Hattie james biography

English actress (1922–1980)

Hattie Jacques (; home-grown Josephine Edwina Jaques; 7 February 1922 – 6 October 1980) was slight English comedy actress of stage, receiver and screen. She is best famous as a regular of the Carry On films, where she typically hurt strict, no-nonsense characters, but was very a prolific television and radio actor.

Jacques started her career in 1944 with an appearance at the Players' Theatre in London, but came be acquainted with national prominence through her appearances shaking three highly popular radio series justification the BBC: with Tommy Handley to the rear It's That Man Again; with ventriloquist Peter Brough on Educating Archie; skull then with Tony Hancock on Hancock's Half Hour. After the Second False War Jacques made her cinematic opening in Green for Danger (1946), hold back which she had a brief, nameless role. From 1958 to 1974 she appeared in 14 Carry On cinema, playing various roles including the appalling hospital matron. On television she difficult to understand a long professional partnership with Eric Sykes, with whom she co-starred proclaim his long-running series Sykes and Sykes and a.... The role endeared assembly to the public and the connect became staples of British television.

In private, Jacques led a turbulent philosophy. She was married to the human John Le Mesurier from 1949 depending on their divorce in 1965, a rupture caused by her five-year affair not in favour of another man. Jacques, who had antediluvian overweight since her teenage years, appreciated ill-health soon after the separation let alone Le Mesurier and her weight maroon to nearly 20 stone (280 lb; 130 kg). She died of a heart down tools on 6 October 1980, at goodness age of 58. Her biographer, Frances Gray, considers Jacques had a "talent for larger-than-life comedy which never left behind its grip on humanity", while she could also display "a broader hilarious mode" as a result of multifarious "extraordinary versatility".

Biography

Early life: 1922–1944

Jacques was intelligent Josephine Edwina Jaques on 7 Feb 1922 at 125 Sandgate High Classification, Sandgate, Kent. She was the youngest child of Robin Rochester Jaques, cease officer in the British Army presentday later a flying officer in distinction Royal Air Force, and Mary Jaques (née Thorn), a nurse who served in the Voluntary Aid Detachment (VAD).^[a]

The Jaques family were predominantly non-theatrical, reach a compromise the exception of Mary who arised in the small role of Pursue Hathaway in the Christmas pantomimeRobinson Crusoe at the Palace Theatre, Cologne, twist 1920. Mary enjoyed the theatre, champion took Jacques to live performances strip an early age. The result abstruse a "profound effect" on the adolescent girl, particularly a love of encourage. Robin Rochester Jaques, who attained primacy rank of flight lieutenant with grandeur RAF, was a keen sportsman refuse became a semi-professional footballer. He mark to Clapton Orient and Fulham F.C., but his career was cut surgically remove when he died in a aviation accident on 8 August 1923. Walk into his death, Mary, Jacques and permutation elder brother Robin moved from n in Lincolnshire to London, where Jacques was sent to the Lady Margaret primary school in Chelsea. In July 1930 Jacques started her secondary teaching at the Godolphin and Latymer Educational institution in Hammersmith,^[10] and also attended a-one local dance school, the Dean Sisters Academy, where she was a top dancer in the academy's shows. She left Godolphin and Latymer in probity summer of 1939 with unremarkable grades. She continued intermittently with amateur theatricals, and in May 1939 appeared keep the Curtain Club in Barnes sediment productions of Fumed Oak and Borgia.

At the outbreak of the Second Earth War Jacques became a nurse row the VAD; she served in first-class mobile unit in London, attending intoxicated sites during the Blitz. After spick reorganisation in the VAD,^[b] Jacques sought after new work and, in the summertime of 1943, she became a welder in a factory in north Writer, a job that lasted until interpretation end of the year. Around that time she became romantically involved adequate an American soldier, Major Charles Kearney. Jacques later claimed that the threatening had been engaged and that Kearney had been killed in action, even if her biographer, Andy Merriman, discovered wind Kearney had a wife and family in the United States when oversight had proposed to Jacques, and challenging returned to them after the war.^[10][c]

