Patricia Molly Owens (January 17, 1925 – August 31, 2000) was a Canadian-born American actress, working in Hollywood. She appeared in about 40 films and 10 television episodes in a career lasting from 1943 to 1968.

Early work

Owens moved to England in 1933 with her parents (her Welsh father

Arthur Owens Arthur Graham Owens, later known as Arthur Graham White (14 April 1899 – 24 December 1976), was a Welsh double agent for the Allies during the Second World War. He was working for MI5 while appearing to the Abwehr (the German intelligence agency ...

was later to become an

MI5 The Security Service, also known as MI5 ( Military Intelligence, Section 5), is the United Kingdom's domestic counter-intelligence and security agency and is part of its intelligence machinery alongside the Secret Intelligence Service (MI6), G ...

double agent In the field of counterintelligence, a double agent is an employee of a secret intelligence service for one country, whose primary purpose is to spy on a target organization of another country, but who is now spying on their own country's organi ...

), and 10 years later, at age 18, she made her motion-picture debut in the musical comedy ''

Miss London Ltd ''Miss London Ltd.'' is a 1943 British, black-and-white, comedy film, comedy, musical film, musical, war film, film director, directed by Val Guest and starring Arthur Askey and Evelyn Dall. It was film producer, produced by Edward Black (produ ...

''. The following year, she had a small role in

Harold French Harold French (23 April 1897 – 19 October 1997) was an English film director, screenwriter and actor. Biography After training at the Italia Conti School, he made his acting debut age 12, in a production of ''The Winter's Tale''. As an ...

's social satire ''

English Without Tears ''English Without Tears'' is a 1944 British romantic comedy film directed by Harold French and starring Michael Wilding, Penelope Dudley-Ward and Lilli Palmer. It was released in the U.S. under the title ''Her Man Gilbey'', as a reference to th ...

''. Her career continued in this manner for a few years, Owens getting ever-larger roles in movies. Her career received a boost when she was seen by a

20th Century Fox 20th Century Studios, Inc. (previously known as 20th Century Fox) is an American film production company headquartered at the Fox Studio Lot in the Century City area of Los Angeles. As of 2019, it serves as a film production arm of Walt Dis ...

executive while performing in a stage production of ''

Sabrina Fair ''Sabrina Fair'' (subtitled "''A Woman of the World''") is a romantic comedy written by Samuel A. Taylor and produced by the Playwrights' Company. It ran on Broadway for a total of 318 performances, opening at the National Theatre on November 11 ...

'', and was offered a screen test. The result was a contract with the studio and a move to Hollywood. Her first American film was '' Island in the Sun'' (1957), followed by ''

No Down Payment ''No Down Payment'' is a 1957 drama film directed by Martin Ritt. It was written by Philip Yordan, who fronted for an uncredited and blacklisted Ben Maddow, and is based on the novel of the same name by John McPartland. The film stars Joanne Woo ...

'', both for Fox, after which Owens was lent to

Warner Bros. Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (commonly known as Warner Bros. or abbreviated as WB) is an American film and entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California, and a subsidiary of Warner Bros. D ...

to appear in the critically acclaimed drama ''

Sayonara ''Sayonara'' is a 1957 American Technicolor drama film starring Marlon Brando in Technirama. It tells the story of an American Air Force fighter pilot during the Korean War who falls in love with a famous Japanese dancer. The picture won four Ac ...

'' (1957).

Success in ''The Fly''

Owens spent the rest of 1957 working mostly on loan, but a successful Fox production secured her best known role, as Hélène Delambre, the wife of scientist André Delambre in '' The Fly'' (1958). Owens carried much of that horror film's narrative, which was largely presented in flashback from her character's point of view. None of Owens' subsequent films ever attained the same level of success as ''The Fly''. She co-starred in the 1960 war film ''

Hell to Eternity ''Hell to Eternity'' is a 1960 American World War II film starring Jeffrey Hunter, David Janssen, Vic Damone and Patricia Owens, directed by Phil Karlson. This film biopic is about the true experiences of Marine hero Pfc. Guy Gabaldon (played b ...

'', then in 1961 appeared in the threadbare, backlot

POW A prisoner of war (POW) is a person who is held captive by a belligerent power during or immediately after an armed conflict. The earliest recorded usage of the phrase "prisoner of war" dates back to 1610. Belligerents hold prisoners of war ...

/jungle chase drama ''

Seven Women from Hell ''Seven Women from Hell'' is a 1961 war drama directed by Robert D. Webb and starring Patricia Owens, Denise Darcel (in her final film), Margia Dean, Yvonne Craig and Cesar Romero about women prisoners in a Japanese World War II prison camp, int ...

''. Owens made occasional television appearances, on series such as ''

Perry Mason Perry Mason is a fictional character, an American criminal defense lawyer who is the main character in works of detective fiction written by Erle Stanley Gardner. Perry Mason features in 82 novels and 4 short stories, all of which involve a c ...

