), ''Ringmaster'' (1935), ''Roulette'' (1935), ''The Lady of La Paz'' (1936) and ''Madmoiselle'' (1936) He starred in the long-running '' George and Margaret'' (1937) at the Wyndham's Theatre, which ran for 799 performances. He followed it with ''Tony Draws a Horse'' (1939) and ''Children to Bless You'' (1939).

Second World War

His acting career was put on hold until after service in the Second World War, during which, as a

Lieutenant-Colonel Lieutenant colonel ( , ) is a rank of commissioned officers in the armies, most marine forces and some air forces of the world, above a major and below a colonel. Several police forces in the United States use the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...

in the

King's Royal Rifle Corps The King's Royal Rifle Corps was an infantry rifle regiment of the British Army that was originally raised in British North America as the Royal American Regiment during the phase of the Seven Years' War in North America known in the United St ...

, he fought in the Middle East, North Africa and Italy.

Film career

His debut film performance was as a reporter in a supporting romantic role in ''

Mrs. Pym of Scotland Yard ''Mrs. Pym of Scotland Yard'' is a 1939 British comedy-drama film based on the Mrs Pym novels by Nigel Morland. Written by Morland, the film was produced in London at Highbury Studios and was directed by Fred Elles. The film provided actress M ...

'' (1940). It was filmed in July 1939 and released the following year. After the war, Patrick appeared in '' Morning Departure'' (1946) on TV and ''Fools Rush In'', ''Tomorrow's Child'' (1946) and ''Noose'' (1947) on stage. Patrick had film roles in ''

Spring in Park Lane ''Spring in Park Lane'' is a 1948 British romantic comedy film produced and directed by Herbert Wilcox and starring Anna Neagle, Michael Wilding and Tom Walls. It was part of a series of films partnering Neagle and Wilding. It was the top film a ...

'' (1948), ''

Uneasy Terms ''Uneasy Terms'' is a 1948 British crime thriller film directed by Vernon Sewell and starring Michael Rennie, Moira Lister and Faith Brook. It is based on the 1946 novel of the same name by Peter Cheyney. Premise Slim Callaghan is a private ey ...

'' (1948) and notably ''

Noose A noose is a loop at the end of a rope in which the knot tightens under load and can be loosened without untying the knot. The knot can be used to secure a rope to a post, pole, or animal but only where the end is in a position that the loop can ...

'' (1948) playing a

spiv In the United Kingdom, the word spiv is slang for a type of petty criminal who deals in illicit, typically black market, goods. The word was particularly used during the Second World War and in the post-war period when many goods were rationed du ...

. Patrick had a good part in ''

Silent Dust ''Silent Dust'' is a 1949 British drama/thriller film directed by Lance Comfort and starring Sally Gray, Stephen Murray, Derek Farr and Nigel Patrick. The title comes from lines in Thomas Gray's ''Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard'' ''Can H ...

'' (1948) and was promoted to star for ''

The Jack of Diamonds ''The Jack of Diamonds'' is a 1949 British adventure film directed by Vernon Sewell and starring Nigel Patrick, Cyril Raymond and Joan Carroll. Its plot follows an ex-soldier who persuades some yacht owners to help recover a treasure chest of j ...

'' (1949), which he also co-wrote. He supported Patricia Roc in '' The Perfect Woman'' (1949), and had a key role in the film version of '' Morning Departure'' (1950) (a different part to the one he had played on TV). Patrick was one of several names in '' Trio'' (1950) based on stories by

W. Somerset Maugham William Somerset Maugham ( ; 25 January 1874 – 16 December 1965) was an English writer, known for his plays, novels and short stories. Born in Paris, where he spent his first ten years, Maugham was schooled in England and went to a German un ...

and appeared in the Hollywood-financed ''

Pandora and the Flying Dutchman ''Pandora and the Flying Dutchman'' is a 1951 British Technicolor romantic fantasy drama film directed by Albert Lewin and produced by Lewin and Joseph Kaufman from Lewin's own screenplay, based on the legend of the ''Flying Dutchman''. It wa ...

