Biography: Imogen Hassall

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

Early life

Named after Shakespeare's Cymbeline heroine, she was born in Woking, Surrey, to a family of artists and business people. Her grandfather, John Hassall, and her aunt, Joan Hassall, worked as illustrators, while her father, Christopher Hassall, was a poet and lyricist. Her godfather was the composer Ivor Novello.

Career

After having studied at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art, she appeared in 1960s British TV shows such as The Saint and The Avengers. In her first significant role she played Tara in The Long Duel (1967); she gained fame as a sexy woman in When Dinosaurs Ruled the Earth (1970).

Personal life

Hassall married twice and her private life was a regular subject of interest in tabloid newspapers. She was often referred to as 'the Countess of Cleavage' due to her habit of appearing at film premieres in revealing dresses, a practice that extended to some of her film and TV parts (for example, as Nadyia in "Flight Plan", a 1966 episode of The Saint).

She was found dead in her Wimbledon home on the morning of Sunday 16 November 1980 when she failed to meet a friend, actor Suzanna Leigh, with whom she was due to go on holiday that day. She had committed suicide by overdosing on Tuinal tablets.

Selected filmography

• The Early Bird (1965)
• Press for Time (Uncredited, 1966)
• The Long Duel (1967)
• Mummy, Nanny, Sonny and Girly (1969)
• When Dinosaurs Ruled the Earth (1970)
• Carry On Loving (1970)
• Incense for the Damned (1970)
• The Virgin and the Gypsy (1970)
• Toomorrow (1970)
• El Condor (1970)
• Take a Girl Like You (1971)
• Images (1972)
• White Cargo (1974)
• License to Love and Kill (1979)

Television

• The Sentimental Agent (1 episode, 1963)
• The Saint (3 episodes, 1964-1968)
• No Hiding Place (1 episode, 1965)
• Theatre 625 (1 episode, 1967)
• The Avengers (1 episode, 1967)
• Champion House (1 episode, 1967)
• The Wednesday Play (1 episode, 1967)
• Play of the Month (1 episode, 1967)
• The Troubleshooters (1 episode, 1967)
• The Champions (1 episode, 1968)
• Softly, Softly (1 episode, 1970)
• The Persuaders! (1 episode, 1972)
• Jason King (1 episode, 1972)

References

• Leissner, D. (2002). Tuesday's Child: The Life and Death of Imogen Hassall. Luminary Press, Baltimore, Maryland, USA. ISBN 1-887664-47-5. 

External links

• Imogen Hassall at the Internet Movie Database
• Biography and review of D.Leissner's book
• Imogen Hassall at HorrorStars
• Imogen Hassall at Find a Grave

Imogen Hassall main page.