Patricia Ellis

Patricia Ellis
Trailer for Bright Lights (1935)
Born
Patricia Gene O'Brien

(1918-05-20)May 20, 1918[1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9]
Birmingham, Michigan, U.S.
DiedMarch 26, 1970 (aged 51)
Kansas City, Missouri, U.S.
Other namesPatricia Leftwich
Occupation(s)American singer and film actress
Years active1932–1941
Spouse
George T. O'Maley
​
(m. 1941)​
Children1

Patricia Ellis (born Patricia Gene O'Brien; May 20, 1918 – March 26, 1970) was an American film actress from 1932 to 1939, who then had a brief singing career until 1941.

Early years

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Born in Birmingham, Michigan,[1][10][6] in 1918 (although she gave her year of birth to the Social Security Administration as 1920), Ellis was the eldest of four children born to Eugene Gladstone O'Brien, a Detroit insurance salesman, and his wife, Florence (née Calkins), who married on April 16, 1917.[11][12][13][14] Ellis's younger siblings were Joseph, Eugene, and Margery. Her parents divorced 12 years later, on April 19, 1929, when Patricia was 10 years old, reportedly "with the understanding that during the summer months the children ... were to remain with their mother and the father was to keep them during the school year".[9][15]Open access icon She was later known as Patricia Leftwich[16] after her mother married Alexander Leftwich, described as[17] "an eminent New York producer of musical shows."[18] She had a step-brother, Alexander Leftwich Jr.[17] Her childhood activities included singing and dancing, and she reportedly studied French and German.[19]

A 1932 newspaper article said, "Since she was able to walk, Patricia has been familiar with the world of the theater, accompanying her father constantly to rehearsals and performances."[20] That same year, another newspaper reported, "She understudied all her father's leading women in the last few years, assisted him with lighting and costuming, and knows stage production, too."[19]

Patricia Leftwich attended Brantwood Hall School and Gardner School for Girls,[20] and began her stage career after leaving school. She took classes in studio facilities while pursuing her acting career.[21]

Stage

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Ellis appeared with Chamberlain Brown's stock company at Mount Vernon, New York, and at the Riviera Theater, New York City.[when?][20]

Film

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Given a film test while appearing on stage in New York City,[18] Ellis was put under contract by Warner Bros.[20] In 1932, she had two small parts, both uncredited, in the films Three on a Match and Central Park. That same year, she was the youngest of the 14 girls chosen as WAMPAS Baby Stars. Her first credited role was in the 1933 film The King's Vacation, starring George Arliss and Marjorie Gateson. After that film, her career took off, with her appearing mostly in lower-budget B movies, but still working steadily. She had roles in eight films in 1933, co-starring that year with James Cagney in Picture Snatcher, and in another seven in 1934. She appeared in 1935's A Night at the Ritz, opposite William Gargan. She appeared in seven films that year and another seven in 1936. Starring alongside some of Hollywood's biggest names, including James Cagney, Ricardo Cortez, and Bela Lugosi, Ellis's career was at its peak by 1937. Most of her roles were in comedy films, along with some mysteries and crime dramas, and by 1936, she was playing the female lead in almost all her films. She was in five films that year, then only three in 1938, and finally just two in 1939, making her last feature film appearance (at age 21) in Fugitive at Large.

Singing

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After her work in film, Ellis ventured into music, saying, "I was just getting into a rut in Hollywood ... I want to start a new career – singing."[22] She made a soundie in 1941. A review in the trade publication Billboard commented: "Miss Ellis isn't bad on voice and excells (sic) on appearance. Men will pay attention to her."[23] In 1941, she and Henny Youngman headlined with Blue Barron and his Orchestra at Hamid's Pier in Atlantic City, New Jersey.[24] She reportedly appeared on Broadway in Louisiana Purchase, a musical comedy.[25]

Personal life

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On July 12, 1941,[22][26] she married George Thomas O'Maley (died 2000), future president of Protection Securities Systems in Kansas City, Missouri.[27][28] and settled into private life in Kansas City, Missouri.[29] The O'Maleys had one child, a daughter.[22]

Death

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Ellis remained married to O'Maley for the remainder of her life, dying of colon cancer on March 26, 1970 in Kansas City, aged 51.[30] She was cremated.[citation needed]