'' (1951). He was the young teacher in '' The Browning Version'' (1951) with Michael Redgrave, and appeared in a popular comedy '' Young Wives' Tale'' (1951). He returned to the world of Maugham with ''

Encore An encore is an additional performance given by performers after the planned show has ended, usually in response to extended applause from the audience.Lalange Cochrane, in ''Oxford Companion to Music'', Alison Latham, ed., Oxford University Pres ...

'' (1951) and was in ''Who Goes There!'' (1951) on stage. Patrick reprised his ''

Who Goes There! ''Who Goes There!'' is a 1952 British comedy film directed by Anthony Kimmins and starring Nigel Patrick, Valerie Hobson and George Cole. The film depicts the farcical activities of the various inhabitants of a grace and favour house near S ...

'' (1952) performance on film then played a test pilot in the popular '' The Sound Barrier'' (1952). He was then in ''

Meet Me Tonight ''Meet Me Tonight'' is a 1952 omnibus British comedy film adapted from three one act plays by Noël Coward: ''Red Peppers'', ''Fumed Oak'' and '' Ways and Means''; which are part of his '' Tonight at 8.30'' play cycle. The film was released as ...

'' (1952) and '' The Pickwick Papers'' (1952). Due mostly to ''The Sound Barrier'', exhibitors voted Patrick the seventh most popular British film star with the public, in 1952. Patrick was in ''

Grand National Night ''Grand National Night'' is a 1953 British thriller film brought to the screen by George Minter, produced by Phil C. Samuel, and based on a play of the same title written by Campbell and Dorothy Christie. It was directed by Bob McNaught and st ...

'' (1953) and was the ninth most popular British star. On stage he was in ''Escapade'' (1953) and ''Birthday Honours'' (1953). The following year he was in ''

Forbidden Cargo Forbidden Cargo may refer to: * ''Forbidden Cargo'' (1925 film), an American film starring Boris Karloff: rum-running from Bahamas to United States * ''Forbidden Cargo'' (1954 film), a British film starring Jack Warner: customs officer and birdw ...

'' (1954) and was one of several British stars in '' The Sea Shall Not Have Them'' (1954). He supported Richard Widmark in ''

A Prize of Gold ''A Prize of Gold'' is a 1955 Technicolor film noir crime film directed by Mark Robson partly filmed in West Berlin. The film stars Richard Widmark as a United States Air Force Air Police Master Sergeant motivated by love and compassion to ...

'' (1955) for

Warwick Films Warwick Films was a film company founded by film producers Irving Allen and Albert R. Broccoli in London in 1951. The name was taken from the Warwick Hotel in London.Broccoli, Albert R., Zec Donald. ''When the Snow Melts''. Boxtree. 1998 Their fi ...

, who announced Patrick might direct ''In All Dishonesty'' for them on stage. It did not happen. Instead Patrick starred in a comedy ''

All for Mary ''All for Mary'' is a 1955 British comedy film brought to the screen by Paul Soskin Productions for the Rank Organisation. It was based on a successful West End play by the English husband and wife team of Kay Bannerman and Harold Brooke. It wa ...

'' (1955). On stage he was in ''Green Room Rags'' (1954) and ''The Remarkable Mr. Pennypacker'' (1955). He had a major role in '' Raintree County'' (1957).

Director

For Warwick Films, Patrick starred in and directed ''

How to Murder a Rich Uncle ''How to Murder a Rich Uncle'' is a 1957 British black comedy film directed by Nigel Patrick and starring Patrick, Wendy Hiller, Charles Coburn and Anthony Newley. It follows a man who plans to kill his wealthy Uncle George. It was based on the ...

'' (1957). He supported

Jeffrey Hunter Jeffrey Hunter (born Henry Herman McKinnies Jr.; November 25, 1926 – May 27, 1969) was an American film and television actor and producer known for his roles in films such as ''The Searchers'' and ''King of Kings (1961 film), King of Kin ...

in ''

Count Five and Die ''Count Five and Die'' is a 1957 British war thriller film directed by Victor Vicas and starring Jeffrey Hunter, Nigel Patrick and Annemarie Düringer.Clinton p.22-23 It was made by Zonic Productions and released in Britain and the US by Twentie ...