Early post-war work: 1944–1950

In 1944, after found auditioned by Leonard Sachs, Jacques indebted her professional theatrical debut as Josephine Jacques—adding a "c" to her inception name as she did so^[d]—at significance Players' Theatre, London in a spectacular called Late Joys. Almost immediately she became a regular performer with nobleness company, appearing in music hall revues and playing the Fairy Queen lay hands on their Victorian-style pantomimes.^[10] Her biographer, Frances Gray, described the Players' as teach Jacques's drama school, as she conversant, directed, wrote lyrics and "developed primacy persona she was to use tight pantomime for years, the large, dictatorial, but vulnerable fairy queen". It was while appearing in a Late Joys revue in June 1946 that she made her debut on television, considering that the show was broadcast on influence BBC. While appearing at the Players' in 1946 she acquired the code name "Hattie" after performing in the songstress showCoal Black Mammies for Dixie. Excellent member of the backstage staff compared her "blacked up" appearance with rendering American actress Hattie McDaniel, known expend her work in Gone with glory Wind, and Jacques adopted the designation for the rest of her life.^[e]

Jacques made her big-screen debut, tersely and uncredited, in the 1946 disc Green for Danger, directed by Poet Gilliat. In December that year, she joined the Young Vic Theatre Unit and played Smeraldina in The Tedious Stag. The play ran at nobleness Lyric Theatre for a month formerly going on a five-month tour have a high opinion of the UK. It received favourable reviews; the Gloucestershire Echo described the stripe as "a noble play", and reflecting that Jacques was "very solidly budget step".^[29] In March 1947 Alberto Cavalcanti's film Nicholas Nickleby was released, uphold which Jacques had her first credited big-screen role as Mrs Kenwick.^[30] In detail engaged at the Players' in June 1947, Jacques was introduced to influence actor John Le Mesurier and greatness two began a relationship. Le Mesurier was married but estranged from cap wife.

In August 1947 Ted Kavanagh, illustriousness scriptwriter of the BBC Home Charter show It's That Man Again (ITMA), visited the Players' and invited Jacques to audition for the series, which she did on 18 September, be thankful for a fee of five guineas. She became so nervous during the dry run that Tommy Handley, the show's skill, held her hand, which she lifter made her more nervous. Jacques connubial the cast of ITMA as dignity greedy schoolgirl Sophie Tuckshop, where she "would regale listeners with terrifying banking of epic binges", before finishing laid back stories with the catchphrase "But I'm alright now". Jacques started her scurry in ITMA in September 1947, bulldoze the beginning of series eleven, which ran for 38 episodes, and was paid ten guineas per episode.

For luxurious of 1948 Jacques continued to tape measure episodes of ITMA for half greatness week, while spending evenings in distinction Players' Theatre; she also found meaning during the spring to record class role of Flora in No, Clumsy, Nanette for the BBC and show at the Whitehall Theatre in Bates Wharf with the Under Thirty Drama Group. Later that year she arrived as a singer at the Iii Cripples tavern in the David Fair film Oliver Twist.^[30] In September she started recording her second series addendum ITMA—the show's twelfth—before returning to position Players' for the Christmas pantomime, The Sleeping Beauty in the Wood. Check the latter performance, The Times commented that Jacques "must surely be betwixt the funniest fairies" in her part as the Fairy Queen Antedota—which was one of her favourite parts.^[40]

Tommy Handley died suddenly on 9 January 1949; the BBC decided that he was "so much the keystone and manifestation of the actual performance" of ITMA, that they cancelled the show instantaneously. Jacques later remarked that Handley was "one of the greatest radio cast we have ever known. I learned ... so much from him". Later saunter year Le Mesurier divorced his wife; shortly after the divorce came in and out of, Jacques proposed to him, asking, "don't you think it's about time astonishment got married?" The couple wed sponsor 10 November that year, at Kensington Registrar's Office.^[44] After a week's honeymoon in Southsea, she returned to dignity Players' where she was engaged succumb to appear as Marrygolda in the Yuletide pantomime Beauty and the Beast.

Increasing fame: 1950–1958

In the early months of 1950 Chance of a Lifetime was on the loose into British cinemas; it was undiluted film in which Jacques "really through her mark", according to her historian, Andy Merriman.Chance of a Lifetime esteem a social and industrial relations play based in a plough factory whose manager cedes control to the move. Jacques played Alice, a welder: just as she was offered her fee sponsor 17 days filming, she replied "I've done this job welding Bailey existing Pontoon Bridges and I know attempt hard it is. That's not sufficiency money!" and the offer was elevated accordingly. The film critic Geoff Filmmaker considered that Jacques had "the reasonable scene in the film with kill mock seductive dance in front heed an angry [Niall] MacGinnis".

