Patrice Wymore | |
|---|---|
 Wymore in the 1950s | |
| Born | Patricia Wymore (1926-12-17)December 17, 1926 Miltonvale, Kansas, U.S. |
| Died | March 22, 2014(2014-03-22) (aged 87) Portland Parish, Jamaica |
| Other names | Patrice Wymore Flynn Trice Wymore |
| Occupation(s) | Actress, singer |
| Years active | 1947–1967 |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 1 |
Patrice Wymore Flynn (bornPatricia Wymore; December 17, 1926 – March 22, 2014) was an American film, television and stage actress of the 1950s and 1960s, known for her marriage toErrol Flynn.
Born Patricia Wymore[1] inMiltonvale, Kansas, to a family ofvaudeville performers, she began touring with them at the age of six.[2] By the time she reached adulthood, she was an accomplished dancer with a good singing voice.[3] She auditioned in New York City for a part inUp in Central Park, in which she performed in 1947.[citation needed]
Still "Patricia Wymore," she then starred, fourth billed, withJohnny Downs,Red Buttons, and Jet McDonald in the 1948Broadway musicalHold It!, for which she won aTheatre World Award for "Promising Actress".[2] This was followed by a five-month stint in the revueAll for Love in 1949, where she was discovered by a talent scout fromWarner Bros. who signed her up.[3]
Her first film appearance under the name "Patrice Wymore" was in the 1950 filmTea for Two, oppositeDoris Day andGordon MacRae, where she made an impression with the Latin-flavoured rendition of "Crazy Rhythm".[2] That same year she starred inRocky Mountain opposite Hollywood legendErrol Flynn, with whom she would become romantically involved. Flynn and Wymore were traveling and living in Europe, mainly inMallorca aboardZaca, Flynn's yacht. At the age of 23, she married the 41-year-old actor in October 1950 at the Lutheran Church,Nice, France.[2] Wymore continued to act, appearing in several films over the next few years, including the musicalI'll See You in My Dreams (1951), her second film alongside Doris Day. She also guest-starred as herself in the 1951 musical filmStarlift, performing the song "Liza (All the Clouds'll Roll Away)."[3] It was followed by a role as saloon singer in theKirk Douglas featureThe Big Trees (1952) and a part in the musical comedyShe's Working Her Way Through College, starringVirginia Mayo, in the same year. In 1953, she appeared alongside Mayo in the musical dramedyShe's Back on Broadway, and that same year she starred oppositeRandolph Scott inThe Man Behind the Gun. By this stage Wymore had fulfilled her contract with Warner and was released.[2]
She temporarily retired from Hollywood after giving birth to her daughter, Arnella Roma Flynn, born December 25, 1953.[4] The daughter would later become a fashion model in Europe. In 1955 Wymore appeared with her husband Errol Flynn andAnna Neagle in the film version ofKing's Rhapsody. Although only in his forties, Flynn was already in a physical and mental decline by the time they married. Wymore took a break from acting to care for her now ailing husband, and to better raise their daughter, while settling on their estate in Jamaica.[2] However, due to Flynn's alcohol and drug addictions, the couple separated. They never divorced, however, and were still married at the time of his death on October 14, 1959.[3]
Following Flynn's death, Wymore returned to acting, mostly in summer stock musicals such asCarnival!,Guys and Dolls,Irma La Douce, andGentlemen Prefer Blondes.[3] She made a memorable appearance as Adele Elkstrom, Frank Sinatra's character's girlfriend, in the hit filmOcean's 11 in 1960.[2]
She made three guest appearances onPerry Mason. In 1963 she appeared twice: as Maureen Norland in "The Case of the Libelous Locket," and as Jane Alder in "The Case of the Badgered Brother." In 1965 she played murder victim and title character Victoria Dawn in "The Case of the Murderous Mermaid." That year she was also cast in the short-lived soap operaNever Too Young, and in 1966 she appeared in the filmChamber of Horrors.[2] Her last appearance was on the television seriesF Troop in 1967, after which she retired.[5]
Flynn had left her a 2,000-acre (8.1 km2)coconutplantation near Castle, in the parish ofPortland,Jamaica, as well as a mansion and a cattle ranch. After her retirement she returned to Jamaica, where she opened aboutique andwicker furniture manufacturing business.[3] She continued to be active in Flynn's estate, and often appeared at dedications in his honor up to the time of her death. Her grandson Luke noted 'she was as passionate about her farm as much as the movies'.[6]
Wymore's daughter Arnella was found dead of an apparent drug overdose on September 21, 1998.[4] After suffering with a pulmonary disease for a year, Wymore, aged 87, died of natural causes in Portland, Jamaica, on March 22, 2014.[7] She is survived by her grandson Luke Flynn who remembered her as 'a tough, resilient and elegant woman'.[6]
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| Film | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1950 | Tea for Two | Beatrice Darcy | Credited as Pat Wymore |
| Rocky Mountain | Johanna Carter | ||
| 1951 | I'll See You in My Dreams | Gloria Knight | |
| Starlift | Herself | Credited as Pat Wymore | |
| 1952 | The Big Trees | Daisy Fisher / Dora Figg | |
| She's Working Her Way Through College | 'Poison' Ivy Williams | ||
| 1953 | The Man Behind the Gun | Lora Roberts | |
| She's Back on Broadway | Karen Keene | ||
| 1955 | King's Rhapsody | Princess Cristiane | |
| 1959 | The Sad Horse | Leslie MacDonald | |
| 1960 | Ocean's 11 | Adele Ekstrom | |
| 1966 | Chamber of Horrors | Vivian | |
| Television | |||
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1953 | Lux Video Theatre | 1 episode | |
| 1957 | The Errol Flynn Theatre | Various | 5 episodes |
| 1958 | Jefferson Drum | Goldie | 1 episode |
| 1960 | The Roaring 20's | Maxine "Bunny" Mallory | 1 episode |
| The Deputy | Lucy Ballance | 1 episode | |
| 1961 | Cheyenne | Harriet Miller | 1 episode |
| Tales of Wells Fargo | Pearl Harvey | 1 episode | |
| 77 Sunset Strip | Barbara Wentworth | 1 episode | |
| 1963–1965 | Perry Mason | Various | 3 episodes |
| 1965 | Never Too Young | Rhoda | Unknown episodes |
| 1965–1967 | F Troop | Various | 2 episodes |
| 1966 | Mister Roberts | 1 episode | |
| 1967 | The Monkees | Madame Quagmeyer | S1:E24, "Monkees a la Mode" |
