Early life
Puckle was born in Walmer, Kent. She was always known as Jeni to friends and family. Her father was Kenneth Puckle, a major in the Royal Marines and a veteran of the Gallipoli campaign and her mother was Enid Puckle (née Gray). She had a sister, Priscilla, who married brigadier Charles Carroll (soldier), Charles Carroll, Military Cross, MC. Jeni was educated near Farnham and then taught Latin to boys at a local preparatory school before starting a course at Wimbledon School of Art.Beth Rogan, actress - obituary.Film career
Puckle's film career began after she was spotted by the Italian television correspondent Carlo Riccono and a friend from Rank Studios while queuing at the All-England Tennis Club at Wimbledon. They invited her to join them for tennis and two weeks later Rogan had entered Rank's talent school, the Company of Youth. According to ''The Daily Telegraph, The Telegraph'', Puckle specialised in "screaming or swooning" and although not usually a leading lady, she appeared in at least 14 films between 1957 and 1968. She became friends with Dirk Bogarde, who suggested her screen name of Beth Rogan. Her first starring roles were ''Innocent Meeting'' (1958) and ''Compelled'' (1960) where she had joint top billing with Ronald Howard (British actor), Ronald Howard. She also had a significant part playing Elena Fairchild in the Jules Verne adventure ''Mysterious Island (1961 film), Mysterious Island'' (1961) opposite Herbert Lom as Captain Nemo, where she was assailed by bees and a giant hen animated by Ray Harryhausen while dressed in a loosely stitched buckskin costume. Rogan was reputedly the model for Diana Scott, the wild central character played by Julie Christie in John Schlesinger's film ''Darling'' (1965). ''New York (magazine), New York'' magazine described Diana Scott as "amoral, rootless, emotionally immature, and apparently irresistible". At Rank, Rogan had met publicist Jeanne Hunter and together they had written a 300-page account of her life. Before it could be published, however, Rogan had given the manuscript to Joseph Janni, one of the men the young Jeni had met while queuing at Wimbledon, who went on to produce ''Darling''. Hunter said that Rogan felt she owed Janni. She bought Hunter a puppy as compensation.Marriages and children
Jeni Puckle was first married at a young age to Ted Draper, one of her teachers at Wimbledon School of Art. The marriage allowed her to leave the family home but was later dissolved after Puckle began an affair with Riccono. Draper agreed to fake an assignation at a hotel in Brighton in order to allow a divorce. Later she was seen about town with the entrepreneur James Hanson, Baron Hanson, James Hanson. In 1962, she married the Shell oil heir and publisher Tony Samuel at Chelsea Register Office. The couple divided their time between London and her husband's family home of Arndilly House in Scotland but Samuel was inclined to be irascible and they divorced in 1965. Samuel married Mercy Haystead in 1966.Later life
Rogan's last film appearance was in ''Salt and Pepper (film), Salt and Pepper'' in 1968. After her last divorce she lived in West Sussex and Hampshire. She died on 25 November 2015 in Emsworth, Hampshire.Obituary: Beth Rogan, actress and socialite.Selected appearances
*''Doctor at Large (film), Doctor at Large'' (1957) *''The Admirable Crichton (1957 film), The Admirable Crichton'' (1957) *''Innocent Meeting'' (1958) *''The Captain's Table'' (1959) *''Compelled'' (1960) *''Operation Cupid'' (1960) *''Mysterious Island (1961 film), Mysterious Island'' (1961) *''Salt and Pepper (film), Salt and Pepper'' (1968)References
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