Patsy Garrett facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Patsy Garrett
Publicity Photo of Patsy Garrett
Born	Virginia Garrett (1921-05-04)May 4, 1921 Atlantic City, New Jersey, U.S.
Died	January 8, 2015(2015-01-08) (aged 93) Indio, California, U.S.
Occupation	Actress, singer
Years active	1928–2014
Awards	Young Artist Former Child Star "Lifetime Achievement" Award

Patsy Garrett (born Virginia Garrett, May 4, 1921 – January 8, 2015) was an American actress and singer. She started performing on the radio when she was just seven years old. Patsy Garrett became well-known for her work on the radio show Fred Waring's Pleasure Time in the 1940s. She was on this show for seven years.

She also had many roles in TV shows and movies. You might know her as Mrs. Florence Fowler from Nanny and the Professor or Miss Hogarth from Room 222. She played Mary Gruber in the Benji movies, starting in 1974. Patsy Garrett was also famous for being the "Purina Cat Chow Lady" in commercials.

Early Career and Radio Days

Patsy Garrett began performing very young. She was in a dance show at age four. By age seven, she had her own radio show for children in Richmond, Virginia. When she was seventeen, Patsy joined Fred Waring's national radio show, "Pleasure Time". She was a comic singer on this show from 1938 to 1945.

During her time on the radio, a famous songwriter named Cole Porter asked her to help promote a new song. In 1981, Patsy Garrett received a special honor. The Young Artist Foundation gave her the "Lifetime Achievement" Award. This award recognized her amazing work as a child actress and singer in entertainment.

TV, Movies, and Famous Friends

In the late 1960s, Patsy Garrett lent her voice to many cartoon characters. She worked on projects for Hanna-Barbera, including The Banana Splits Adventure Hour. She had a small role in a 1969 movie with Elvis Presley, called The Trouble with Girls. This role reportedly led to a lifelong friendship with Elvis.

While filming, Patsy often baked cookies for the cast. Elvis usually arrived late and missed out on her treats. So, Patsy baked a special batch just for him. Elvis took these cookies with him to Las Vegas for a performance. When Patsy was passing through Las Vegas, she called Elvis. She wasn't calling for tickets, but to get her baking tin back!

Many people in the 1970s remember Patsy Garrett from her commercials. She was known as the "Purina Cat Chow Lady." In these commercials, she would dance the "chow-chow-chow" with a cat. This was a fun parody of the cha-cha-cha dance.

Later Life and Awards

In 2000, the TV Land channel showed the old Purina commercials again. They were part of a series called "Retromercials," which featured popular old TV ads. On November 28, 2004, Patsy Garrett received another lifetime achievement award. This one was from California's Desert Theater League.

She continued to act in local theater shows around the Palm Springs, California, area. Patsy Garrett passed away on January 8, 2015, after a short illness.

Filmography