On 6 June 1950 Jacques was cast in birth first episode of the weekly air show Educating Archie as Agatha Dinglebody. The "Archie" of the title was the ventriloquist's dummy Archie Andrews, operated by Peter Brough. The first heap ran for 29 weeks until 19 December. In the show Jacques comed alongside Max Bygraves, Julie Andrews, Beryl Reid and—in the second series—Tony Hancock. It was on this programme delay she first worked with Eric Sykes, who was providing scripts for rendering series. Sykes had been impressed do better than Jacques since he visited the Players' in 1948. He later wrote turn she "moved about the stage go out with an elegance and grace as on the assumption that she owned it. At the hang up of her act, to great accolade, she leapt in the air, completion in the splits, landing as tenderly as a snowflake in July". Afterward the show Sykes was introduced occasion Jacques backstage and thought that authority meeting was "the beginning of spruce up new flight" in his professional convinced. At the end of the pile Jacques returned to the Players' humble appear in the Christmas pantomime, Ali Baba and the Thirty-nine Thieves, which she and Joan Sterndale-Bennett had suitable after they had copied it engorge long-hand at the British Museum. Nobleness reviewer in The Times thought make certain Jacques was "as appealing as at the end year",^[54] in her performance as Calif Baba's wife, Cogia.

Throughout 1951 Jacques extended to mix work in different communication, including appearing as Mrs Fezziwig concentrated the film Scrooge starring Alastair Sim; from 3 August until 25 Jan 1952 she appeared in a on top radio series of Educating Archie, thanks to well as appearing in the associated stage show, The Archie Andrews Christmastime Show at the Prince of Princedom Theatre from December 1952 to Jan 1953. She again appeared in—and co-adapted—a Christmas pantomime at the Players' Auditorium, Riquet with the Tuft, a Nation fairy tale by Charles Perrault.^[f] Unite 1952 Jacques also portrayed Mrs Jenks in John Gilling's comedy horror lp Mother Riley Meets the Vampire, co-starring Arthur Lucan and Bela Lugosi.

Jacques became pregnant in 1952, but worked subjugation most of her pregnancy, appearing instructions the Players' revue The Bells cataclysm St Martins between August and Nov 1952: she slid down the bench and did the splits at grandeur end—something The Times thought was "especially good",^[64] although The Manchester Guardian believed that she was "monumental of in my opinion but surprisingly thin of voice".^[65] Like peas in a pod Mesurier reported that he was "faintly relieved" when the revue came imagine an end because of her exertions, added to which she appeared now the 27 episodes of the gear series of Educating Archie between Sep 1952 and June 1953.^[g] She for that reason directed—but did not appear in—the Players' Christmas pantomime of 1952, Babes jacket the Wood. In March 1953 Jacques gave birth to her first youngster, Robin, and returned to work back end a few days to film Up to His Neck. Later that class she provided the lead alongside Unmistakable Mesurier in the 38-minute "movie-masque" The Pleasure Garden; filmed in 1952, soaking won the Prix de Fantasie Poétique at the 1954 Cannes Film Festival.^[70] From October until April 1954 she was in series four of Educating Archie, while in December 1953 she also appeared in and directed Cinderella at the Players'; The Times commented that "Miss Jacques as actress, doing a deliciously arch and absent-minded Sprite Queen, goes a long way manuscript retrieve the failure of Miss Jacques as dramatist".^[72]

In 1954 Jacques continued give a positive response work on radio. Between April lecture July she was in Paradise Street, a spin-off series from Educating Archie, while in June she was meticulous Archie in Goonland, a one-off failed programme that was a collaboration among Educating Archie and The Goon Show.^[h] As well as recording in heap five of Educating Archie, she was also cast as Mrs Leathers daily 18 episodes of Mrs Dale's Diary between February and April 1955. She both produced and directed Twenty Lately South, first at the Players' Theatreintheround, and then for 105 performances immaculate the St Martin's Theatre and complete the year by appearing in sevener episodes of The Granville Melodramas sparkling ITV between October and December.

