The Pattie Chronicles: The Demeanor

Pattie has been accused of neoteny, a trait of retaining juvenile features after you’ve grown up. With her large doe eyes and childlike gap-toothed smile, it’s safe to say Pattie looked through the world with naïve rose-colored glasses. She didn’t feel the need to expose skin or be loud to garner someone’s attention. Batting her lashes and grinning largely, there was a definite innocence in the way Pattie presented herself, and her pureness added to her charm. The best example of this is in Pattie’s film debut, “A Hard Day’s Night,” where she played a schoolgirl. If you study the way she hangs on every word the boys sing on the train and the way she widens her eyes and pouts her bottom lip slightly, you’ll begin to understand the Boyd Behavior. She never could stay mad or lay blame on anyone, a trait that won over even her most ardent non-supporters. Even after receiving a letter from a girl who admittedly intended her letter to be a nasty one because Pattie had ‘stolen’ George away, the girl changed her feelings and said she liked Pattie after thinking about it. Pattie, in response, wrote, “Well I like you because you like George, and I’m glad you didn’t write me that nasty letter. After all, people who do these things only make themselves unhappy in the end, and you don't sound at all like an unhappy person. Rather a nice person, in fact!”

In a May 1965 magazine, Pattie described herself as “independent by nature,” saying, “I hate relying on others. You wont believe this, but I don’t mind making my own travel arrangements and seeing to packing and things. Most girls hate finding out what time they’re due at the airport or train station, but not I.” Pattie was also pretty outgoing when it came to certain things, saying “the only time I’m inclined to take [stage] fright is when I have to talk to people outside my age group and circle of friends who won’t help me to make conversation! This is the oldest problem that we all have – making chat to strangers.” Pattie also disproved her party-girl reputation when, in 1967, she admitted “I’m not very keen on parties. I always used to imagine that I’d be meeting interesting people but I know now I usually won’t. I’m lucky enough to know one or two interesting people now, so I’m very happy.”

Pattie, who not only was married to George Harrison and Eric Clapton, but had a rumored affair with Ronnie Wood, and was the object of affection for both John Lennon and Mick Jagger was, safe to say, appealing to the boys. In a 1965 magazine, she offered some of her flirting advice. “The great thing about getting boys interested in you is to make them think that you’re interested in them. So ask them lots of questions about their school or college or home or hobbies, and you’ll find yourself getting on like a house on fire!”