Melody Patterson
Melody Patricia Patterson was an American actress known for her role as Wrangler Jane in the 1960s television series F Troop and for her role as Ellie in the horror film Blood and Lace.
Early life
Melody Patterson was born on April 16, 1949, in Inglewood, California. She was the daughter of machinist Pat Patterson and the former Rosemary Wilson, an official in the Miss Universe contest. Her mother had been a dancer with Warner Bros., who "doubled for Joan Crawford in several films."She started performing at the age of four, appearing in Mrs. McThing at the Downey Community Theatre in Downey, California. Patterson wrote and directed a play at the age of five. Before turning 10, she had also been a photographer's model, an actress, and an ice skater. In the ninth grade, she enrolled in the Hollywood Professional School. She continued her education in the Warner Bros. school while she acted on F Troop. She later studied at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York City.
Career
Patterson in 1965 reportedly auditioned for F Troop on a lark. To her surprise, she was asked to read some lines from the script of the Doris Day Calamity Jane film, which happened to be Patterson's favorite movie, one that she had seen enough times on television to know "every scene and line from the film". Her reading impressed the producers and led to her being cast as Wrangler Jane. She, however, was not quite 16 years old, and she misrepresented her age in order to get the audition. Her comments about her efforts to secure the part were later quoted in an interview:Once Patterson secured the part, she finally told the series' producers her real age. Their shock and consternation were ameliorated shortly thereafter by her maturity and professionalism. After the 1967 cancellation of F Troop, Patterson worked in television, radio, and the theater. She also appeared on Mr. Novak and Shindig! In the 1970s, she appeared in three episodes of Hawaii Five-O, and began modeling and appearing in television commercials.
Patterson's first screen appearance was an uncredited walk-on in Bye Bye Birdie. Her first featured role was in the 1968 drama The Angry Breed. She also appeared in a lead role in the action film The Cycle Savages, with Bruce Dern, followed by a leading part in the slasher film Blood and Lace. In 1973, she appeared in a small part in The Harrad Experiment. Her final film credit was in The Immortalizer, a direct-to-video sci-fi horror film.
While living in Hawaii, Patterson performed in the play Butterflies Are Free, with Barbara Rush and Dirk Benedict. She appeared in other plays such as House of Blue Leaves for the University of Hawaii, and played the part of Peggy in The Front Page written by Charles MacArthur, and directed by her then-husband James MacArthur.
In 1999, she received her bachelor's degree from Sierra Nevada College.