Patricia Ann Sheehan (September 7, 1931 – January 14, 2006), also known as Patricia Sheehan Crosby, was an American actress and model. She was ''

Playboy ''Playboy'' is an American men's lifestyle and entertainment magazine, formerly in print and currently online. It was founded in Chicago in 1953, by Hugh Hefner and his associates, and funded in part by a $1,000 loan from Hefner's mother. K ...

'' magazine's Playmate of the Month for October 1958 and a contract player for NBC.

Early years

She was the daughter of Arthur E Sheehan Sr and Gladys A Larson. Her siblings were Arthur and Edward Sheehan. In October 1949, she won the local Miss Milkmaid pageant, which launched her career. Sheehan was Miss San Francisco of 1950, having performed a monologue. Her prize was a Gensler Lee diamond ring. She took honors for Miss San Francisco and flew to Santa Cruz, California to take part in the 1951 Miss California Pageant where she placed 6th. Sheehan dated and married George von Duuglas-Ittu on January 9, 1951, in Carson City, Nevada. Her first son Franz Nicholas Gregory von Duuglas-ittu was born October 21, 1951 They divorced on January 6, 1954.

Career

Pat Sheehan began appearing on ''

Queen for a Day ''Queen for a Day'' is an American radio and television game show that helped to usher in American listeners' and viewers' fascination with big-prize giveaway shows. ''Queen for a Day'' originated on the Mutual Radio Network on April 30, 1945, i ...

'' and the ''

Colgate Comedy Hour ''The Colgate Comedy Hour'' was an American comedy-musical variety series that aired live on the NBC network from 1950 to 1955. The show featured many notable comedians and entertainers of the era as guest stars. Many of the scripts of the series ...

'' in the early 1950s, as well as modeling for various magazines. She was discovered by

Howard Hughes Howard Robard Hughes Jr. (December 24, 1905 – April 5, 1976) was an American business magnate, record-setting pilot, engineer, film producer, and philanthropist, known during his lifetime as one of the most influential and richest people in th ...

who signed her for his films ''

The French Line ''The French Line'' is a 1953 American musical film starring Jane Russell made by RKO Radio Pictures, directed by Lloyd Bacon and produced by Edmund Grainger, with Howard Hughes as executive producer. The screenplay was by Mary Loos and Richard ...

'' and ''

Son of Sinbad ''Son of Sinbad'' is a 1955 American adventure film directed by Ted Tetzlaff. It takes place in the Middle East and consists of a wide variety of characters, including over 127 women. The film was shot in 1953 and planned to be released in 3 ...

''. She posed for magazines such as ''TV Fan'', ''People Today'', and ''

TV Guide TV Guide is an American digital media company that provides television program Television, sometimes shortened to TV, is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. The term can refer to a television set, or t ...

''. She was in movies such as '' Kismet'', ''

Man with the Gun ''Man with the Gun'' is a 1955 American black and white Western film starring Robert Mitchum. The film was released in the United Kingdom as ''The Trouble Shooter'' and is also sometimes entitled ''Deadly Peacemaker''. The supporting cast inclu ...

'', '' Daddy Long Legs'', and ''

The Adventures of Hajji Baba ''The Adventures of Hajji Baba'' is a 1954 American CinemaScope adventure film directed by Don Weis and starring John Derek and Elaine Stewart. Made in Southern California, it was released on October 1, 1954. In the credits it states that the f ...

''. She was signed to NBC in January 1956, starring in ''The

NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American English-language commercial broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast, its headquarters are l ...

Comedy Hour'', with appearances on ''The Milton Berle Show'', ''Texaco Star Theater'', and ''The Chevy Show''.

Agnes Moorehead Agnes Robertson Moorehead (December 6, 1900April 30, 1974) was an American actress. In a career spanning four decades, her credits included work in radio, stage, film, and television.Obituary ''Variety'', May 8, 1974, page 286. Moorehead was th ...

was her acting coach during this period, while

Meredith Willson Robert Reiniger Meredith Willson (May 18, 1902 – June 15, 1984) was an American flutist, composer, conductor, musical arranger, bandleader, playwright, and writer. He is perhaps best known for writing the book, music, and lyrics for the 195 ...

was her vocal coach. Her co-star,

Jonathan Winters Jonathan Harshman Winters III (November 11, 1925 – April 11, 2013) was an American comedian, actor, author, television host, and artist. Beginning in 1960, Winters recorded many classic comedy albums for the Verve Records label. He also h ...

said of her, "Pat Sheehan? Lovely, yes lovely." She appeared in an episode of '' Blondie'' and had a dramatic role in an episode of ''

Matinee Theater ''Matinee Theater'' is an American anthology series that aired on NBC during the Golden Age of Television, from October 31, 1955, to June 27, 1958. Its name is often seen as ''Matinee Theatre''. The series, which ran daily from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. ...

