Hazel Court (10 February 1926 – 15 April 2008) was an English actress. She is known for her roles in British and American horror films during the 1950s and early 1960s, including

Terence Fisher Terence Fisher (23 February 1904 – 18 June 1980) was a British film director best known for his work for Hammer Films. He was the first to bring gothic horror alive in full colour, and the sexual overtones and explicit horror in his films, ...

's ''

The Curse of Frankenstein ''The Curse of Frankenstein'' is a 1957 British horror film by Hammer Film Productions, loosely based on the 1818 novel '' Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus '' by Mary Shelley. It was Hammer's first colour horror film, and the first of t ...

'' (1957) and ''

The Man Who Could Cheat Death ''The Man Who Could Cheat Death'' is a 1959 British horror film, directed by Terence Fisher and starring Anton Diffring, Hazel Court, and Christopher Lee. Jimmy Sangster adapted the screenplay from the play '' The Man in Half Moon Street'' b ...

'' (1959) for

Hammer Film Productions Hammer Film Productions Ltd. is a British film production company based in London. Founded in 1934, the company is best known for a series of Gothic horror and fantasy films made from the mid-1950s until the 1970s. Many of these involve class ...

, and three of

Roger Corman Roger William Corman (born April 5, 1926) is an American film director, producer, and actor. He has been called "The Pope of Pop Cinema" and is known as a trailblazer in the world of independent film. Many of Corman's films are based on works t ...

adaptations In biology, adaptation has three related meanings. Firstly, it is the dynamic evolutionary process of natural selection that fits organisms to their environment, enhancing their evolutionary fitness. Secondly, it is a state reached by the ...

Edgar Allan Poe Edgar Allan Poe (; Edgar Poe; January 19, 1809 – October 7, 1849) was an American writer, poet, editor, and literary critic. Poe is best known for his poetry and short stories, particularly his tales of mystery and the macabre. He is wid ...

stories for

American International Pictures American International Pictures (AIP) is an American motion picture production label of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. In its original operating period, AIP was an independent film production and distribution company known for producing and releasing fi ...

: '' The Premature Burial'' (1962), ''

The Raven "The Raven" is a narrative poem by American writer Edgar Allan Poe. First published in January 1845, the poem is often noted for its musicality, stylized language, and supernatural atmosphere. It tells of a distraught lover who is paid a myst ...

'' (1963) and '' The Masque of the Red Death'' (1964).

Early life

Court was born in Sutton Coldfield, Warwickshire. Her father, G.W. Court, was a cricketer who played for Durham CCC. She attended Boldmere School and Highclare College, and later studied drama at the

Birmingham Repertory Theatre Birmingham Repertory Theatre, commonly called Birmingham Rep or just The Rep, is a producing theatre based on Centenary Square in Birmingham, England. Founded by Barry Jackson, it is the longest-established of Britain's building-based theatre ...

and the Alexandra Theatre.

Career

At the age of sixteen, Court met film director

Anthony Asquith Anthony William Landon Asquith (; 9 November 1902 – 20 February 1968) was an English film director. He collaborated successfully with playwright Terence Rattigan on ''The Winslow Boy'' (1948) and '' The Browning Version'' (1951), among oth ...

in London; the meeting gained her a brief part in '' Champagne Charlie'' (1944). Court won a British Critics Award for her role as a crippled girl in '' Carnival'' (1946) and also appeared in ''

Holiday Camp A holiday camp is a type of holiday accommodation that encourages holidaymakers to stay within the site boundary, and provides entertainment and facilities for them throughout the day. Since the 1970s, the term has fallen out of favour with term ...

'' (1947) and '' Bond Street'' (1948). Her first role in a fantasy film was in ''

Ghost Ship A ghost ship, also known as a phantom ship, is a ship, vessel with no living crew aboard; it may be a fictional ghostly vessel, such as the ''Flying Dutchman'', or a physical Flotsam, jetsam, lagan and derelict, derelict found adrift with its cre ...

