# Imogen Hassall

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's Cymbeline heroine, she was born in Woking, 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. Being the biographer of Rupert Brooke added to his prestige and an untimely death in 1963 cut his daughter adrift in the upper levels of the British cultural establishment. Her vivacity notwithstanding she could not properly navigate her future years to the full benefit of her talents although as the record shows attention to her was much made. There was a brother, Nicholas. Her godfather is said to have been the composer Ivor Novello, with whom her father had worked extensively as lyricist; conversely, on occasion Hassall would proudly claim that this distinction was Sir William Walton's with whom her father had collaborated in the early 1950s, denied by Lady Walton.

## Career

Hassall boarded and attended Elmhurst Ballet School, 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 by Hampstead Heath, London. She continued her absorption of the theatre mode with study at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art 1960–1962, following which she joined the company of the Royal Shakespeare Company for one season. After enjoying an appearance in the William Douglas-Home comedy "The Reluctant Peer" at the Duchess Theatre in 1964, she appeared in British TV adventure series of the 1960s such as The Saint, The Avengers and The Persuaders! In her first significant film role, she played Tara in The Long Duel (1967). She gained further public notice as a dominant cave-girl in When Dinosaurs Ruled the Earth (1970) and played major roles in Carry On Loving and the cult horror film Incense for the Damned the same year. In 1973, she appeared in White Cargo alongside David Jason.

## 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 and Doris Nolan), 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 that day. She had apparently committed suicide by overdosing on Tuinal tablets. She was interred in Gap Road Cemetery, Wimbledon, London.

## Portrayal on stage and TV

In 1984, an esoteric reference brought her momentarily to the cultural surface in a BBC-TV teleplay by Frederic Raphael, Oxbridge Blues. The name Imogen appears in a domestic squabble which veers into an adjusting statement, "People aren't really called Imogen," which halted the flow of the dialogue. It could only be noted as a public aperçu to the shaded memory of Imogen Hassall. However the response was,"Imogen Holst was." [ Imogen Holst ]. As Imogen Hassall was to claim to be the god-daughter of composer Sir William Walton, the playwright had drawn his narrative into the troubled waters of a facade of high æsthetic snobbism but which little escapade promptly ended there. 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 in September 1998 and received the Olivier Award 1999 for Best New Comedy. Hassall was played by Gina Bellman. Johnson later adapted the play for a 2000 television film Cor, Blimey!. Although the character of Hassall still appears, played by Louise Delamere, it 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)
* The Long Duel (1967) – Tara
* Bedtime (1967) - The Woman (Short film, banned by the BBFC, limited London release)
* Mumsy, Nanny, Sonny and Girly (1970) – Girlfriend
* The Virgin and the Gypsy (1970) – The Gypsy's Wife
* Toomorrow (1970) – Amy
* Carry On Loving (1970) – Jenny Grubb
* El Condor (1970) – Dolores
* When Dinosaurs Ruled the Earth (1970) – Ayak
* Take a Girl Like You (1970) – Samantha
* Incense for the Damned (1971) – Chriseis
* White Cargo (1973) – Stella
* Licensed to Love and Kill (1979) – Miss Martin (final film role)

### Television

* The Sentimental Agent (1 episode, 1963) – Nikki
* The Dickie Henderson Show (1 episode, 1963)
* It Happened Like This (1 episode, 1963) – Miss Jeryl
* Moonstrike (2 episodes, 1963)
* The Scales Of Justice (1 episode, 1964) – Yvonne Purvis
* The Reluctant Peer (1 episode, 1964)
* The Saint (3 episodes, 1964–1968) – Malia / Nadya / Sophia Arnetas
* No Hiding Place (1 episode, 1965) – Jane Bowden
* The Lance Percival Show - (1 episode, 1965)
* A Touch of Don Juan (1 episode, 1966)
* Theatre 625 (1 episode, 1967) – Madame Kanyl
* The Avengers (1 episode, 1967) – Anjali
* The Wednesday Play (2 episodes, 1967–1968) – Yasmina / Rogation (voice)
* Champion House (1 episode, 1967) – Christina
* Play of the Month (1 episode, 1967) – Ata
* Mickey Dunne (1 episode, 1967) - Veronica Cole
* The Troubleshooters (1 episode, 1967) – Nancy Clucas
* The Champions (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)
* The Persuaders! (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