Russell Patterson

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Russell Patterson (December 26, 1893 – March 17, 1977) was an American cartoonist, illustrator and scenic designer. Patterson’s art deco magazine illustrations helped develop and promote the idea of the 1920s and 1930s fashion style known as the flapper.

Patterson also worked in Hollywood for the silver screen. Patterson had an on-screen part playing himself in, and created lifelike dolls he called "Personettes" for, the film Artists and Models, which starred Jack Benny (four other cartoonists including Rube Goldberg also appeared). A New York Times movie reviewer wrote on August 5, 1937, "the appearance of the 'Personettes' struck me as satire of a high order. The puppets, you see, have a production number of their own… It seemed to me to be the perfect spoof of the usual song-and-dance interlude, proving how unnecessary it really is and how easy to duplicate (in fact, improve upon) with dolls." Patterson was art director on Stand Up and Cheer! (1934), and designed costumes and dance sets for Bottoms Up (1934). He also designed scenes and costumes for other films such as the Bob Hope and Martha Raye vehicle, Give Me a Sailor (1938). He designed Shirley Temple's wardrobe for her film, Baby, Take a Bow (1934).