'' (1957) and appeared in ''The Egg'' (1957) on stage. Patrick made another for Warwick but as an actor only, '' The Man Inside'' (1958), with

Jack Palance Jack Palance ( ; born Volodymyr Palahniuk ( uk, Володимир Палагню́к); February 18, 1919 – November 10, 2006) was an American actor known for playing tough guys and villains. He was nominated for three Academy Awards, all fo ...

. On stage Patrick directed ''No Way to Kill'' (1958) and ''

Not in the Book ''Not in the Book'' is a comedy thriller play by the British writer Arthur Watkyn. It was first performed at the Theatre Royal in Brighton before transferring to the Criterion Theatre in London's West End where it ran for 487 performances betwee ...

'' (1958) and acted in and directed ''Pleasure of His Company'' (1959). He starred in ''

Sapphire Sapphire is a precious gemstone, a variety of the mineral corundum, consisting of aluminium oxide () with trace amounts of elements such as iron, titanium, chromium, vanadium, or magnesium. The name sapphire is derived via the Latin "sapphir ...

'' (1959), winner of Best British Film at the 1960 BAFTA Film Awards. It was directed by

Basil Dearden Basil Dearden (born Basil Clive Dear; 1 January 1911 – 23 March 1971) was an English film director. Early life and career Dearden was born at 5, Woodfield Road, Leigh-on-Sea, Essex to Charles James Dear, a steel manufacturer, and his wife, Fl ...

who then used Patrick in ''

The League of Gentlemen ''The League of Gentlemen'' is a surreal British comedy horror sitcom that premiered on BBC Two in 1999. The programme is set in Royston Vasey, a fictional town in northern England, originally based on Alston, Cumbria, and follows the lives o ...

'' (1960). On stage he acted in and directed ''Settled Out of Court'' (1960). Patrick made another for Warwick as an actor, ''

The Trials of Oscar Wilde ''The Trials of Oscar Wilde'', also known as ''The Man with the Green Carnation'' and ''The Green Carnation'', is a 1960 British drama film based on the libel and subsequent criminal cases involving Oscar Wilde and the Marquess of Queensberry. I ...

'' (1960), then made ''

Johnny Nobody ''Johnny Nobody'' is a 1961 British drama film made by Viceroy Films Limited, with John R. Sloan as producer, and Irving Allen and Albert R. Broccoli as executive producers. It was directed by the British film and stage actor Nigel Patrick, who ...

'' (1961) for them as director and actor. He was in '' Zero One'' (1962–1965) on TV and starred in the tough crime thriller ''

The Informers ''The Informers'' is a collection of short stories, linked by the same continuity, written by American author Bret Easton Ellis. The collection was first published as a whole in 1994. Chapters 6 and 7, "Water from the Sun" and "Discovering Jap ...

'' (1963).

Later career

Patrick appeared on stage in ''The Schoolmistress'' (1964) and ''

Present Laughter ''Present Laughter'' is a comic play written by Noël Coward in 1939 but not produced until 1942 because the Second World War began while it was in rehearsal, and the British theatres closed. The title is drawn from a song in Shakespeare's ''T ...

'' (1965) and he directed ''Past Imperfect'' (1964) and ''Present Laughter'' (1965) and

Alan Ayckbourn Sir Alan Ayckbourn (born 12 April 1939) is a prolific British playwright and director. He has written and produced as of 2021, more than eighty full-length plays in Scarborough and London and was, between 1972 and 2009, the artistic director of ...

's '' Relatively Speaking'' (1967) at the Duke of York's Theatre. Film appearances included ''

Battle of Britain The Battle of Britain, also known as the Air Battle for England (german: die Luftschlacht um England), was a military campaign of the Second World War, in which the Royal Air Force (RAF) and the Fleet Air Arm (FAA) of the Royal Navy defende ...

'' (1969), ''

The Virgin Soldiers ''The Virgin Soldiers'' is a 1966 comic novel by Leslie Thomas, inspired by his own experiences of National Service in the British Army. It was Thomas' debut novel; he had previously published an autobiography. ''The Virgin Soldiers'' sold mill ...

