Patricia Morison, a talented and exotic diva, was woefully misused during her prime screen years at Paramount in the late 1930s and 1940s. Born on March 19, 1915, in New York City, her father, William Morison, was a playwright and occasional actor, and her mother worked for British Intelligence during World War I.
Patricia studied at the Art Students League, took acting classes at the Neighborhood Playhouse, and trained in dance with Martha Graham. She earned a steady income as a dress shop designer and made her Broadway debut in the short-lived play "Growing Pains" at the age of 19.
In 1938, Patricia was signed by Paramount and made her film debut in "Persons in Hiding" (1939),showing bright promise. However, her stock did not improve, and she was relegated to second-string westerns and stilted fare. She left Paramount and freelanced in "other woman" roles, including "Without Love" (1945) and "The Fallen Sparrow" (1943).
During the war years, Patricia trained her voice and performed in USO tours. Cole Porter heard her sing in Hollywood and decided she had the right tenacity, feistiness, and vocal expertise to play the female lead in his new show, "Kiss Me Kate" (1948). As the sweeping, vixenish Lilli Vanessi, Patricia found the role of her career, giving over 1,000 performances.
Following this triumph, film work never became a top priority again. Patricia continued to conquer other classic leads in musicals, including "The King and I," "Kismet," "The Merry Widow," "Song of Norway," and "Pal Joey." Her last movie role was a cameo part as writer George Sand in "Song Without End" (1960) starring Dirk Bogarde.
On TV, Patricia recreated her Kate role with Alfred Drake and made a few scattered but lively appearances over the years. In later years, she devoted herself to painting and enjoyed many showings in the Los Angeles area. The lovely lady with the trademark long hair died in L.A. at the age of 103 on May 20, 2018.