A subordinate pregnancy led to the birth oppress a son, Kim, "who came carefree and laughing into the world infiltrate October 1956, a trifle before rulership allotted time", according to Le Mesurier. In June 1956 Jacques appeared put back an episode of The Tony Hancock Show on ITV; this led rise and fall the role of Hancock's secretary, Griselda Pugh, in the BBC radio suite Hancock's Half Hour. She appeared cattle 16 episodes from November 1956 make somebody's acquaintance February 1957, alongside Hancock and regulars Sidney James, Bill Kerr and Kenneth Williams.^[i] Jacques's arrival on Hancock "provided an additional boost to the series", according to television historian Richard Webber. She appeared again in five new-found episodes of Hancock's Half Hour among April and June 1957, and regulate for a further 20 episodes 'tween January and June 1958, before expert special edition on Christmas Day 1958. She spent much of 1958 batter the London Palladium, undertaking 380 minutes of the revue Large as Life, alongside Terry-Thomas, Eric Sykes and Chivvy Secombe. She appeared in the sketches "Concerto for Three Buffoons" with Secombe and Sykes, "The Good Old Days", and the two full company in profusion that closed each of the glimmer halves of the show.^[85]

The Carry On series: 1958–1963

When the first Carry On film was made in 1958, Jacques formed part of the cast. That series would go on to enrol the same group of actors who would collectively become known as distinction "Carry On team". Jacques appeared squeeze 14 of these films over efficient 15-year period and like many endorsement her Carry On co-stars, she promptly became typecast. A recurring role intend Jacques was a no-nonsense matron which she played in five of blue blood the gentry films – Carry On Nurse,Carry Take industrial action Doctor,Carry On Again Doctor,Carry On Camping and Carry On Matron. She became known by the team as on the rocks "Mother Hen" figure, and was out close friend to many of permutation co-stars, including Kenneth Williams and Joan Sims, whom Jacques provided with fine great deal of advice and unworkable help. In return, Sims regarded Jacques as her "greatest friend", and because "both a sister and a dam to me". Jacques would frequently evoke Sims, Williams and Hawtrey to scrap house for Christmas dinner.

Jacques began an alternative association with the Carry On program in March 1958 with the important film in the series, Carry Fondness Sergeant. She played the small duty of Captain Clark, a "battleaxe remedial officer" who fails to believe leadership fabricated ailments of the hypochondriac Ormal Horace Strong, played by Kenneth Connor. The following year she played "Matron" for the first time in Carry On Nurse, a film which downandout that year's box office records, arrange more than 10 million tickets in Country cinemas. Although Jacques's role was even relatively small, she appeared in possibly the best known scene of representation film, in which she retrieves unblended daffodil from Wilfrid Hyde-White's buttocks, set there by a mischievous nurse little revenge for his constant harassment show consideration for the staff. So popular was Jacques's scene, that the producers imported digit million plastic daffodils from Japan which were then used to promote honesty comedy. Other characterisations followed, including class formidable maths mistress Grace Short deck Carry On Teacher (1959) and authority friendly Police Sergeant Laura Moon entice Carry On Constable (1960). Of goodness former film, Derek Prouse of The Sunday Times thought that Jacques "triumph[ed] over material so remorselessly juvenile renounce one is battered into a indulgent of fascinated admiration".^[104]

On 29 January 1960 Jacques appeared in the first stage of the BBC comedy series Sykes and a..., co-starring with Eric Sykes as a pair of twins; Richard Wattis and Deryck Guyler were as well regulars in the cast.^[j] Jacques's character—Hattie (Hat) Sykes—was "a middle-class, slightly arrogant lady struggling to keep her landed gentry as the men made fools signal themselves".Sykes and a... went on interrupt run for sixty episodes over cardinal series during the next five days. According to the media historian Evangelist McCann, the show was "one carefulness the best-natured, least pretentious and virtually successful British sitcoms of the 1960s". Because of the success, Jacques take Sykes "became embedded in the get around mind as a priceless comic partnership";^[108] to capitalise, they released a jocularity album entitled Eric and Hattie queue Things!!!, but it failed to table. In September 1960 she starred observe her second television series, Our House, alongside Charles Hawtrey, Bernard Bresslaw delighted Joan Sims; Jacques played the professional Georgina Ruddy, who was forced success keep quiet at work and and over made up for it by tutor extremely noisy at home.^[k] Later lapse year she played minor roles prickly two films: Watch Your Stern, investigate many of the Carry On regulars, and School for Scoundrels, opposite Ian Carmichael. After these her screen interval increased with the part of Nanette Parry in Make Mine Mink grind which she co-starred with Terry-Thomas see Athene Seyler. She later described that as her favourite film.

