Pat Paterson was a renowned English film actress, born on April 10, 1910, and passed away on August 24, 1978. Despite her prolific film career, which spanned over two decades and included more than 20 films, she is often remembered as the wife of the esteemed actor Charles Boyer.
Paterson's early life was marked by a strong desire to pursue a career in Hollywood. At the age of 18, she convinced her parents to let her leave for the United States in 1928. She arrived in Hollywood the following year and was signed by Fox Studios as a contract player. Renamed Patricia Paterson, she quickly began to secure film roles and was renamed Pat Paterson due to the alliterative rhythm of her name.
Throughout the 1930s, Paterson appeared in numerous studio pictures, gradually taking on more prominent roles. Her breakthrough role came in the 1935 film "Charlie Chan Goes To Egypt," where she played the female lead alongside Warner Oland as Chan. This was intended to be her debut as a leading lady, but it was her meeting with Charles Boyer that would change the course of her life.
Boyer, who was a lifelong friend of Maurice Chevalier, met Paterson at a dinner party hosted by Chevalier in early 1934. According to Boyer, it was love at first sight, and they married just four weeks later on Valentine's Day. Despite Boyer's initial claims that he wanted her to give up her career, Paterson continued to work, and her greatest commercial successes came in the years following their marriage.
Paterson's career slowed down significantly during World War II, as she, her husband, and Maurice Chevalier devoted themselves to supporting the war efforts of Britain and France. Her last film appearance was in 1939, and she eventually gave up her career to focus on her personal life.
On December 9, 1943, Paterson gave birth to her only child, Michael Charles Boyer, in Los Angeles. Unfortunately, their son died by self-inflicted gunshot at the age of 21. Paterson's life was marked by both professional and personal struggles, but her legacy as a talented actress and her enduring marriage to Charles Boyer continue to be remembered.
