Retirement & Next Chapter (1949-1954)
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Gail Patrick displaying one of the dresses she designed for her shop, Enchanted Cottage
"I never formally retired, I just quit, and it was a good time as TV started taking over." Gail Patrick shared these words in her final interview with James Bawden in 1979. Patrick may have "quit" acting, but she certainly did not quit altogether. In fact, she already had her next gig lined up - opening a prestigious children's store. In 1947, the "Enchanted Cottage," owned and operated by Gail Patrick and a friend, opened on Rodeo Drive, Beverly Hills, CA. Patrick designed the toys and clothing herself with the help of staff and sold countless items to the most well-known celebrities and their children. To merely say the children's store was successful is an understatement; it was the children's store in Southern California. An article in The Press Democrat from Christmas Day, 1947, highlights how quickly her shop took off. Celebrity names, including Rosalind Russell, Joan Bennett, Maureen O'Sullivan, and Ronald Reagan, were mentioned as loyal customers for the holiday season. "We're swamped!" Patrick shared in the article. The piece even jokes about how the children of these stars would "scream to beat sixty" if they did not find a gift from Enchanted Cottage under their Christmas tree. Patrick would take trips to and from New York City to find the latest toy and clothing trends for children. "We keep a list for every child so they won't get two presents alike," Patrick added while explaining her organization process. Gail Patrick ran the shop for eight years and was awarded the Outstanding California Business Woman of the Year by Woodbury College in 1950.
Gail Patrick with first husband and The Hollywood Stars' owner, Robert Cobb at a game (c. 1938)
Gail Patrick and husband Cornwell Jackson after the adoption of their daughter, Jennifer Jackson (1952)
Gail Patrick was a multi-talented woman, and her endeavors did not stop as an entrepreneur. An avid baseball fan, Gail Patrick hosted a Hollywood Stars postgame interview show called Home Plate on Los Angeles station KTTV. The Hollywood Stars was a minor league baseball team, a part of the Pacific Coast League from 1926-1935 and again from 1938-1957. Gail Patrick's first husband, Robert Cobb, was a local restaurateur, president, and owner of the team. At the time of her first marriage to Cobb, Patrick was very involved with getting her celebrity friends to attend games and heighten the team's popularity. She was often seen sitting with them at games near home-plate, and many, including Barbara Stanwyck and her then husband Robert Taylor, invested financially in the team. During her third marriage to Cornwell (Corney) Jackson, Gail Patrick created Home Plate in 1951 to generate a broader audience, including women baseball fans. She would report from the ball park twice a week after the game, and it became a success. In a 1960 interview for The Lamp of Delta Zeta, Gail Patrick's (now Gail Patrick Jackson) personal secretary, Helen Moore, stated that the show became popular because Patrick could "present a woman's view of the game." She was eventually asked to continue the show when the Los Angeles Dodgers came to town. However, she declined, citing that it would take away time with her family.
Jackson and Patrick had a mostly pleasant home life and a very successful working relationship throughout their 22-year marriage. In 1952, the two adopted a daughter, Jennifer Jackson, and in 1954, a son, Thomas Jackson. Gail Patrick loved her children and made sure to save time for them despite how busy she was with work. When her children were 8 and 6, Patrick's secretary shared, "The most important part of her life revolves around her husband and two delightful children. She is a wonderful wife and mother. At no time has anything been allowed to interfere with that part of her life...she combines everything, which makes her truly outstanding in my mind."​ As we will soon learn, 1955 was as a turning point in Gail Patrick's career, placing her in a league of her own amongst television executives and businessmen.