Gail Patrick

Gail Patrick was an American actress and television producer. She was often cast as the bad girl or the other woman, appearing in more than 60 feature films between 1932 and 1948, notably My Man Godfrey (1936), Stage Door (1937), and My Favorite Wife (1940). She was born in Birmingham, Alabama, and stood 5'7" with a slim build. Her career in front of the camera spanned from 1932 to 1966, but her most lasting impact came behind the scenes.

After retiring from acting, she became, as Gail Patrick Jackson, president of Paisano Productions and executive producer of the Perry Mason television series (1957–1966). She was one of the first female producers, and the only female executive producer in prime time during the nine years Perry Mason was on the air. She served two terms (1960–1962) as vice president of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences and as president of its Hollywood chapter, the first woman to hold a leadership role in the academy, and its only female leader until 1983. She passed away on July 6, 1980, at age 69.