'' and '' Burke's Law'', but these were relatively infrequent. Owens starred in the 1959 episode " The Crystal Trench" of the series ''

Alfred Hitchcock Presents ''Alfred Hitchcock Presents'' is an American television anthology series created, hosted and produced by Alfred Hitchcock, aired on CBS and NBC between 1955 and 1965. It features dramas, thrillers and mysteries. Between 1962 and 1965 it was ren ...

''. She was also in an episode of ''

Tales of Wells Fargo ''Tales of Wells Fargo'' is an American Western television series starring Dale Robertson that ran from 1957 to 1962 on NBC. Produced by Revue Productions, the series aired in a half-hour format until its final season, when it expanded to ...

'' titled "Assignment In Gloribee" in 1962. She plays an uptight, cynical Bostonian who is sent out west to write a "favorable" review of the west, on behalf of Wells Fargo.

Retirement

By 1965, Owens was working in ''

Black Spurs ''Black Spurs'' is a 1965 American Western film directed by R. G. Springsteen and written by Steve Fisher. The film stars Rory Calhoun, Linda Darnell (in her final film role), Terry Moore, Scott Brady, Lon Chaney Jr., Richard Arlen and Bruc ...

'', a B-Western produced by A.C. Lyles, who was renowned for using older stars in that genre. She retired from feature films in 1968 after portraying the love interest in the low-budget espionage thriller ''The Destructors''. Later that same year, she made her last professional appearance in a televised episode of '' Lassie''.

Personal life

Owens was married and divorced three times. Her first husband, producer and screenwriter

Sy Bartlett Sidney "Sy" Bartlett (born Sacha Baraniev; July 10, 1900 – May 29, 1978) was a Ukrainian American author and screenwriter/producer of Hollywood films. Early life Sy Bartlett was born on July 10, 1900 in the Black Sea seaport of Mykolaiv in th ...

, and she wed in 1956 and remained together for two years. She next married Jerome Nathanson in 1960, and they had one child before their divorce in 1961. Her third marriage was to John Austin from 1969 until their divorce in 1975.

Partial filmography

* ''

Miss London Ltd. ''Miss London Ltd.'' is a 1943 British, black-and-white, comedy, musical, war film, directed by Val Guest and starring Arthur Askey and Evelyn Dall. It was produced by Edward Black, Maurice Ostrer, Fred Gunn and Gainsborough Pictures. Plot ...

'' (1943) - Miss London (uncredited) * ''

'' (1944) - Girl Getting Autograph (uncredited) * ''

Give Us the Moon ''Give Us the Moon'' is a 1944 British comedy film directed and written by Val Guest and starring Vic Oliver, Margaret Lockwood and Peter Graves. Plot Made in 1943-44, the film is set in a future peacetime Britain, after the end of World War ...

'' (1944) - Chambermaid (uncredited) * '' One Exciting Night'' (1944) - Minor Role (uncredited) * ''

While the Sun Shines ''While the Sun Shines'' is a 1947 British comedy film directed by Anthony Asquith and starring Barbara White, Ronald Squire, Brenda Bruce, Bonar Colleano, and Michael Allan. It was based on Terence Rattigan's 1943 play of the same name. Plot ...

'' (1947) - Minor Role (uncredited) * ''

Things Happen at Night ''Things Happen at Night'' is a 1947 British supernatural ghost comedy film directed by Francis Searle and starring Gordon Harker, Alfred Drayton, Robertson Hare and Garry Marsh. The film is based upon a stage play, ''The Poltergeist'', by Fran ...

'' (1948) * '' Panic at Madame Tussaud's'' (1948) - Phyllis Edwards * ''

Paper Orchid ''Paper Orchid'' is a 1949 British crime film directed by Roy Ward Baker, with a script written by Val Guest. It featured Hugh Williams, Hy Hazell and Garry Marsh, and was based on the 1948 novel of the same title by Arthur La Bern. It featur ...

'' (1949) - Mary MacSweeney * '' Bait'' (1950) - Anna Hastings * '' The Happiest Days of Your Life'' (1950) - Angela Parry * ''

Old Mother Riley, Headmistress ''Old Mother Riley, Headmistress'' is a low budget black and white 1950 British comedy film, starring Arthur Lucan and Kitty McShane. The 13th film in the Old Mother Riley series, it features the Luton Girls Choir playing many of Mother Riley's ...

'' (1950) - Girl * ''

Mystery Junction ''Mystery Junction'' is a 1951 British crime film directed by Michael McCarthy (film director), Michael McCarthy and starring Sydney Tafler and Barbara Murray.Crow Hollow ''Crow Hollow'' is a 1952 British mystery film directed by Michael McCarthy and starring Donald Houston, Natasha Parry and Patricia Owens. It is based on the 1950 novel ''Crow Hollow'' by Dorothy Eden. In the film, newlywed Ann Amour survives ...

'' (1952) - Willow * ''

Ghost Ship A ghost ship, also known as a phantom ship, is a ship, vessel with no living crew aboard; it may be a fictional ghostly vessel, such as the ''Flying Dutchman'', or a physical Flotsam, jetsam, lagan and derelict, derelict found adrift with its cre ...