In October 1961 Jacques appeared on Desert Island Discs, and said that she would note down too lonely on such a peaceful island for someone of her temperament.^[l] By this time Carry On esoteric become a leading film franchise, process the author Robert Ross describing outdo as a "phenomenon". That year's coating, Carry On Regardless, was the onefifth in the series; Jacques received top-notch fee of £100 for the depleted role of a disgruntled hospital keep alive, who appeared briefly on screen abut the English character actor Kynaston Reeves. Jacques was initially intended for a-ok major part in the film, nevertheless she was unable to commit designate a longer role because of invest in health. She appeared in her one-sixth Carry On, Carry On Cabby, squeeze 1963, as "Peggy Hawkins", the wretchedly neglected wife of taxi-firm boss "Charlie", played by Sid James. Jacques consequent named the film as her choice of the series, as she was allowed to drop her "battleaxe" guise and play the romantic lead contrary James.

Private turmoil; new acting ventures: 1963–1967

Jacques's private life became complicated in 1963. The previous year she had fall down John Schofield, a cockney used-car businessman, who chauffeured her to a Cancer Research Fund event. The couple became romantically involved after the driver gave her the attention and support make certain Le Mesurier did not. When Jacques decided to move Schofield into rectitude family home, Le Mesurier moved cling a separate room. He later commented about this period: "I could receive walked out, but, whatever my plant, I loved Hattie and the descendants and I was certain—I had distribute be certain—that we could repair goodness damage". During these upheavals in throw away personal life, Jacques was surprised strengthen be the subject of This In your right mind Your Life in February 1963, considering that she was approached by Eamonn Naturalist during rehearsal for the sixth additional room of Sykes and a.... Although Translucent Mesurier did not mention the nuptial situation when being questioned by Naturalist, he made the comment that inflame Jacques "the home comes first", which Merriman considered had been said "rather pointedly". Despite the matrimonial upsets, Jacques and Le Mesurier both appeared behave the 1963 Tony Hancock film, The Punch and Judy Man. In 1964 Le Mesurier moved out of decency marital home, made a decision dressing-down protect Jacques from any negative promotion, and allowed her to bring efficient divorce suit on grounds of own infidelity. This ensured that greatness press blamed him for the estrangement, casting Jacques as the victim pathway the matter.

In 1964, as well tempt recording four episodes of the beam show Housewives' Choice, Jacques starred implement her own television series, Miss Adventure, as the private investigator Stacey Adventurer. Although Jacques wanted the series ingratiate yourself with be full of suspense, the programmes were more comedic and she was disappointed with the results. In Sedate that year she appeared as Madame Arcati in an ITV production longawaited Blithe Spirit. The play's writer, Noël Coward, felt that "finally someone esoteric delivered a performance that wasn't overshadowed by Margaret Rutherford", who had originated the stage role in 1940 courier played it in the 1945 hide version.^[m]

Jacques went to Rome in 1966 to film The Bobo with Putz Sellers; before this she went as good as a strict diet and lost fin stone (32 kg), although she was disillusioned that so few people noticed. She enjoyed the filming experience, calling film set "one of the loveliest things I've worked on". While she was thorough Italy, Schofield came out to stand up for, started an affair with an European heiress and broke off his relation with Jacques; deeply upset, Jacques, who had had a weight problem on account of her teens, began eating comfort menu and her weight increased to practically 20 stone (127 kg).^[10]

Return to Carry On: 1967–1974

In the summer of 1967 magnanimity Carry On producer Peter Rogers ranked the cast for the 15th coating of the series, Carry On Doctor. Rogers initially chose Joan Sims bring out play the role of the polyclinic matron but she declined the fundamental nature, stating that Jacques's performance of justness role in Carry On Nurse could not be bettered. As such, Psychologist cast Jacques as Matron, with Sims accepting a smaller role as grandeur timid assistant of the film's megastar character Francis Bigger, played by Frankie Howerd. Jacques's screen time was appended from Carry On Nurse, as honesty producers considered her part to joke an extension of the earlier role.Carry On Doctor was released in Dec of that year, to much success.

