Imogen Hassall (25 August 1942 – 16 November 1980) was an English actress who appeared in 33 films during the 1960s and 1970s.

Early life

Named after

Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...

's ''

Cymbeline ''Cymbeline'' , also known as ''The Tragedie of Cymbeline'' or ''Cymbeline, King of Britain'', is a play by William Shakespeare set in Ancient Britain () and based on legends that formed part of the Matter of Britain concerning the early Celti ...

'' heroine, she was born in

Woking Woking ( ) is a town and borough status in the United Kingdom, borough in northwest Surrey, England, around from central London. It appears in Domesday Book as ''Wochinges'' and its name probably derives from that of a Anglo-Saxon settlement o ...

, Surrey, to a financially comfortable family of artists and businessmen. Her grandfather, John Hassall, and her aunt, Joan Hassall, worked as illustrators, while her father, Christopher Hassall, was a poet, dramatist and lyricist. She had a brother, Nicholas. Her godfather is said to have been the composer

Ivor Novello Ivor Novello (born David Ivor Davies; 15 January 1893 – 6 March 1951) was a Welsh actor, dramatist, singer and composer who became one of the most popular British entertainers of the first half of the 20th century. He was born into a musical ...

, with whom her father had worked extensively as lyricist; conversely, on occasion Hassall would proudly claim that this distinction was

Sir William Walton Sir William Turner Walton (29 March 19028 March 1983) was an English composer. During a sixty-year career, he wrote music in several classical genres and styles, from film scores to opera. His best-known works include ''Façade'', the cantat ...

's with whom her father had collaborated in the early 1950s, denied by Lady Walton.

Career

Hassall boarded and attended

Elmhurst Ballet School Elmhurst Ballet School is an independent school for professional classical ballet in the United Kingdom. It takes students aged 11–19 years who intend to pursue a career in professional classical ballet. Elmhurst provides a full academic day in ...

, Camberley 1952–1954 and the Royal Ballet School, White Lodge, Richmond Park 1955–1958. Later in 1958 (aged 16) she studied in New York City, then returned to live with family in the

Vale of Health Hampstead Heath (locally known simply as the Heath) is an ancient heath in London, spanning . This grassy public space sits astride a sandy ridge, one of the highest points in London, running from Hampstead to Highgate, which rests on a band o ...

by Hampstead Heath, London. She continued her absorption of the theatre mode with study at the

London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art The London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA) is a drama school located in Hammersmith, London. It is the oldest specialist drama school in the British Isles and a founding member of the Federation of Drama Schools. LAMDA's Principal is ...

1960–1962, following which she joined the company of the

Royal Shakespeare Company The Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) is a major British theatre company, based in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, England. The company employs over 1,000 staff and produces around 20 productions a year. The RSC plays regularly in London, St ...

for one season. After enjoying an appearance in the

William Douglas-Home William Douglas Home (3 June 1912 – 28 September 1992) was a British dramatist and politician. Early life Douglas-Home (he later dropped the hyphen from his surname) was the third son of Charles Douglas-Home, 13th Earl of Home, and Lady Lili ...

comedy "The Reluctant Peer" at the

Duchess Theatre The Duchess Theatre is a West End theatre in the City of Westminster, London, located in Catherine Street near Aldwych. The theatre opened on 25 November 1929 and is one of the smallest West End theatres with a proscenium arch. It has 494 sea ...

in 1964, she appeared in British TV adventure series of the 1960s such as '' The Saint'', '' The Avengers'' and ''

The Persuaders! ''The Persuaders!'' is an action-comedy series starring Tony Curtis and Roger Moore, produced by ITC Entertainment, and initially broadcast on ITV and ABC in 1971. The show has been called 'the last major entry in the cycle of adventure ser ...

'' In her first significant film role, she played Tara in ''

The Long Duel ''The Long Duel'' is a 1967 British adventure film directed by Ken Annakin and starring Yul Brynner, Trevor Howard, Charlotte Rampling and Harry Andrews. It is set in British-ruled India of the 1920s but was filmed in Spain. Plot Superintendent ...

'' (1967). She gained further public notice as a dominant cave-girl in ''

When Dinosaurs Ruled the Earth ''When Dinosaurs Ruled the Earth'' (titled ''When Dinosaurs Ruled the World'' in the U.K.) is a 1970 British prehistoric dinosaur film from Hammer Films, written and directed by Val Guest, and starring Victoria Vetri. It was produced by Aida Y ...

'' (1970) and played major roles in '' Carry On Loving'' and the cult horror film ''

Incense for the Damned ''Incense for the Damned'' (aka ''Bloodsuckers'', ''Freedom Seeker'' and ''Doctors Wear Scarlet'') is a 1971 British horror film.Senn, Bryan (2019). Twice the Thrills! Twice the Chills! Horror and Science Fiction Double Features 1955-1974. Jeffe ...

