Biography

Bart Patton (born Phillip Bardwell; 11 July 1939 in Culver City, California), is an American actor, producer, and director.

Bart's first acting job was as Scampy the Clown in Super Circus where he was credited as "Bardy Patton". He made acting appearances in television shows such as 77 Sunset Strip while still in high school. He replaced Burt Reynolds on Riverboat.

Patton attended UCLA, where he met his future wife, Mary Mitchel, as well as Francis Ford Coppola, with whom he made a student film. He dropped out after only one semester to make "Gidget Goes Hawaiian," and married Mitchel (1961) following completion of the film.

Patton and Mary Mitchel divorced in 1980 (2 children).

Coppola cast the couple in his Dementia 13 which introduced him to producer Roger Corman and Jack Hill. Hill re-shot some of the film. Patton moved behind the camera in Hill's "Spider Baby" as production manager and assistant director - Mary Mitchel co-starred. Corman used Patton to produce additional footage for some of his films for television release.

Corman financed Patton's first film, Beach Ball, as a producer. The result was impressive enough for Universal Pictures and MCA to sign him to a contract in 1965 for Patton and director Lennie Weinrib to make 14 rock and roll films over a two-year period. Of the 14 proposed, the only shows produced were a ski party type film, Wild Wild Winter, and a spy spoof, Out of Sight.

Patton also produced Coppola's The Rain People.

He made his directorial debut with Unshackled in 2000.