Other
Characters: Paul Stoddard 1969-1970,
Sheriff George Patterson House of Dark Shadows
Once
a trusted friend of the Collins family, the calculating Jason
McGuire returns to Collinwood after 18 years with a scheme
to blackmail its tormented matron, Elizabeth Collins Stoddard.
Using a shared secret from the past concerning the murder
of Paul Stoddard and his shrouded assistance to Elizabeth,
he arrives as a barely-tolerated guest on a campaign of extortion
and blackmail. With a shady past of criminal exploits, Jason
relies on his quick tongue and charisma to win over the sceptical
residents of Collinwood, not realising the fatal consequences
his efforts will result in...
Dennis
Patrick was born Dennis Patrick Harrison on March 14th
1918 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. His father's family originally
came from Ireland, providing Dennis with the distinct Irish
brogue that would be heard in so many of his roles.
He
made his acting debut on stage at age eight in a children's
version of the H.M.S. Pinafore and performed in plays
as a teenager. During the second world war, he appeared in
a number of Navy training films, his professional debut coming
in a production of Harvey, in Surrey, Maine. Graduating
to summer stock work in 1947, he began to establish his reputation
as a dependable and versatile character actor. Unsure of the
risk of a career in show business, Dennis began working as
a traffic manager for Pan American Airways, where he met his
first wife, actress Amelia Baines. Convincing him to return
to the theatre, Dennis' career path was set. The couple had
two daughters.
Dennis'
theatrical credits include The Seagull, Any Wednesday,
The Tender Trap, Marat/Sade, Kiss Me Kate, Saint Joan, The
Liar, Seven Mirrors, Dear Ruth, George Washington Slept Here,
Charley's Aunt, Red Roses for Me, The Silver Tassie, Cook-a-Doodle
Dandy, The Hasty Heart, Plaza Suite and The Little
Hut. Dennis
also appeared under the Broadway spotlights in Wayward
Saint, which won him a 1955 Theatre World award, Children
Children and Harvey, in which he played the Cabbie.
Dennis'
dabblings in the world of horror began long before his stint
on Dark Shadows, and he hold the distinction of becoming
the first vampire to appear in a television production in
1951 on Stage 13. In addition to Dark Shadows,
Dennis' other daytime drama credit was a stint on Somerset
in 1970.
Both
Dennis and his second wife, Barbara Cason, appeared in the
1970 film House of Dark Shadows. His other big screen
credits include Chances Are, The Jungle, The Telsa Story,
Tiger by the Tail, Dear Dead Delilah, Daddy's Gone a Hunting,
The Painting, C Man and Major Dundee.
Dennis
met his second wife, Barbara Cason, when they worked together
onstage in an award-winning New York production of Marat
Sade. A devoted couple, both worked steadily on television
and film, and were reknowned hosts and raconteurs, holding
many hearty dinner parties and functions at their Hollywood
home. Dennis remained married to Barbara until her death in
1990.
In
the 1970s Dennis moved to Hollywood to work as a busy actor
and director for NBC, working behind the camera on many major
network shows including the Emmy-winning Gift of Tears.
He also directed Masthead for the big screen. His primetime
guest roles during this time include turns on All in the
Family, Barnaby Jones, Eight is Enough, Kojak, The Rockford
Files, The Bionic Woman, McMillan and Wife, The Incredible
Hulk and Fantasy Island.
In
total, Dennis is credited for over 1,800 television guest
roles spanning four decades. Among the most recent are Murder
She Wrote, Coach, Remington Steele, The Bronx Zoo, St Elsewhere
and The Twilight Zone. His recurring television
roles were as Patrick Chapin in Rituals and Vaughn
Leland in the popular prime-time show Dallas. One
latter-day guest role of particular note came in an episode
of It's Garry Shandling's Show, in which he played
a new beau for series regular Barbara Cason.
Dennis
was also heard on the RCA LP recording Joan of Arc.
His commercial voice-overs include spots for A-1 Steak Sauce,
Benson & Hedges and Blue Bonnett Margarine.
His
television movie appearances include Wet Gold, The Sophisticated
Gents, Advice to the Lovelorn, Georgia Peaches, The Missiles
of October, Panic on the 5:22, Code Name: Diamond Head, The
First 36 Hours of Dr. Durant, Death Squad, Night Games, Kidnapped,
My Heart's In the Highlands, The Taming of the Shrew and
the acclaimed miniseries The Winds of War, where he
once again worked with Dark Shadows creator Dan Curtis.
Dennis
Patrick lived in Southern California until his death. Although
he retired from the acting profession in the early 1990s,
he continued to attend the Dark Shadow Festival conventions,
where captivating crowds with his rich vein of humour and
penchant for bawdy limericks.
Dennis
died on the afternoon of Sunday October 13 2002 of smoke inhalation,
in a fire that destroyed much of his home in the Hollywood
Hills. He was found with the body of his beloved poodle, Josh,
beside him. Dennis' ashes, and those of Josh, were scattered
at sea, joining those of his beloved Barbara.
To
view the special tribute to Dennis that featured on the homepage
of this site after his death, click
here.
Biography
written by Vera Marano
Photographs
· Click on the thumbnails
to view the full-size image
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Dennis
Patrick and Jonathan Harris in a classic episode of
Lost in Space .......... |
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Dennis
Patrick in his recurring role as Vaughn Leland in
Dallas .................. |
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