'' (1952). ''

Devil Girl from Mars ''Devil Girl from Mars'' is a 1954 British black-and-white science fiction film, produced by the Danziger Brothers, directed by David MacDonald and starring Patricia Laffan, Hugh McDermott, Hazel Court, Peter Reynolds, and Adrienne Corri. ...

'' (1954) was a low-budget film produced by the Danziger Brothers. Court trained at the

Rank Organisation The Rank Organisation was a British entertainment conglomerate founded by industrialist J. Arthur Rank in April 1937. It quickly became the largest and most vertically integrated film company in the United Kingdom, owning production, distrib ...

's "charm school". She wanted to act in

comedy film A comedy film is a category of film which emphasizes humor. These films are designed to make the audience laugh through amusement. Films in this style traditionally have a happy ending (black comedy being an exception). Comedy is one of the ol ...

s but also continued to appear in horror films and, in 1957, had what was to become a career-defining role in the first colour

Hammer Horror Hammer Film Productions Ltd. is a British film production company based in London. Founded in 1934, the company is best known for a series of Gothic fiction, Gothic horror and fantasy films made from the mid-1950s until the 1970s. Many of thes ...

film ''

'' (1957). In the 1957–58 television season, she co-starred in a

CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS, the abbreviation of its former legal name Columbia Broadcasting System, is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainm ...

sitcom filmed in Britain, '' Dick and the Duchess'', as Jane Starrett, a

patrician Patrician may refer to: * Patrician (ancient Rome), the original aristocratic families of ancient Rome, and a synonym for "aristocratic" in modern English usage * Patrician (post-Roman Europe), the governing elites of cities in parts of medieval ...

British woman married to insurance claims investigator ( Patrick O'Neal). Court travelled back and forth between North America and Britain, appearing in four episodes of '' Alfred Hitchcock Presents''. She had parts in ''

A Woman of Mystery ''A Woman of Mystery'' is a 1958 British crime film directed by Ernest Morris and starring Dermot Walsh, Hazel Court, and Ferdy Mayne. The film features an early performance from Michael Caine in an uncredited role. Plot Ray Savage, reporter fo ...

'' (1958), ''

'' (1959), an entry in the British film series the ''

Edgar Wallace Mysteries The ''Edgar Wallace Mysteries'' is a British second-feature film series mainly produced at Merton Park Studios for Anglo-Amalgamated. There were 48 films in the series, which were released between 1960 and 1965. The series was screened as ''The E ...

'' (US: ''The Edgar Wallace Mystery Theatre'') being ''The Man Who Was Nobody'' (1960), and in '' Doctor Blood's Coffin'' (1961) among others. By the early 1960s, Court was based in the United States. She featured in the

horror films '' The Premature Burial'' (1962) with Ray Milland, ''

'' (1963) with

Peter Lorre Peter Lorre (; born László Löwenstein, ; June 26, 1904 – March 23, 1964) was a Hungarian and American actor, first in Europe and later in the United States. He began his stage career in Vienna, in the Austro-Hungarian Empire, before movin ...

and

Boris Karloff William Henry Pratt (23 November 1887 – 2 February 1969), better known by his stage name Boris Karloff (), was an English actor. His portrayal of Frankenstein's monster in the horror film '' Frankenstein'' (1931) (his 82nd film) established ...

and '' The Masque of the Red Death'' (1964), the last two with

Vincent Price Vincent Leonard Price Jr. (May 27, 1911 – October 25, 1993) was an American actor, art historian, art collector and gourmet cook. He appeared on stage, television, and radio, and in more than 100 films. Price has two stars on the Hollywood Wal ...

. She appeared on occasion in the early 1960s TV anthology series, '' The Dick Powell Show'' (aka, ''The Dick Powell Theatre''). Court also appeared in episodes of several TV series, including '' Adventures in Paradise'', '' Mission: Impossible'', '' Bonanza'', '' Dr. Kildare'', ''

Danger Man ''Danger Man'' (retitled ''Secret Agent'' in the United States for the revived series, and ''Destination Danger'' and ''John Drake'' in other overseas markets) is a British television series that was broadcast between 1960 and 1962, and again b ...