''. She was ''Playboy'' magazine's Playmate of the Month for October 1958, tied with

Mara Corday Mara Corday (born Marilyn Joan Watts; January 3, 1930) is an American showgirl, model, actress, ''Playboy'' Playmate, and 1950s cult figure. Early life Corday was born in Santa Monica, California. Wanting a career in films, she came to Hollywoo ...

. Her

centerfold The centerfold or centrefold of a magazine is the inner pages of the middle sheet, usually containing a portrait, such as a pin-up or a nude. The term can also refer to the model featured in the portrait. In saddle-stitched magazines (as opp ...

was photographed by

Sam Wu Samuel Wu (February 19, 1919 – August 19, 2005) was an American photographer of the 1950s and 1960s. Wu worked for adult magazines such as ''Playboy'' and ''Modern Man''. He photographed ''Playboy'' centerfolds of Rusty Fisher, Pat Sheeha ...

. Her centerfold was in ''

Space Cowboys ''Space Cowboys'' is a 2000 American adventure drama film directed and produced by Clint Eastwood. It stars Eastwood, Tommy Lee Jones, Donald Sutherland, and James Garner as four older "ex-test pilots" who are sent into space to repair an old ...

''. '' Gigi'' was her last movie, in 1958. She dated

Frank Sinatra Francis Albert Sinatra (; December 12, 1915 – May 14, 1998) was an American singer and actor. Nicknamed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Chairman of the Board" and later called "Ol' Blue Eyes", Sinatra was one of the most popular ...

, Phillip Lambro, and

Rod Taylor Rodney Sturt Taylor (11 January 1930 – 7 January 2015) was an Australian actor. He appeared in more than 50 feature films, including ''The Time Machine'' (1960), ''One Hundred and One Dalmatians'' (1961), '' The Birds'' (1963), and ''In ...

. Shortly after

Bing Crosby Harry Lillis "Bing" Crosby Jr. (May 3, 1903 – October 14, 1977) was an American singer, musician and actor. The first multimedia star, he was one of the most popular and influential musical artists of the 20th century worldwide. He was a ...

's first wife,

Dixie Lee Dixie Lee (born Wilma Winifred Wyatt; November 4, 1909 – November 1, 1952) was an American actress, dancer, and singer. She was the first wife of singer Bing Crosby. Biography She was born Wilma Winifred Wyatt in Harriman, Tennessee, on N ...

, died of

ovarian cancer Ovarian cancer is a cancerous tumor of an ovary. It may originate from the ovary itself or more commonly from communicating nearby structures such as fallopian tubes or the inner lining of the abdomen. The ovary is made up of three different c ...

, he started dating Sheehan. Eventually, Crosby proposed to her. On May 4, 1958, she married Crosby's son,

Dennis Crosby Dennis Michael Crosby (July 13, 1934 – May 4, 1991) was an American singer and occasional actor, the son of singer and actor Bing Crosby and his first wife Dixie Lee, and twin brother of Phillip Crosby. He was the father of '' Star Trek TNG ...

Las Vegas, Nevada Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vegas ...

at The Tropicana Hotel where she was a showgirl. They had two children: Dennis Jr. and Patrick Anthony, and Franz Nicholas Gregory who Dennis adopted from the previous marriage in December 1958, rechristened Gregory Crosby. They divorced on July 3, 1964.

Later life

In her later years, Sheehan lived in Beverly Hills, California with her friend Gloria Haley Parnassus (

Jack Haley John Joseph Haley Jr. (August 10, 1897 – June 6, 1979) was an American actor, comedian, dancer, radio host, singer and vaudevillian. He was best known for his portrayal of the Tin Man and his farmhand counterpart Hickory in the 1939 Metro-G ...

's daughter). She was employed with

Gucci Gucci (, ; ) is an Italian high-end luxury fashion house based in Florence, Italy. Its product lines include handbags, ready-to-wear, footwear, accessories, and home decoration; and it licenses its name and branding to Coty, Inc. for fragrance ...

, and did her last interview in 1995 for ''The Playmate Book: Five Decades of Centerfolds''. After surviving cancer, she died of a

heart attack A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when blood flow decreases or stops to the coronary artery of the heart, causing damage to the heart muscle. The most common symptom is chest pain or discomfort which may tr ...

on January 14, 2006, in

Beverly Hills, California Beverly Hills is a city located in Los Angeles County, California. A notable and historic suburb of Greater Los Angeles, it is in a wealthy area immediately southwest of the Hollywood Hills, approximately northwest of downtown Los Angeles. B ...

, aged 74 and was interred at Forest Lawn Memorial Park. Her sons, Dennis and Patrick, died years later.

Legacy

In addition to being the first Playmate to tie for ''Playboy's'' Playmate of the Month, Pat Sheehan was the first bit player to be signed to a television contract. She was known as one of Hollywood's most beautiful women, often being labeled as "Television's

Marilyn Monroe Marilyn Monroe (; born Norma Jeane Mortenson; 1 June 1926 4 August 1962) was an American actress. Famous for playing comedic " blonde bombshell" characters, she became one of the most popular sex symbols of the 1950s and early 1960s, as wel ...

