I hadn’t realised that Patricia Medina was in Hollywood as early as this, but thinking about it, I seem to remember her travelling out there with her then husband Richard Greene. In fact she was in Hollywood making films in the late 40’s
The Above is an earlier Picture from February 1949 – Richard Greene and his wife Patricia Medina pack before flying to the USA.
In Hollyood Patricia was in quite a few of this type of film, and she really looked good and was well able to hold her own in the acting stakes. Around this time she appeared with Alan Ladd in ‘Botany Bay’ another one of my favourites and I am pretty sure she shared star billing with him in this.
Also with Alan Ladd shortly after this, she came back to England to star with him in ‘The Black Knight’ made at Pinewood Studios
Patricia Medina pictured when she had arrived back in England – probably towards the end of 1953 to filmThe Black Knight with Alan Ladd at Pinewood Studios.
This picture was taken after she had appeared as a panellist on Whats My Line in early December 1953
On visits to London she regularly appeared on BBC television as a panellist on What’s My Line? (1951-63) with personalities including Gilbert Harding and Barbara Kelly.
She made four films in 1953 alone, followed in 1954 by Phantom of the Rue Morgue and an adventure film The Black Knight, made in England and in which she co-starred with Alan Ladd .
Shortly after her marriage to Joseph Cotten in 1960, the couple embarked on the first of several theatre tours of the United States. Her only significant film thereafter was The Killing of Sister George (1968), in which she played a prostitute.
Joseph Cotton referred to Patricia Medina as having the most beautiful face in Hollywood – and seeing that he had worked with some of the classically beautiful women of the era, that is some compliment. He was right I’m sure.
Their marriage was a long and happy one – I heard her, in an interview say that after they had married they never spent a night apart except when Joseph was admitted to hospital and then, she thought that being separated was terrible. They loved one another.
After Joseph Cotten’s career was terminated in 1981 by ill health, Patricia Medina devoted herself to caring for him until his death in 1994 . In 1998 she published her autobiography.
Patricia Medina and Joseph Cotton on their Wedding Day – Above
They were married at the Home of David O. Selznick and Jennifer Jones in Beverley Hills, Hollywood on 20 October 1960.
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