Lee Patrick was a talented character actress who showcased her versatility in a wide range of roles throughout her long and distinguished career. Born on November 22, 1901, in New York City, she was the daughter of an editor of a trade paper who sparked her interest in theater from an early age.
Patrick began her career on the stock stage as a teenager and made her Broadway debut in 1922 as part of the ensemble of the musical "The Bunch and Judy" alongside the dancing Astaires. She continued to appear regularly on Broadway throughout the 1920s and 1930s, taking on more visible roles in productions such as "The Green Beetle," "Bachelor Brides," "The Matrimonial Bed," "June Moon," "Little Women," "Blessed Event," and "Knock on Wood."
Patrick's film career began in the late 1920s, and she went on to appear in scores of movies, including "Strange Cargo," "Border Cafe," "Law of the Underworld," "The Sisters," "Invisible Stripes," "Saturday's Children," "City for Conquest," "Ladies Must Live," "Dangerously They Live," "Footsteps in the Dark," "Million Dollar Baby," "Kisses for Breakfast," "Now, Voyager," "In This Our Life," and "Mildred Pierce," among many others.
One of Patrick's most iconic roles was that of Effie, the wry and altruistic Girl Friday to Humphrey Bogart's Sam Spade in the classic film noir "The Maltese Falcon." She also appeared in numerous other notable films, including "A Night to Remember," "Larceny with Music," "Mrs. Parkington," "See My Lawyer," "The Walls Came Tumbling Down," "Mother Wore Tights," "The Snake Pit," "The Fuller Brush Girl," and "Tomorrow Is Another Day."
In addition to her film work, Patrick was also a prolific television actress, appearing in a wide range of roles on popular shows such as "The O'Neils," "Let George Do It," "Suspense," "Circus Boy," "The Lineup," "Wagon Train," "Lawman," "Hawaiian Eye," "77 Sunset Strip," "The Real McCoys," "The Farmer's Daughter," "The Donna Reed Show," and "Hazel." She also had a recurring role on the sitcom "Mr. Adams and Eve" and lent her voice to several animated projects, including "The Alvin Show."
Patrick retired from acting in the mid-1960s to travel and paint, but was coaxed back for one final role in the 1975 film "The Black Bird," a spoof of "The Maltese Falcon" that starred George Segal as Sam Spade Jr. She passed away on November 25, 1982, at the age of 81, due to complications from heart disease.