'', ''

Twelve O'Clock High ''Twelve O'Clock High'' is a 1949 American war film about aircrews in the United States Army's Eighth Air Force, who flew daylight bombing missions against Germany and Occupied France during the early days of American involvement in World War II ...

'', '' Burke's Law'' with Gene Barry, ''

Sam Benedict ''Sam Benedict'' is an American legal drama that aired on NBC from September 1962 to March 1963. The series was created and executive produced by E. Jack Neuman. The character Sam Benedict is based on real-life lawyer Jake Ehrlich, who served as t ...

'' starring

Edmond O'Brien Eamon Joseph O'Brien (September 10, 1915 – May 9, 1985) was an American actor and film director. His career spanned almost 40 years, and he won one Academy Award, two Golden Globe Awards, and two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. O'Brien w ...

, ''

Gidget Gidget () is a fictional character created by author Frederick Kohner (based on his teenaged daughter, Kathy) in his 1957 novel, ''Gidget, the Little Girl with Big Ideas''. The novel follows the adventures of a teenaged girl and her surfing fri ...

'' with Sally Field, '' McMillan and Wife'' with

Rock Hudson Rock Hudson (born Roy Harold Scherer Jr.; November 17, 1925 – October 2, 1985) was an American actor. One of the most popular movie stars of his time, he had a screen career spanning more than three decades. A prominent heartthrob in the Golde ...

, '' Mannix'', '' The Wild Wild West'', '' Thriller'' hosted by Boris Karloff, '' Rawhide'' (''Incident of the Dowry Dundee'') with Clint Eastwood, and in '' The Fear'', the penultimate episode of the original 1959-1964 ''

The Twilight Zone ''The Twilight Zone'' is an American media franchise based on the anthology television series created by Rod Serling. The episodes are in various genres, including fantasy, science fiction, absurdism, dystopian fiction, suspense, horror, sup ...

'' hosted by Rod Serling. Court appeared briefly in '' Omen III: The Final Conflict'' (uncredited, 1981). In addition to acting, she studied sculpting in Italy and was a painter and sculptor.

Personal life

Court was married to actor Dermot Walsh from 1949 until 1963. They had a daughter, Sally Walsh, who appeared with her mother in ''The Curse of Frankenstein''. In 1964, Court married actor and director Don Taylor, whom she met while they were shooting an episode of '' Alfred Hitchcock Presents''. They had two children. They were married until Taylor's death in 1998.

Death

Court died of a heart attack at her home near Lake Tahoe, California, on 15 April 2008, aged 82. Her autobiography, ''Horror Queen'', was released in the UK by Tomahawk Press a week after her death.

Selected filmography

*1944: '' Champagne Charlie'' - Tipsy Champagne Drinker (uncredited) *1944: '' Dreaming'' - Miss Grey / Wren / Avalah *1946: '' Gaiety George'' (a.k.a. ''Showtime'') - Elizabeth Brown *1946: '' Carnival'' - May Raeburn *1947: ''

Hungry Hill Hungry Hill or Knockday ( ga, Cnoc Daod) is the highest of the Caha Mountains on the Beara Peninsula in Munster, Ireland. Etymology The first part of the Irish name ''Cnoc Daod'' means "hill". The second part may be a dialectal variant of ...

'' - Minor Role (uncredited) *1947: '' The Root of All Evil'' - Rushie *1947: '' Meet Me at Dawn'' - Gabrielle Vermorel *1947: ''

Dear Murderer ''Dear Murderer'' is a 1947 British film noir crime, drama, thriller, directed by Arthur Crabtree for Gainsborough Pictures, and starring Eric Portman and Greta Gynt. The film has come to be regarded as one of the best movies made under the sup ...