Partial filmography

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References

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  1. ^ a b "The Cincinnati Enquirer, December 8, 1935, p. 100, "Only 17, But Going Places"".
  2. ^ USS Roma ship manifest, arriving New York October 1, 1937, listed passenger Patricia Ellis O'Brien, age 19, as born May 20, 1918, Detroit, Michigan, and living in Beverly Hills, California.(subscription required)
  3. ^ 1920 US Census Data for Detroit Ward 17, Wayne, Michigan for Patricia O'Brien, aged 1, daughter of Eugene and Florence O'Brien (Patricia Ellis's birthplace, Birmingham, Wayne County, is a suburb of Detroit, Michigan)
  4. ^ "Patricia Ellis Feels No Older As She Turns 21", Argus Leader (Sioux Falls, South Dakota), June 15, 1939, p. 20.
  5. ^ "Marriage Revealed by Patricia Ellis", Detroit Free Press, July 15, 1941, p. 4.
  6. ^ a b "Hollywood's Youngest Leading Lady". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. St. Louis, Missouri. April 10, 1935. p. 37 – via newspapers.com.(subscription required)
  7. ^ "Only 17, But Going Places", Cincinnati Enquirer, December 8, 1935, p. 100.
  8. ^ "Patricia Ellis Weds in East", Los Angeles Times (Los Angeles, California), July 15, 1941, p. 23
  9. ^ a b "Pat's Pal, 'Banksy'" by Jeremy Asher, Modern Screen, December 1935, pp. 20-21
  10. ^ New York Times (March 28, 1970). "Patricia Ellis Dies; A Screen Actress". p. 27.
  11. ^ Wedding announcement, Detroit Free Press via newspapers.com. April 17, 1917. Accessed March 24, 2024.(subscription required)
  12. ^ Florence Calkins in the Michigan, U.S., Marriage Records, 1867-1952, ancestrylibrary.com. Accessed June 26, 2024.
  13. ^ United States Bureau of the Census (1930). 15th census population, Vol. 168. p. Enumeration District 82–551, Sheet 12-A.
  14. ^ ""Ohio, County Marriages, 1789-2013" database with images, image 154 of 355". FamilySearch. Retrieved January 7, 2017.
  15. ^ Copy of divorce decree, Wayne County, Michigan: Department of Health, Division of Vital Statistics, Docket # 163383 (April 19, 1929 date of decree or judgement)
  16. ^ Roy Liebman (January 1, 2000). The Wampas Baby Stars: A Biographical Dictionary, 1922-1934. McFarland. p. 78. ISBN 978-0-7864-0756-9.
  17. ^ a b "The Final Curtain". Billboard. January 25, 1947. p. 43. Retrieved December 15, 2015.
  18. ^ a b "Portrait of Young Girl On Her Way Somewhere". The Salt Lake Tribune. Utah, Salt Lake City. The Salt Lake Tribune. October 30, 1932. p. 38. Retrieved December 15, 2015 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  19. ^ a b "Baby Role Irks Patricia Ellis; Grown-Up Film Parts Her Goal". Statesville Record and Landmark. North Carolina, Statesville. Statesville Record And Landmark. October 11, 1932. p. 14. Retrieved December 15, 2015 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  20. ^ a b c d "Daughter of Famous Director Is Signed by Picture Company". Montana Butte Standard. Montana, Butte. Montana Butte Standard. June 5, 1932. p. 23. Retrieved December 15, 2015 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  21. ^ "Takes Schoolbooks to Studio". The Gettysburg Times. Pennsylvania, Gettysburg. The Gettysburg Times. May 24, 1932. p. 3. Retrieved December 15, 2015 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  22. ^ a b c Wagner, Laura (Fall 2015). "Patricia Ellis: "I'd Like to Do Characters"". Films of the Golden Age (82): 55–56.
  23. ^ "Movie Machine Reviews: Reel 1035" (PDF). Billboard. October 25, 1941. p. 72. Retrieved December 15, 2015.
  24. ^ "AC Trade Best in 12 Seasons" (PDF). Billboard. August 9, 1941. p. 50. Retrieved December 15, 2015.
  25. ^ "Patricia Ellis Gets New Broadway Musical Role". Detroit Free Press. Detroit, Michigan. May 9, 1941. p. 8. Retrieved June 26, 2024 – via newspapers.com.
  26. ^ Patricia Ellis Weds in the East (July 15, 1941). "Los Angeles Times p. A1" – via Proquest.
  27. ^ "Register". Ancestry.com. Retrieved June 26, 2024.
  28. ^ "Register". Ancestry.com. Retrieved May 24, 2019.
  29. ^ "Register". Ancestry.com. Retrieved May 24, 2019.
  30. ^ "Biography". Internet Movie Database. Retrieved June 26, 2024.
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