" and "The Blonde

Rita Hayworth Rita Hayworth (born Margarita Carmen Cansino; October 17, 1918May 14, 1987) was an American actress, dancer and producer. She achieved fame during the 1940s as one of the era's top stars, appearing in 61 films over 37 years. The press coined th ...

." Mike Connolly described her as “The Rich Man's

Jayne Mansfield Jayne Mansfield (born Vera Jayne Palmer; April 19, 1933 – June 29, 1967) was an American actress, singer, nightclub entertainer, and ''Playboy'' Playmate. A sex symbol of the 1950s and early 1960s while under contract at 20th Century Fox, Man ...

” while they performed alongside each other in '' The Tropicana Holiday''.

Kathryn Crosby Kathryn Crosby (born Olive Kathryn Grandstaff; November 25, 1933) is a retired American actress and singer who performed in films under the stage names Kathryn Grant and Kathryn Grandstaff. Life and career Born Olive Kathryn Grandstaff in We ...

described her as "the warmest, friendliest girl I've ever known." On April 26, 2019, she was posthumously inducted into the

Galileo Academy of Science and Technology , motto_translation = And yet it moves , type = Public High school , established = , faculty = , district = San Francisco Unified School District , grades ...

Hall of Merit. Her authorized biography, ''Pat: A Biography of Hollywood's Blonde Starlet'' by Samuel Clemens was published by Sequoia Press on May 22, 2020. A lot of her photographs, memorabilia, and footage are archived at the

San Francisco History Center The San Francisco Public Library is the public library system of the city and county of San Francisco. The Main Library is located at Civic Center, at 100 Larkin Street. The library system has won several awards, such as '' Library Journals ...

, the

San Francisco Public Library The San Francisco Public Library is the public library system of the city and county of San Francisco. The Main Library is located at Civic Center, at 100 Larkin Street. The library system has won several awards, such as ''Library Journals L ...

, the Bancroft Library, and the

Los Angeles Public Library The Los Angeles Public Library system (LAPL) is a public library system in Los Angeles, California. The system holds more than six million volumes, and with around 19 million residents in the Los Angeles Metropolitan area, it serves the large ...

Filmography

Television

* ''

'' (recurring episodes, 1952-1953), Model * ''The Bob Hope Show'' (recurring episodes, 1954) Dancer * ''Place the Face'' (1955) TV Episode * ''

The Colgate Comedy Hour ''The Colgate Comedy Hour'' was an American comedy-musical variety series that aired live on the NBC network from 1950 to 1955. The show featured many notable comedians and entertainers of the era as guest stars. Many of the scripts of the series ...

'', episodes #5.19 and 6.7 (1955) TV Episodes, Mildred * ''

The NBC Comedy Hour ''The NBC Comedy Hour'' was a comedy show that ran on NBC in the first half of 1956, intended to be a replacement for ''The Colgate Comedy Hour''. Leo Durocher hosted the show in January, and Gale Storm from February until April 8; from April 22 o ...

'' 1.5, 1.6, 1.7, 1.10, and 1.17 (5 episodes, 1956) TV episode, Herself * ''

The Milton Berle Show ''Texaco Star Theater'' was an American comedy-variety show, broadcast on radio from 1938 to 1949 and telecast from 1948 to 1956. It was one of the first successful examples of American television broadcasting, remembered as the show that gave Mi ...

'' (recurring episodes, 1956), Dancer * ''

The Jimmy Durante Show ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the ...

'' (recurring episodes, 1955-1956), Dancer * ''Inside Beverly Hills'' (1956) TV Episode, Self * ''Salute to Baseball'' (1956) TV Episode, Self * ''

Home A home, or domicile, is a space used as a permanent or semi-permanent residence for one or many humans, and sometimes various companion animals. It is a fully or semi sheltered space and can have both interior and exterior aspects to it. H ...

'' (May 24, 1956) TV Episode, Self * ''The Chevy Show'' (1956) TV Episode, Dancer * ''

'' (March 1956 and April 12, 1956) TV Episodes, Bohemian Artist * ''

People are Funny ''People Are Funny'' is an American radio and television game show, created by John Guedel that ran from 1942 to 1960 in which contestants were asked to carry out stunts in order to prove that "People Are Funny." Many stunts lasted weeks, month ...

'' (1957) TV Episode, Miss Univac * '' Blondie'' (1 episode, 1957) The Other Woman (1957) TV Episode Librarian,

References

External links

* *
Glamour Girls of the Silver Screen
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sheehan, Pat 1931 births 2006 deaths American beauty pageant winners Actresses from San Francisco 1950s Playboy Playmates 20th-century American women 21st-century American women American dancers American actresses American showgirls