'' the same year. In 1973, she appeared in ''

White Cargo ''White Cargo'' is a 1942 film drama starring Hedy Lamarr and Walter Pidgeon, and directed by Richard Thorpe. Released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, it is based on the 1923 London and Broadway hit play by Leon Gordon, which was in turn adapted fro ...

'' alongside

David Jason Sir David John White (born 2 February 1940), known professionally by his stage name David Jason, is an English actor. He is best known for his roles as Derek "Del Boy" Trotter in the BBC sitcom '' Only Fools and Horses'', Detective Inspector ...

Personal life

Hassall was married to actor Kenneth Ives, and before they were married, they had a daughter called Melanie Ives Hassall, who died four days after being born in 1972. She was briefly married to actor Andrew Knox (the son of actors

Alexander Knox Alexander Knox (16 January 1907 – 25 April 1995) was a Canadian actor on stage, screen, and occasionally television. He was nominated for an Oscar and won a Golden Globe for his performance as Woodrow Wilson in the film '' Wilson'' (1944). ...

and

Doris Nolan Doris Nolan (July 14, 1916 – July 29, 1998) was an American actress best known for her Broadway roles and her appearance in the 1938 movie ''Holiday''. She appeared in plays and films during the 1930s and 1940s. Later she moved to the UK, w ...

, who later committed suicide in 1987), but they separated after a few months of marriage, and she lost the baby she was expecting. Hassall's private life was a regular subject of interest in tabloid newspapers. She was known for playing sexy, scantily clad characters in film and on TV. This, and the revealing outfits she wore at film premieres, resulted in her being referred to as the "Countess of Cleavage".

Death

After her failed relationships, the death of her child, her miscarriage, and her career decline, she became depressed. Following previous suicide attempts, she was found dead in her Wimbledon home on the morning of 16 November 1980, when she failed to meet a friend, the actress Suzanna Leigh, with whom she was due to go on holiday to

Mombasa Mombasa ( ; ) is a coastal city in southeastern Kenya along the Indian Ocean. It was the first capital of the British East Africa, before Nairobi was elevated to capital city status. It now serves as the capital of Mombasa County. The town ...

that day. She had apparently committed suicide by overdosing on

Tuinal Tuinal was the brand name of a discontinued combination drug composed of two barbiturate salts (secobarbital sodium and amobarbital sodium) in equal proportions. Tuinal was introduced as a sedative-hypnotic (sleeping pill) medication in the lat ...

tablets.Fade to Black: A Book of Movie Obituaries, pp. 315–316 , https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=qAhtNiAl3YsC&pg=PA315 She was interred in Gap Road Cemetery, Wimbledon, London.

Portrayal on stage and TV

Her appearance in the film '' Carry On Loving'' (1970) led many years later to her being portrayed as a character in the play '' Cleo, Camping, Emmanuelle and Dick'' written by Terry Johnson. The play was produced at the

Royal National Theatre The Royal National Theatre in London, commonly known as the National Theatre (NT), is one of the United Kingdom's three most prominent publicly funded performing arts venues, alongside the Royal Shakespeare Company and the Royal Opera House. I ...

in September 1998 and received the

Olivier Award The Laurence Olivier Awards, or simply the Olivier Awards, are presented annually by the Society of London Theatre to recognise excellence in professional theatre in London at an annual ceremony in the capital. The awards were originally known a ...

1999 for Best New Comedy. Hassall was played by Gina Bellman. Johnson later adapted the play for a 2000 television film ''

Cor, Blimey! ''Cor, Blimey!'' is a 2000 TV film that follows the relationship between ''Carry On'' film actors Sid James (played by Geoffrey Hutchings) and Barbara Windsor (played by Samantha Spiro). The film, first broadcast on ITV in April 2000, was adap ...

'', although the character of Hassall does not appear in the television version, which was much changed by Johnson from his original play.

Filmography

Film

* '' The Bulldog Breed'' (1960) - Girl in Cinema (uncredited) * '' The Cracksman'' (1963) – Guv'nor 's Secretary * '' The Mind Benders'' (1963) – Girl Student * '' The Early Bird'' (1965) – Sir Roger's Secretary * '' Press for Time'' (1966) – Suffragette (uncredited) * ''

'' (1967) – Tara * Bedtime (1967) - The Woman (Short film, banned by the

BBFC The British Board of Film Classification (BBFC, previously the British Board of Film Censors) is a non-governmental organisation founded by the British film industry in 1912 and responsible for the national classification and censorship of fi ...

, limited London release) * '' Take a Girl Like You'' (1969) – Samantha * ''

'' (1970) – Chriseis * '' Mumsy, Nanny, Sonny and Girly'' (1970) – Girlfriend * '' El Condor'' (1970) – Dolores * ''

The Virgin and the Gypsy ''The Virgin and the Gipsy'' is a short novel (or novella) by English author D.H. Lawrence. It was written in 1926 and published posthumously in 1930. Today it is often entitled ''The Virgin and the Gypsy'' which can lead to confusion because fir ...