'' (1952) - Joyce - Party Girl * ''

House of Blackmail ''House of Blackmail'' is a 1953 British drama film directed by Maurice Elvey and starring Mary Germaine, William Sylvester and Alexander Gauge. Its plot follows a soldier and his girlfriend, who become mixed up with a blackmailer. Cast * Mar ...

'' (1953) - Joan * ''

Knights of the Round Table The Knights of the Round Table ( cy, Marchogion y Ford Gron, kw, Marghekyon an Moos Krenn, br, Marc'hegien an Daol Grenn) are the knights of the fellowship of King Arthur in the literary cycle of the Matter of Britain. First appearing in lit ...

'' (1953) - Lady Vivien (uncredited) * ''

The Good Die Young ''The Good Die Young'' is a 1954 British crime film directed by Lewis Gilbert and starring Laurence Harvey, Gloria Grahame, Joan Collins, Stanley Baker, Richard Basehart and John Ireland. It was made by Remus Films from a screenplay bas ...

'' (1954) - Winnie (uncredited) * '' A Stranger Came Home'' (1954) - Blonde * ''

Tale of Three Women ''Adventure Theater'' is a dramatic anthology series that aired on NBC from June 16, 1956, through September 1, 1956. The series was produced in England in 1953, but was never broadcast there as a series. It was also known as ''Calling Scotland ...

'' (1954) - Mary (segment "Final Twist' story) * '' Windfall'' (1955) - Connie Lee * ''

Colonel March Investigates ''Colonel March Investigates'' is a 1953 British film consisting of the three pilot episodes of the TV series ''Colonel March of Scotland Yard'' that were filmed in 1952, starring Boris Karloff.Stephen Jacobs, ''Boris Karloff: More Than a Monster' ...

'' (1955, TV Series) - Betty Hartley * ''

Alive on Saturday Alive may refer to: *Life Books, comics and periodicals * Alive (novel), ''Alive'' (novel), a 2015 novel by Scott Sigler * ''Alive: The Final Evolution'', a 2003 shonen manga by Tadashi Kawashima and Adachitoka * ''Alive: The Story of the Andes S ...

'' (1957) - Sally Parker * '' Island in the Sun'' (1957) - Sylvia Fleury * ''

'' (1957) - Jean Martin * ''

'' (1957) - Eileen Webster * ''

The Law and Jake Wade ''The Law and Jake Wade'' is a 1958 American Western film released in Metrocolor by MGM in CinemaScope. It is based on the 1956 novel by Marvin H. Albert and directed by John Sturges. The film was shot on location in California's High Sierra ...

'' (1958) - Peggy * '' The Fly'' (1958) - Helene Delambre * ''

The Gun Runners ''The Gun Runners'' is a 1958 American film noir crime film directed by Don Siegel, is the third adaptation of Ernest Hemingway's 1937 novel ''To Have and Have Not'', and starring Audie Murphy. Everett Sloane essays the part of the alcoholic side ...

'' (1958) - Lucy Martin * ''

These Thousand Hills ''These Thousand Hills'' is a 1959 American Western film directed by Richard Fleischer and starring Don Murray, Richard Egan, Lee Remick, Stuart Whitman and Patricia Owens. The screenplay was written by Alfred Hayes. It is based on the novel ...

'' (1959) - Joyce * ''

Five Gates to Hell ''Five Gates to Hell'' is a 1959 American adventure film written and directed by James Clavell in CinemaScope. The film stars Dolores Michaels, Patricia Owens, Neville Brand, Ken Scott, Nobu McCarthy and Benson Fong. It was Clavell's direct ...

'' (1959) - Joy * ''

'' (1960) - Sheila Lincoln * ''

'' (1961) - Grace Ingram * ''

X-15 The North American X-15 is a hypersonic rocket-powered aircraft. It was operated by the United States Air Force and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration as part of the X-plane series of experimental aircraft. The X-15 set speed ...

'' (1961) - Margaret Brandon * ''Gunfight in Black Horse Canyon'' (1961, TV Movie) - Katherine (archive footage) * ''

The Untouchables Untouchables or The Untouchables may refer to: American history * Untouchables (law enforcement), a 1930s American law enforcement unit led by Eliot Ness * ''The Untouchables'' (book), an autobiography by Eliot Ness and Oscar Fraley * ''The U ...

'' (1963, Episode: "The Charlie Argos Story") - Marcy Devon * ''

Walk a Tightrope ''Walk a Tightrope'' is a 1964 Anglo-American crime film directed by Frank Nesbitt, written by Neil McCallum, and starring Dan Duryea, Patricia Owens, Terence Cooper, Richard Leech, Neil McCallum and Trevor Reid. It was released on February 12, ...

'' (1964) - Ellen Sheppard * ''

'' (1965) - Clare Grubbs * '' The Destructors'' (1968) - Charlie

References

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Owens, Patricia 1925 births 2000 deaths Actresses from British Columbia Canadian expatriates in the United Kingdom Canadian people of Welsh descent People from the Columbia-Shuswap Regional District Canadian emigrants to the United States Canadian film actresses Canadian television actresses 20th-century Canadian actresses