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Patricia RocBritish film actress
Date of Birth: 07.06.1915
Country:  Switzerland |
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Biography of Patricia Roc
Patricia Roc, born Felicia Miriam Ursula Herold on June 7, 1915, in London, England, was a British film actress. She is well-known for her roles in a series of costume melodramas called "Gainsborough Melodramas," including films such as "Madonna of the Seven Moons" and "Wicked Lady." Although Roc had one Hollywood film in her career, Jacques Tourneur's melodrama "Canyon Passage" in 1946. She also appeared in films like "Jassy," "The Brothers," and "When the Bough Breaks."
Early Life and Career
Patricia Roc was the adopted daughter of her Dutch-Belgian father, Andre Rize, a wealthy stockbroker, and her half-French mother. She attended private schools in London and Paris before joining the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) in 1937. Roc made her theatrical debut in 1938 in the London production of "Nuts in May," where she caught the attention of Alexander Korda, who gave her a leading role as a Polish princess in the historical adventure film "The Rebel Son." She worked at J. Arthur Rank's studio, who described Patricia as an "archetypal British beauty."
Success and Hollywood
Roc achieved the peak of her popularity in the British film industry during World War II, starring in escapist melodramas. She played notable roles in patriotic wartime films such as "Let the People Sing" in 1941 and "We'll Meet Again" in 1942, alongside Vera Lynn and Gerald. In the comedy "Two Thousand Women," Roc had a star role as a prisoner in a concentration camp, starring alongside Phyllis Calvert, Jean Kent, and Flora Robson. In Leslie Arliss' melodrama "Love Story," Patricia played the jealous rival to Margaret Lockwood's character. Despite their on-screen rivalry, Roc and Lockwood remained close friends in real life. In the subsequent films "Wicked Lady" and "Jassy," the two actresses once again played uncompromising rivals.
Her brief stay in Hollywood led to her role in the melodrama "Canyon Passage" in 1946. During the film's production, Roc became romantically involved with Ronald Reagan. However, her collaboration with another star of the melodrama, American actress Susan Hayward, was less enjoyable, with Roc describing her as a "glamourpuss Englishwoman."
Later Life and Retirement
After the death of her husband Andre Thomas in 1954, Patricia Roc returned to England. She only appeared in three more films and did not turn down roles on television. In the TV series "The Saint," she can be seen in the first episode as the character Madge Clarron. Roc married for the first time at the age of 24 in 1939 to 44-year-old Canadian osteopath Dr. Murray Langa. Their marriage ended a few years later. She married Andre Thomas in 1949 and moved to Paris, where she became more involved in French and Italian cinema. Thomas was infertile, so when Roc had a son named Michael as a result of an affair with Anthony Steel in 1952, who was also involved in the filming of the comedy "Something Money Can't Buy," Andre agreed to accept the child as their own. Roc married for the third and final time to Walter Rauff in 1962 and retired a year later. She later moved to Locarno, Switzerland, where she passed away at the age of 88 on December 30, 2003, from heart failure.
