Patrick is known for his work in television shows. He made four guest appearances on Perry Mason, three of them as the murder victim: Martin Selkirk in the 1959 episode, “The Case of the Deadly Toy,” Martin Somers in the 1962 episode, “The Case of the Tarnished Trademark,” and golf pro Chick Farley — an unnervingly close channelling of James Cagney — in the 1966 episode, “The Case of the Golfer’s Gambit.” Among his other television appearances were the roles of Jason McGuire and Paul Stoddard in Dark Shadows, Mac in Somerset, Vaughn Leland in CBS’s Dallas, and in such films as The Time Travelers (1964), Daddy’s Gone A-Hunting (1969), Joe (1970), Dear Dead Delilah (1972) and Nightmare Honeymoon (1974). He also was a respected stage actor, having won the Theater World Award for his starring role in “The Liar”. He also portrayed Jean Paul Marat on Broadway in Marat Sade. Patrick appeared in more than 1800 guest roles on television programs during his four-decade career, including stints on Tales of Tomorrow (1952), Kraft Theatre (1949–57), Gunsmoke (1958), Playhouse 90 (1958), Sugarfoot (1959), Buckskin (1959), Peter Gunn (1959), U.S. Marshal (1959-1960), 77 Sunset Strip (1960), Bonanza (1960), Wanted: Dead or Alive (1960), Alfred Hitchcock Presents (1960–61); Hawaiian Eye (1962), The Virginian (1962), Laramie (1960-1963), Perry Mason (1959-1966), Empire (as Hoot Hinkley in “The Tiger Inside”, 1963), The Dakotas (1963), Lost in Space (1966, as Keema “The Golden Man”), Dark Shadows (1967-1970), and Dallas (1979-1984, as Vaughn Leland). Patrick played Sheriff Patterson in the film House of Dark Shadows (1970). He was television’s first vampire (as Dennis Harrison) in a 1950 episode of “Stage 13” (1950).

Dennis Patrick Harrison was born March 14, 1918, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to a family of Irish descent. He graduated from North Catholic High School in 1935. Patrick married Amelia Baines and had two children; they divorced in 1969. He remained married to actress Barbara Cason, his second wife, from 1970 until her death in 1990. Patrick died in a fire at his home in Hollywood, aged 84.