'' (1969) and '' The Executioner'' (1970). He directed ''

Avanti! ''Avanti!'' is a 1972 American/Italian international co-production comedy film produced and directed by Billy Wilder, and starring Jack Lemmon and Juliet Mills. The screenplay by Wilder and I. A. L. Diamond is based on Samuel A. Taylor's play, w ...

'' (1968) on Broadway. Other stage appearances included ''Best of Friends'' (1970), ''Reunion in Vienna'' (1971), ''Habeas Corpus'' (1974), ''The Pay Off'' (1974), ''Dear Daddy'' (1976) and ''Peter Pan'' (1978). He also worked steadily as a director.

Personal life and death

He married the actress

Beatrice Campbell Beatrice Campbell (31 July 1922 – 10 May 1979) was an Irish stage and film actress, born in County Down, Northern Ireland, Biography Career After a distinguished London stage career, Campbell entered film in the mid-1940s. She received ...

St James's, Spanish Place St James' Church is a large English Gothic Catholic church in George Street, Marylebone, London. Although currently situated in George Street, the church maintains its connection with Spanish Place, the road opposite the current church, because ...

, Marylebone, London on 12 January 1951. She predeceased him in 1979; he died, two years later, from lung cancer, on 21 September 1981.

Filmography

As an actor

* ''

'' (1940) as Richard Loddon * ''

'' (1948) as Mr. Bacon * ''

'' (1948) as Lucien Donnelly * ''

'' (1948) as Bar Gorman * ''

'' (1949) as Simon Rawley * ''

'' (1949) as Alan Butler * '' The Perfect Woman'' (1949) as Roger Cavendish * '' Morning Departure'' (1950) as First Lieutenant Harry Manson * '' Trio'' (1950) as Max Kealada (Segment: "Mr. Know-All") * ''

'' (1951) as Stephen Cameron * '' The Browning Version'' (1951) as Frank Hunter * '' Young Wives' Tale'' (1951) as Rodney Pennant * ''

'' (1951) as Tom Ramsay (Segment: "The Ant and the Grasshopper") * ''

'' (1952) as Miles Cornwall * '' The Sound Barrier'' (1952) as Tony Garthwaite * ''

'' (1952) as Toby Cartwrigth: Ways and Means * '' The Pickwick Papers'' (1952) as Mr. Jingle * ''

'' (1953) as Gerald Coates * ''

'' (1954) as Insp. Michael Kenyon * '' The Sea Shall Not Have Them'' (1954) as Flight Sgt. Singsby * ''

'' (1955) as Brian Hammell * ''

'' (1955) as Capt. Clive Norton * ''

'' (1957) as Henry * '' Raintree County'' (1957) as Prof. Jerusalem Webster Stiles * ''

'' (1957) as Major Julien Howard * '' The Man Inside'' (1958) as Sam Carter * ''

'' (1959) as Superintendent Robert Hazard * ''

'' (1960) as Race * ''

'' (1960) as Sir Edward Clarke * ''

'' (1961) as Father Carey * ''

'' (1963) as Chief Insp. John Edward Johnnoe * ''

'' (1969) as Group Captain Hope * ''

'' (1969) as R.S.M. Raskin * '' The Executioner'' (1970) as Colonel Scott * ''

Tales from the Crypt Tales from the Crypt may refer to: * ''Tales from the Crypt'' (album), by American rapper C-Bo * ''Tales from the Crypt'' (comics), published by EC Comics during the 1950s ** ''Tales from the Crypt'' (film), a 1972 Amicus film starring Ralph Ric ...

'' (1972) as Major William Rogers (segment 5 "Blind Alleys") * '' The Great Waltz'' (1972) as Johann Strauss Sr. * ''

The Mackintosh Man ''The Mackintosh Man'' is a 1973 British Cold War neo noir spy thriller film, directed by John Huston and starring Paul Newman, Dominique Sanda and James Mason. Huston called it "a spy thriller with some amusing moments" that was similar to ...

'' (1973) as Soames-Trevelyan * '' The Thirty Nine Steps'' (1959) as a Hitman. * ''

Silver Bears ''Silver Bears'' is a 1978 British comedy crime thriller film based on a novel by Paul Erdman, directed by Ivan Passer and starring Michael Caine, Cybill Shepherd, Louis Jourdan and Joss Ackland. Caine portrays mob accountant "Doc" Fletcher w ...

