Jump to content

Imogen Hassall

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Imogen Hassall
Imogen Hassall in 1976 (Photograph byAllan Warren)
Born25 August 1942(1942-08-25)
Woking,Surrey,England
Died16 November 1980(1980-11-17)(aged 38)
Wimbledon,London,England
Resting placeGap Road Cemetery,Wimbledon, London, England
Alma materLondon Academy of Music and Dramatic Art
Occupations
  • Actress
  • model
Years active1963–1980
Spouses
​
​
(m.1974;div.1978)​
Andrew Knox
​
​
(m.1979;div.1979)​

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

Early life[edit]

Named afterShakespeare'sCymbelineheroine, she was born inWoking,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. Hergodfatheris said to have been the composerIvor Novello,with whom her father had worked extensively as lyricist; conversely, on occasion Hassall would proudly claim that this distinction wasSir William Walton's with whom her father had collaborated inthe early 1950s,denied by Lady Walton.[1]

Career[edit]

Hassall boarded and attendedElmhurst Ballet School,Camberley 1952–1954 and theRoyal 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 theVale of Healthby Hampstead Heath, London. She continued her absorption of the theatre mode with study at theLondon Academy of Music and Dramatic Art1960–1962, following which she joined the company of theRoyal Shakespeare Companyfor one season.[2]After enjoying an appearance in theWilliam Douglas-Homecomedy "The Reluctant Peer" at theDuchess Theatrein 1964, she appeared in British TV adventure series of the 1960s such asThe Saint,The AvengersandThe Persuaders!In her first significant film role, she played Tara inThe Long Duel(1967). She gained further public notice as a dominant cave-girl inWhen Dinosaurs Ruled the Earth(1970) and played major roles inCarry On Lovingand the cult horror filmIncense for the Damnedthe same year. In 1973, she appeared inWhite CargoalongsideDavid Jason.

Personal life[edit]

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.[3]She was briefly married to actor Andrew Knox (the son of actorsAlexander KnoxandDoris Nolan,who later committed suicide in 1987), but they separated after a few months of marriage, and she lost the baby she was expecting.[3]

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".[4] For a year she dated Alan Whitehead from The Marmalade 1976-1977

Death[edit]

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 herWimbledonhome on the morning of 16 November 1980, when she failed to meet a friend, the actressSuzanna Leigh,with whom she was due to go on holiday toMombasathat day. She had apparently committed suicide by overdosing onTuinaltablets.[3]She was interred inGap Road Cemetery,Wimbledon, London.[citation needed]

Portrayal on stage and TV[edit]

Her appearance in the filmCarry On Loving(1970) led many years later to her being portrayed as a character in the playCleo, Camping, Emmanuelle and Dickwritten byTerry Johnson.The play was produced at theRoyal National Theatrein September 1998 and received theOlivier Award1999 for Best New Comedy. Hassall was played byGina Bellman.Johnson later adapted the play for a 2000 television filmCor, Blimey!,although the character of Hassall does appear in the television version, played by Louise Delamere which was much changed by Johnson from his original play.

Filmography[edit]

Film[edit]

Television[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^Page 71, Biography: Leissner, D. (2002)
  2. ^Biography: Leissner, D. (2002)
  3. ^abcDonnelley, Paul (2003).Fade to Black: A Book of Movie Obituaries.Omnibus.ISBN978-0-7119-9512-3.
  4. ^A defining picture of the "Countess of Cleavage" enjoying the flash-bulbs at a premiere |http://media.gettyimages.com/photos/12th-march-1970-the-film-star-imogen-hassall-in-a-revealing-dress-picture-id3268681?s=594x594

Bibliography[edit]

  • Biography:Leissner, D. (2002).Tuesday's Child: The Life and Death of Imogen Hassall.Baltimore, MD: Luminary Press.ISBN1-887664-47-5.
  • Obituary:Donnelley, P. (2005).Fade to Black: A Book of Movie Obituaries.Omnibus Press. pp. 315–316.ISBN1-844494-30-6.

External links[edit]

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Imogen_Hassall&oldid=1233002746"