'' - Avis Fenton *1947: ''

'' - Joan Huggett *1948: '' My Sister and I'' - Helena Forsythe *1948: '' Bond Street'' - Julia Chester-Barrett *1949: '' Forbidden'' - Jeannie Thompson *1952: ''

'' - Margaret Thornton *1953: '' Counterspy'' (a.k.a. ''Undercover Agent'') - Clare Manning *1954: ''

'' - Ellen *1954: ''

The Scarlet Web ''The Scarlet Web'' is a 1954 British crime film directed by Charles Saunders (director), Charles Saunders and starring Griffith Jones (actor), Griffith Jones, Hazel Court and Zena Marshall.Chibnall & McFarlane p.184 The film was made at Walton ...

'' - Susan Honeywell *1954: ''A Tale of Three Women'' - Trude (segment "Wedding Gift' story) *1956: ''

The Narrowing Circle ''The Narrowing Circle'' is a 1956 British crime film directed by Charles Saunders and starring Paul Carpenter, Hazel Court and Russell Napier. It is based on the 1954 novel of the same title by Julian Symons.Goble p.451 The film's sets we ...

'' - Rosemary Speed *1956: '' Behind the Headlines'' - Maxine *1957: ''

Hour of Decision The ''Hour of Decision'' was a live weekly radio broadcast produced by the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association. First broadcast in 1950 by the American Broadcasting Company, it was a half-hour program featuring sermons from noted evangelist Bi ...

'' - Peggy Sanders *1957: ''

'' - Elizabeth *1958: ''

'' - Joy Grant *1958-1961: '' Alfred Hitchcock Presents'' (TV Series) - Charlotte Jameson Rutherford / Helen Brathwaite / Lady Gwendolyn Avon / Phyllis Chaundry *1958: ''

The Invisible Man ''The Invisible Man'' is a science fiction novel by H. G. Wells. Originally serialized in '' Pearson's Weekly'' in 1897, it was published as a novel the same year. The Invisible Man to whom the title refers is Griffin, a scientist who has devo ...

'' (TV Series) - Penny Page *1959: ''

Model for Murder ''Model for Murder'' is a 1959 British crime film directed by Terry Bishop and starring Keith Andes, Hazel Court and Jean Aubrey. Plot American sailor David Martens, on shore leave in England, visits his brother Jack's grave. He meets fashion d ...

'' - Sally Meadows *1959: '' Breakout'' - Rita Arkwright *1959: ''

'' - Janine Du Bois *1960: '' The Shakedown'' - Mildred Eyde *1960: '' Bonanza'' (Tv Series, Episode: "The Last Trophy") - Lady Beatrice Dunsford *1960: ''

'' (US: ''The Edgar Wallace Mystery Theatre''), " The Man Who Was Nobody" - Marjorie Stedman *1960-1961: ''

'' (TV Series) - Francesca / Noelle Laurence *1961: '' Dr. Blood's Coffin'' - Nurse Linda Parker *1961: '' Thriller'' (TV Series) - Leonie Vicek *1961: '' Mary Had a Little...'' - Laurel Clive *1961: '' Stagecoach West (TV series) '' Episode: "Finn McCool" - Sybil Allison *1962: '' The Premature Burial'' - Emily Gault *1963: ''

'' - Lenore Craven *1964: '' Rawhide'' (TV Series, Episode: "Incident of the Dowery Dundee") - Kathleen Dundee *1964: ''

'' (TV Series, Episode: " The Fear") - Charlotte Scott *1964: '' The Masque of the Red Death'' - Juliana *1966: '' Mission: Impossible'' (TV Series, season 2 ep. 10: "Charity") - Catherine Hagar *1972: ''

McMillan & Wife ''McMillan & Wife'' (known simply as ''McMillan'' from 1976–77) is an American police procedural television series that aired on NBC from September 17, 1971, to April 24, 1977. Starring Rock Hudson and Susan Saint James in the title roles, the ...

'' (TV Series, Episode: "The Face of Murder") - Frances Mayerling *1981: '' Omen III: The Final Conflict'' - Champagne Woman At Hunt (uncredited) (final film role)

Bibliography

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Court, Hazel 1926 births 2008 deaths 20th-century English actresses Actresses from Birmingham, West Midlands British expatriate actresses in the United States English film actresses English television actresses People from Sutton Coldfield