Patrice Wymore

Patrice Wymore Flynn (December 17, 1926 – March 22, 2014) was an American film, television and stage actress of the 1950s and 1960s, known for her marriage to Errol Flynn.

Patrice Wymore
Wymore in the 1950s
Born	(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	Actress, singer
Years active	1947–1967
Spouse(s)	Errol Flynn ​ ( m. 1950; died 1959)
Children	1

Biography

Early life and stage career

Born in Miltonvale, Kansas, to a family of vaudeville performers, she began touring with them at the age of six.[1] By the time she reached adulthood, she was an accomplished dancer with a good singing voice.[2] She auditioned in New York City for a part in Up in Central Park, in which she performed in 1947.

Still "Patricia Wymore," she then starred, fourth billed, with Johnny Downs, Red Buttons, and Jet McDonald in the 1948 Broadway musical Hold It!, for which she won a Theatre World Award for "Promising Actress".[1] This was followed by a five-month stint in the revue All for Love in 1949, where she was discovered by a talent scout from Warner Bros. who signed her up.[2]

Film career

Now "Patrice Wymore," her first film appearance was in the 1950 film Tea for Two, opposite Doris Day and Gordon MacRae, where she made an impression with the Latin-flavoured rendition of "Crazy Rhythm".[1] That same year she starred in Rocky Mountain opposite Hollywood legend Errol Flynn, with whom she would become romantically involved. Flynn and Wymore were traveling and living in Europe, mainly in Mallorca aboard Zaca, Flynn's yacht. At the age of 23, she married the 41-year-old actor in October 1950 at the Lutheran Church, Nice, France.[1] Wymore continued to act, appearing in several films over the next few years, including the musical I'll See You in My Dreams (1951), her second film alongside Doris Day. She also guest-starred as herself in the 1951 musical film Starlift, performing the song "Liza (All the Clouds'll Roll Away)."[2] It was followed by a role as saloon singer in the Kirk Douglas feature The Big Trees (1952) and a part in the musical comedy She's Working Her Way Through College, starring Virginia Mayo, in the same year. In 1953, she appeared alongside Mayo in the musical dramedy She's Back on Broadway, and that same year she starred opposite Randolph Scott in The Man Behind the Gun. By this stage Wymore had fulfilled her contract with Warner and was released.[1]

She temporarily retired from Hollywood after giving birth to her daughter, Arnella Flynn, born December 25, 1953.[3][4] The daughter would later become a fashion model in Europe. In 1955 she appeared with her husband Errol Flynn and Anna Neagle in the film version of King'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.[1] 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.[2]

Later career and personal life

Following Flynn's death, Wymore returned to acting, mostly in summer stock musicals such as Carnival!, Guys and Dolls, Irma La Douce, and Gentlemen Prefer Blondes.[2] She made a memorable appearance as Adele Elkstrom, Frank Sinatra's character's girlfriend, in the hit film Ocean's 11 in 1960.[1]

She made three guest appearances on Perry 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 opera Never Too Young, and in 1966 she appeared in the film Chamber of Horrors.[1] Her last appearance was on the television series F Troop in 1967, after which she retired.[5]

Flynn had left her a 2,000-acre (8.1 km²) coconut plantation near Castle, in the parish of Portland, Jamaica, as well as a mansion and a cattle ranch. After her retirement she returned to Jamaica, where she opened a boutique and wicker furniture manufacturing business.[2] 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]

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]

Filmography

Wymore with Kirk Douglas in The Big Trees

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	1 episode

References

1. Bergan, Ronald (March 25, 2014). "Patrice Wymore obituary". The Guardian.
2. Vallance, Tom (March 26, 2014). "Patrice Wymore: Actress and dancer who gave up her career to care for her daughter and her ailing husband, Errol Flynn". The Independent. London.
3. Barnes, Mike (March 23, 2017). "Patrice Wymore, Actress and Errol Flynn's Widow, Dies at 87". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on July 11, 2017. Retrieved July 11, 2017.
4. Vallance, Tom (March 26, 2014). "Patrice Wymore: Actress and dancer who gave up her career to care for her daughter and her ailing husband, Errol Flynn". Independent. Archived from the original on July 12, 2017. Retrieved July 12, 2017.
5. Woo, Elaine (March 24, 2014). "Patrice Wymore Flynn dies at 87; actress, widow of Errol Flynn". Los Angeles Times.
6. "Jamaica Observer obituary NMW, 'Remembering Grandma... Patrice Wymore Flynn', Jamaica Observer, March 30, 2014.
7. "Actress Patrice Flynn Is Dead". The Gleaner. March 22, 2014. Archived from the original on July 12, 2017. Retrieved July 12, 2017.

External links

• Patrice Wymore at Find a Grave
• Patrice Wymore on IMDb
• Patrice Wymore at the Internet Broadway Database
• Errol Flynn marries Patrice Wymore (British Pathe - newsreel)
• Interview: Patrice Wymore remembers Errol Flynn (Ft. Wayne News-Sentinel, 2014).