Jerome Patrick

Jerome Patrick (June 2, 1883 – September 26, 1923) was a New Zealand-born American stage and film actor, born Alexander Patrick, who built a career on the Broadway stage before transitioning to silent film. He appeared in Broadway productions between 1913 and 1923, with credits including Zander the Great, The Nightcap, By Pigeon Post, The Madonna of the Future, and The Three Bears.

Before establishing himself in the United States, Patrick worked as a dentist while pursuing acting locally and in Australia. In 1912, while in Australia, he married Ethel Joan Meynelle, the daughter of a prominent Australian theatrical manager. He relocated to the United States in 1914, and also spent time in Toronto, where he enlisted in the Canadian Expeditionary Force during World War One. His military records noted four years of prior service with the New Zealand Hussars. He was discharged following several nervous breakdowns; medical documentation at the time recorded a previous heroin addiction and an unstable nervous system, though he was noted to be abstaining completely from alcohol. His spouse at the time of his death was named Grey Brunelle.

Patrick came to film relatively late, making his screen debut at age 36 in 1919. He appeared in ten films between 1919 and 1924, including Three Men and a Girl (1919), Officer 666 (1920), The Furnace (1920), Forever (1921), School Days (1921), and Sinners in Silk (1924), the last of which was released posthumously.

His final New York stage appearance came in the 1923 production of Zander the Great, opposite Alice Brady. The play was subsequently adapted as an MGM silent film starring Marion Davies. Patrick died in New York, New York on September 26, 1923, of nervous disorders.