'' (1970) – The Gypsy's Wife * '' Toomorrow'' (1970) – Amy * ''

'' (1970) – Ayak * '' Carry On Loving'' (1970) – Jenny Grubb * ''

'' (1973) – Stella * ''

Licensed to Love and Kill '' Licensed to Love and Kill'' is a 1979 imitation James Bond film starring Gareth Hunt as British secret agent Charles Bind. It was directed and written by Lindsay Shonteff and produced by his wife Elizabeth Gray. The film had the working tit ...

'' (1979) – Miss Martin (final film role)

Television

* '' The Sentimental Agent'' (1 episode, 1963) – Nikki * ''

The Dickie Henderson Show Richard Matthew Michael Henderson, OBE (30 October 1922 – 22 September 1985) was an English entertainer. Early years He was born in London. His father, Dick Henderson (1891–1958), was a music hall comedian and singer famous for his s ...

'' (1 episode, 1963) * It Happened Like This (1 episode, 1963) – Miss Jeryl * '' Moonstrike'' (2 episodes, 1963) * ''

The Scales Of Justice ''The Scales of Justice'' was a series of thirteen British cinema featurettes produced between 1962 and 1967 for Anglo-Amalgamated at Merton Park Studios in London. The first nine episodes were made in black and white, the last four in colour. ...

'' (1 episode, 1964) – Yvonne Purvis * The Reluctant Peer (1 episode, 1964) * '' The Saint'' (3 episodes, 1964–1968) – Malia / Nadya / Sophia Arnetas * ''

No Hiding Place ''No Hiding Place'' is a British television series that was produced at Wembley Studios by Associated-Rediffusion for the ITV network between 16 September 1959 and 22 June 1967. It was the sequel to the series ''Murder Bag'' (1957–1958) ...

'' (1 episode, 1965) – Jane Bowden * '' The Lance Percival Show'' - (1 episode, 1965) * A Touch of Don Juan (1 episode, 1966) * ''

Theatre 625 ''Theatre 625'' is a British television drama anthology series, produced by the BBC and transmitted on BBC2 from 1964 to 1968. It was one of the first regular programmes in the line-up of the channel, and the title referred to its production a ...

'' (1 episode, 1967) – Madame Kanyl * '' The Avengers'' (1 episode, 1967) – Anjali * '' The Wednesday Play'' (2 episodes, 1967–1968) – Yasmina / Rogation (voice) * ''

Champion House ''Champion House'' is a BBC television drama series. The series dealt with the Yorkshire-based Champion family and the dramas surrounding the family textiles firm, Champion Mills. Two series were made between 1967 and 1968. The cast included ...

'' (1 episode, 1967) – Christina * ''

Play of the Month ''Play of the Month'' is a BBC television anthology series, which ran from 1965 to 1983 featuring productions of classic and contemporary stage plays (or adaptations) which were usually broadcast on BBC1. Each production featured a different wo ...

'' (1 episode, 1967) – Ata * Mickey Dunne (1 episode, 1967) - Veronica Cole * ''

The Troubleshooters ''The Troubleshooters'' (titled ''Mogul'' for the first series) is a British television series made by the BBC between 1965 and 1972, created by John Elliot. It recounted events in an international oil company – the "Mogul" of the title. Th ...

'' (1 episode, 1967) – Nancy Clucas * ''

The Champions ''The Champions'' is a British espionage thriller/science fiction/occult detective fiction adventure television series. It was produced by Lew Grade's ITC Entertainment production company, and consists of 30 episodes broadcast in the UK on IT ...

'' (1 episode, 1968) – Cleo * '' Call My Bluff'' (1 episode, 1969) - Herself * '' Softly, Softly'' (1 episode, 1970) – Molly Carson * '' The Simon Dee Show'' (1 episode, 1970) - Herself * '' Dear Mother...Love Albert'' (1 episode, 1970) - Girl (uncredited) * ''

'' (1 episode, 1971) – Maria Lorenzo * '' On The House'' (1 episode, 1971) – Thelma * Celluloid Love (The Hassalls) - (TV Documentary 1971) - Herself * '' Jason King'' (1 episode, 1972) – Gina * '' ...And Mother Makes Three'' (1 episode, 1972) – Virginia * '' Going for a Song'' (1 episode, 1972) - Herself * Images (1 episode, 1972) - One-off special * The Movie Quiz (2 episodes, 1972-3) - Herself

References

Bibliography

* Biography: * Obituary:

External links

*
Imogen Hassall
at HorrorStars {{DEFAULTSORT:Hassall, Imogen 1942 births 1980 deaths People from Woking Alumni of the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art English film actresses English television actresses Drug-related suicides in England Barbiturates-related deaths 20th-century English actresses British comedy actresses 1980 suicides