Patrick Holt

- IMDb mini biography by: Rex Sweeny (adjusted, T Behr)

He said that he became an actor because he wanted to be in films. He started in Rep at Hull, where he spent two years before moving to Croydon Rep, which was close to London for agents and talent scouts to drop in. Through this, he got his first film part in 'The Return of the Frog' (1938) playing a cadet in a police college listening to a talk by a police inspector (Gordon Harker). Not only was he paid £5 for two days work and given a couple of lines, but Harker, recognizing his talent, spoke to his agent who asked Patrick to call and see him and offered him the part of Lord Talmadge in the film 'Sword of Honour'. He had always suffered from asthma and partly because of that and partly because he was in a hit West End play, he was thought to be good for public morale.He had his call up for war service deferred twice, but on the third time, while attending a medical wheezing with asthma, he was passed A.1. Training on Salisbury Plain and living in tents and away from the anxiety of wondering where his next part and wage would come from, he had little or no further problems with asthma. When he was at school he had done an officer training course, so it wasn't long before he was made a lance bombardier. By the end of the war he was a Lt Colonel. After being demobbed, he spoke to Leslie Howard's sister who was head of casting at Rank and she sent him to see the director Brian Desmond Hurst who was filming 'Hungry Hill'. With only having his uniform and an ill-fitting demob suit, Patrick turned up for the interview. Brian said, that as the film was nearly finished, he could only offer him the small part of batman, expecting him to turn it down, but he took it, making it his first credited film part and launching his film career.

- IMDb mini biography by: Tonyman 5