I've been an admirer of character actress Lee Patrick since the 1970s, when I first saw her play the comically confused Henrietta Topper in syndicated reruns of the 1953-55 sitcom Topper. Movie buffs remember her memorable supporting performances in classics like Mildred Pierce (1945) and, of course, The Maltese Falcon (1941).
Today I enjoyed watching The Nurse's Secret, a 1941 B movie in which she plays a rare starring role. It's adapted from mystery writer Mary Roberts Rinehart's 1932 book Miss Pinkerton: Adventures of a Nurse-Detective. Miss Patrick plays heroic nurse Ruth Adams, who with her policeman boyfriend Inspector Patton investigates the death of a young playboy. She makes her character capable, sassy, and just a bit of a smart aleck.
Just over an hour long, the film is entertaining without being terribly memorable. A good cast includes Clara Blandick (Auntie Em in The Wizard of Oz), and Regis Toomey as Patton. It's a remake of 1932's Miss Pinkerton, which starred Joan Blondell as Nurse Adams.
Perhaps someday I'll write a book about Miss Patrick. She certainly deserves one.