'' (1978) as Financial Mediator (uncredited)

As a director

* ''

'' (1957) * ''

'' (1961)

As a writer

* ''

'' (1949)

As a narrator

* '' Arrivederci Roma'' (1958) * '' Goal!'' (1966) * ''

The Year of Sir Ivor ''The Year of Sir Ivor'' is a 1969 documentary about the racehorse Sir Ivor. It was distributed by Anglo Amalgamated Anglo-Amalgamated Productions was a British film production company, run by Nat Cohen and Stuart Levy, which operated from 19 ...

'' (1969)

Theatre credits

As an actor

* ''The Life Machine'' (1932) * ''Half a Crown'' (1934) * ''Ringmaster'' (1935) * ''

Roulette Roulette is a casino game named after the French word meaning ''little wheel'' which was likely developed from the Italian game Biribi''.'' In the game, a player may choose to place a bet on a single number, various groupings of numbers, the ...

'' (1935) * ''The Lady of La Paz'' (1936) * ''Madmoiselle'' (1936) * ''George & Margaret'' (1937) * '' Tony Draws a Horse'' (1939) * ''Children to Bless You'' (1939) * '' Fools Rush In'' (1946) * ''To-morrow's Child'' (1946) * ''Noose'' (1947) * ''

'' (1951) * ''

Escapade Escape and Plasma Acceleration and Dynamics Explorers (EscaPADE) is a planned spacecraft mission to Mars consisting of two spacecraft known as ''Blue'' and ''Gold''. The mission, expected to launch in August 2024, is part of NASA's SIMPLEx progr ...

'' (1953) * ''Birthday Honours'' (1953) * ''Green Room Rags'' (1954) * ''The Remarkable Mr. Pennypacker'' (1955) * ''The Egg'' (1957) * ''Pleasure of His Company'' (1959) * '' Settled Out of Court'' (1960) * ''

The Schoolmistress ''The Schoolmistress'' is a farce by Arthur Wing Pinero. It depicts the complications at a girls' boarding school when the headmistress is away, leaving her feckless husband in charge. The play opened at the Court Theatre, London in March 18 ...

'' (1964) * ''

'' (1965) * ''Best of Friends'' (1970) * ''Reunion in Vienna'' (1971) * ''

Habeas Corpus ''Habeas corpus'' (; from Medieval Latin, ) is a recourse in law through which a person can report an unlawful detention or imprisonment to a court and request that the court order the custodian of the person, usually a prison official, t ...

'' (1974) * ''The Pay Off'' (1974) * ''

Dear Daddy ''Dear Daddy'' is a 1976 play written by English playwright Denis Cannan, first staged at the Ambassadors Theatre in London's West End. Plot summary Productions ; Opening night cast * Nigel Patrick as Bernard * Isabel Dean as Mary * Jennifer ...

'' (1976) * '' Peter Pan'' (1978)

As a director/stage manager

* ''No Way to Kill'' (1958) * ''

'' (1958) * ''Pleasure of His Company'' (1959) * '' Settled Out of Court'' (1960) * ''Past Imperfect'' (1964) * ''

'' (1965) * '' Relatively Speaking'' (1967) * ''The Others'' (1967) * ''Avanti!'' (1968) * ''Out of the Question'' (1968) * ''Trio'' (1969) * ''Three'' (1970) * ''The Pay Off'' (1974) * ''Suite in Two Keys'' (1978) * '' The Last of Mrs Cheyney'' (1980)

Television

* ''Morning Departure'' (1946) as Lt-Cmdr. Stanford * ''Zero One'' (1962–1965) as Alan Garnett * '' It Takes a Thief'' – "Flowers from Alexander" (1969) * ''Sunday Night Thriller'' – "Blunt Instrument" (1981) as Hugh Logan

References

External links

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Patrick, Nigel 1912 births 1981 deaths British Army personnel of World War II English male film actors English film directors English male stage actors English male television actors King's Royal Rifle Corps officers Deaths from lung cancer in England 20th-century English male actors