Pat Finley

Patricia Helen Karen Finley (born October 14, 1938) is an American former actress and businesswoman best known for her role as Ellen Hartley, Bob‘s sister on The Bob Newhart Show. She was also credited as Patte Finley in From a Bird's Eye View, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Perry Mason, and on Broadway.

In addition to her acting work, Finley was also active in film distribution and business ventures, balancing acting with executive work in the Pacific Northwest during the 1970s.

Early life Born October 14, 1938, at Asheville, North Carolina's Mission Hospital, She was raised in the Pacific Northwest, where her father, Robert Finley, served as a justice of the Washington Supreme Court and grew up in with her siblings Mary Ellen "Sparkle" and younger brother Randy Finley, who would go on to operate a chain of movie theaters in the Pacific Northwest. Her mother Werdna was a philanthropist and promoter of children's theater.

Career Finley began performing at the age of four, appearing in children's theater productions in Washington before pursuing professional acting work. including Bye Bye Birdie, Kiss Me, Kate, Damn Yankees, and Greenwich Village, U.S.A. For a time she was managed by Wally Amos, future cookie entrepreneur, then of the William Morris Agency.

Her Broadway breakthrough came with Hello, Dolly!, in which she played the role of Irene Molloy. She joined the production during its second year and remained with the show through its fourth year, performing opposite leading actresses such as Carol Channing, Ginger Rogers, and Martha Raye.

During the 1970s, Finley starred in the sitcom From a Bird's Eye View in 1969 and made a guest appearance on The Mary Tyler Moore Show in 1970.

She appeared in 6 episodes of The Rockford Files as the wife of Dennis Becker, portrayed by Joe Santos. Finley reprised her role on The Rockford Files in the 1996 television film Godfather Knows Best.

In the late 1970s and early 1980s, Finley increasingly focused on live performance, appearing as a cabaret singer in small venues in the Seattle area. In 1982, she held a multi-week engagement at a Seattle restaurant club, performing a repertoire of popular standards. Reviews of her cabaret work were mixed but noted her theatrical background and professional stage presence.

In 1990 Finley became a co-host of Seattle Today, a local daytime television show.

Business ventures Alongside her acting career, Finley became active in film distribution and related business ventures. She was a partner and later vice president of Seattle-based Specialty Films, a company involved in acquiring and distributing motion pictures in the United States. Working with her brother, Randy Finley, she helped secure U.S. distribution rights to the film The King of Hearts, which Specialty Films re-released theatrically beginning in 1974. By early 1976, the film had circulated in dozens of prints nationwide and grossed several hundred thousand dollars.

Finley stated that her interest in business stemmed in part from the financial insecurity of acting, describing the film industry as unpredictable and emphasizing the importance of financial independence outside performance work.

Personal life During the mid-1970s, Finley lived in Los Angeles, where she owned a small house in the hills near the Hollywood Bowl. She described the residence as modest in size but noted that it included features such as multiple fireplaces, patios, and a balcony, and that she took particular pride in maintaining the home.

Finley stated in interviews that she had never married and did not consider marriage a personal priority, explaining that she preferred independence and professional flexibility. Contemporary profiles described her as living alone and managing her personal affairs independently while maintaining an active professional life.

Since the 1980s she has divided her time between Seattle and Annecy, France.

Filmography

Television Year(s) Title Role Notes 1963 Perry Mason Grace Kingman 1 episode 1970–1971 From a Bird's Eye View Maggie Ralston 16 episodes; credited as Patte Finley 1970–1971 The Mary Tyler Moore Show Sparkie / Francis Franklin / Twinks McFarland 2 episodes; credited as Patte Finley 1971 The Funny Side Blue-collar wife 6 episodes 1972 Keeping Up with the Joneses — Television film 1973 Love, American Style Lisa 1 episode ("Love and the Weighty Problem") 1973 Lotsa Luck Marsha 1 episode 1974–1976 The Bob Newhart Show Ellen Hartley 15 episodes 1976 Flannery and Quill Rose Flannery Caselli Television pilot film 1975–1979 The Rockford Files Peggy Becker 7 episodes 1979 The Love Boat Adele 1 episode 1981 Diff'rent Strokes Mrs. Moore 1 episode 1980–1982 Lou Grant Mrs. Wilke / Lilly / Constance Kraft 3 episodes 1982 An Innocent Love June Woodward Television film 1984 The Duck Factory Irma Hodge 1 episode 1991 Perry Mason: The Case of the Fatal Fashion Judge Treyball Television film 1992 Perry Mason: The Case of the Reckless Romeo Judge Andrea Nachman Television film 1993 Perry Mason: The Case of the Killer Kiss Judge Andrea Nachman Television film 1996 The Rockford Files: Godfather Knows Best Peggy Becker Television film