Melody Patterson
Then 16-year-old Patterson on the set ofF Troop (1966)
Born	(1949-04-16)April 16, 1949 Inglewood, California, U.S.
Died	August 20, 2015(2015-08-20) (aged 66) Hollister, Missouri, U.S.
Occupation(s)	Actress, singer
Years active	1965–1989
Spouses	James MacArthur ​ ​ (m. 1970; div. 1975)​ Robert Seaton ​ ​ (m. 1976; div. 1998)​ Vern Miller ​ (m. 1998)​

Melody Patricia Patterson (April 16, 1949^[1] – August 20, 2015) was an American actress known for her role as Wrangler Jane in the 1960s television seriesF Troop and for her role as Ellie in the horror filmBlood and Lace (1971).

Melody Patterson was born on April 16, 1949, in Inglewood, California. She was the daughter of machinist Pat Patterson and the former Rosemary Wilson, an official in theMiss Universe contest. Her mother had been a dancer withWarner Bros.,^[2] who "doubled forJoan Crawford in several films."^[3]

She started performing at the age of four, appearing inMrs. McThing at the Downey Community Theatre in Downey, California. Patterson wrote and directed a play at the age of five.^[1] Before turning 10, she had also been a photographer's model, an actress, and an ice skater.^[2] In the ninth grade, she enrolled in theHollywood Professional School.^[1] She continued her education in the Warner Bros. school while she acted onF Troop.^[3] She later studied at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York City.

Patterson in 1965 reportedly auditioned forF Troop on a lark. To her surprise, she was asked to read some lines from the script of theDoris DayCalamity Jane film, which happened to be Patterson's favorite movie, one that she had seen enough times on television to know "every scene and line from the film".^[4] Her reading impressed the producers and led to her being cast as Wrangler Jane. She, however, was not quite 16 years old, and she misrepresented her age in order to get the audition. Her comments about her efforts to secure the part were later quoted in an interview:

"I did well on theF-Troop audition and I knew it...So when the producers asked me, 'You're eighteen, right?' I didn’t argue with them. I said, 'Right.' Then they said, 'Well, you can ride a horse, right?' I didn’t argue about that either. I thought to myself, 'If I can just get tested, then I will have some film.' Then when they offered me the role, I thought, 'Well if I can just do the pilot I'll still be ahead of the game.'"^[4]

Once Patterson secured the part, she finally told the series' producers her real age. Their shock and consternation were ameliorated shortly thereafter by her maturity and professionalism.^[3] After the 1967 cancellation ofF Troop, Patterson worked in television, radio, and the theater. She also appeared onMr. Novak andShindig! In the 1970s, she appeared in three episodes ofHawaii Five-O, and began modeling and appearing in television commercials.

Patterson's first screen appearance was an uncredited walk-on inBye Bye Birdie (1963). Her first featured role was in the 1968 dramaThe Angry Breed.^[5] She also appeared in a lead role in the action filmThe Cycle Savages, withBruce Dern, followed by a leading part in theslasher filmBlood and Lace (1971). In 1973, she appeared in a small part inThe Harrad Experiment (1973). Her final film credit was inThe Immortalizer (1990), a direct-to-video sci-fi horror film.

While living in Hawaii, Patterson performed in the playButterflies Are Free, withBarbara Rush andDirk Benedict. She appeared in other plays such asHouse of Blue Leaves for theUniversity of Hawaii, and played the part of Peggy inThe Front Page written byCharles MacArthur, and directed by her then-husbandJames MacArthur (Charles' son).^[6]

In 1999, she received her bachelor's degree fromSierra Nevada College.

Patterson entertained troops in Vietnam with theJohnny Grant and Friends show. Her first tour was in December 1967, withDiane McBain,Sherry Jackson, andSabrina Scharf.^[7] Her second tour was in June 1968 withVicki Lawrence and Karen MacQuarrie (Miss Welcome to Long Beach 1968).^[8][9] Patterson was a disc jockey for theArmed Forces Radio Service.^[10] She later wrote a column called "Wrapping with Wrangler" forWildest Westerns magazine.^[11]

In 1965, the Motion Picture and Television Make-Up Artists and Hair Stylists group selected Patterson as one of 12 young actresses named Deb Stars of 1966. She was nominated by the Warner Bros. studio.^[12]

Patterson was married three times. She married actorJames MacArthur in July 1970. MacArthur was known for playing Danny "Danno" Williams in the TV seriesHawaii Five-O. She put her career aside to move toHonolulu, where the show filmed. They divorced in 1975. Her second marriage was to Robert Hill Crump Seaton, Jr., and ended in divorce April 29, 1998. Her last marriage was to aircraft mechanic Vern Miller on November 28, 1998, and ended with her death.^[1] Patterson had no children from those marriages.

Patterson died in a nursing home inHollister, Missouri, on August 20, 2015, at age 66.^[13] Multiple organ failure was the reported cause.^[14] HerF Troop co-starLarry Storch (Corporal Agarn) announced her death on Facebook as follows: "It's with a heavy heart that we can let you know our beloved Wrangler Jane, Melody Patterson, passed away today. Our hearts are sad today. RIP Sweet Melody. We love you."^[14] Patterson was cremated and has no final resting place.

• Melody Patterson atIMDb 

• 1949 births
• 2015 deaths
• 20th-century American actresses
• American stage actresses
• American television actresses
• Actresses from Inglewood, California
• Actresses from California
• Deaths from multiple organ failure
• 21st-century American women

• Articles with short description
• Short description matches Wikidata
• Use mdy dates from January 2021
• Articles with hCards