Nigel Patrick

**Nigel Patrick** (born **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.

## Biography

Patrick was born in London, England, the son of Thomas Joseph Charles Aubrey Wemyss Gorman 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 in the King's Royal Rifle Corps, he fought in the Middle East, North Africa and Italy.

### Film career

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* (1948), *Uneasy Terms* (1948) and notably *Noose* (1948) playing a spiv. Patrick had a good part in *Silent Dust* (1948) and was promoted to star for *The Jack of Diamonds* (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 and appeared in the Hollywood-financed *Pandora and the Flying Dutchman* (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* (1951) and was in *Who Goes There!* (1951) on stage.

Patrick reprised his *Who Goes There!* (1952) performance on film then played a test pilot in the popular *The Sound Barrier* (1952). He was then in *Meet Me Tonight* (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* (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* (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* (1955) for Warwick Films, 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* (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* (1957).

He supported Jeffrey Hunter in *Count Five and Die* (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.

On stage Patrick directed *No Way to Kill* (1958) and *Not in the Book* (1958) and acted in and directed *Pleasure of His Company* (1959).

He starred in *Sapphire* (1959), winner of Best British Film at the 1960 BAFTA Film Awards. It was directed by Basil Dearden who then used Patrick in *The League of Gentlemen* (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* (1960), then made *Johnny Nobody* (1961) for them as director and actor.

He was in *Zero One* (1962–65) on TV and starred in the tough crime thriller *The Informers* (1963).

### Later career

Patrick appeared on stage in *The Schoolmistress* (1964) and *Present Laughter* (1965) and he directed *Past Imperfect* (1964) and *Present Laughter* (1965) and Alan Ayckbourn's *Relatively Speaking* (1967) at the Duke of York's Theatre. Film appearances included *Battle of Britain* (1969), *The Virgin Soldiers* (1969) and *The Executioner* (1970). He directed *Avanti!* (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.