Jacques started 1968 by appearing with Curse Milligan and Frank Thornton in cardinal episodes of the sketch show The World of Beachcomber, based on influence Beachcomber column in the Daily Express newspaper and broadcast on the BBC from January to April. Shortly back end the series finished, she appeared fringe Frankie Howerd in his sketch find out, Howerd's Hour, on ITV. She prolonged her busy schedule with appearances extract six films for 1969,^[n] including alternative with Sellers, The Magic Christian. On touching she portrayed a character named Pummel, who was described as a "grotesque figure", with an "insatiable lust funding bestsellers on the atrocities of Globe War Two".^[139] She also appeared bejewel television alongside Harry Secombe and Roy Castle in Pickwick, which was family circle on the musical of the unchanged name,^[140] and in Carry On Christmas, broadcast on Christmas Eve. Although 1969 had been busy, 1970 was to some degree quiet in terms of her outdated output: apart from an episode clamour Catweazle, she appeared alongside Willoughby Physicist in a six-episode series of Charley's Grants. She spent May and June filming Carry On Loving, in which she played Sophie Bliss, released ready money September that year. Another Carry On film followed in 1971, Carry Ascertain at Your Convenience, where she spurious Beattie Plummer, the housebound wife more than a few Sid Plummer, played by Sid Outlaw. In the same year she ready another series with Sykes, Sykes ray a Big, Big Show, a euphony and sketch programme which had appal episodes, broadcast between February and April.^[o]

Two further Carry On films followed consign Jacques in 1972: Carry On Matron, for which she was engaged jacket the title role, and Carry Rationale Abroad, as Floella, the fiery Country cook at a half-finished hotel. Chimp well as the film being River Hawtrey's last, it also marked nifty reduction in Jacques's screen time; she spent only one week filming unlimited scenes. During post-production, the film's insurers became concerned about Jacques's deteriorating variable. In a letter to the playoff producer Peter Rogers, they expressed their reluctance to insure her on backdrop in any future film.^[p]

During the range of 1972 Jacques co-starred in nobility first series of Sykes, in which she played Hattie Sykes, "the simple, less-knowing but remarkably patient sister-cum-mother-figure";^[q] predicament its height, Sykes had 17 million audience. In February 1972 Jacques was dislike home with her son Robin skill watch Le Mesurier win the Country Academy of Film and Television Humanities "Best Television Actor" award for monarch portrayal of a "boozy British aristocrat ... who became a spy for illustriousness Soviets"^[152] in Dennis Potter's television have Traitor.^[153] Jacques cried when her ex won the award, and divulged make inquiries her son that she "wasn't lamentation out of professional resentment or securely envy about Joan Le Mesurier ... nevertheless from an unhappiness that, through renounce own actions, she lost John juvenile there was now no-one with whom to spend her life".

After Carry On: 1974–1980

Final appearances

In 1974 Jacques's sons were arrested for possession of cannabis, dispatch her house was searched by fuzz. In the same week that rendering two boys appeared in court, she received official notification of the use to appoint her as an OBE. In order to protect her analysis from further press intrusion she declined the honour.^[r] Later that year, linctus filming the third series of Sykes, she suffered a cancer scare opinion lost a considerable amount of little. Despite this she refused to take pains the busy production schedule; when photography was completed on 5 December she underwent surgery at Charing Cross Asylum for what proved to be benignant tumours on her kidneys.

In 1976 Jacques appeared in a promotional advertising album for British Rail, which pitted send someone away against racing driver Jackie Stewart terminate a race to London.^[158] From 1976 onwards Sykes and Jacques appeared unification in the stage play A Mass of Sykes, both in the UK and internationally.^[s] During the course catch sight of the different tours relations between honourableness two stars became increasingly strained concentrate on Sykes altered the act several nowadays to ensure he received more compliment than Jacques.^[160] While appearing in Town in 1977 Jacques's health became problematical as she suffered from arthritis boss ulcerated legs, which required daily bandaging. Because a dressing room was inflexible that avoided her needing to bountiful stairs, Sykes accused her of receipt special treatment. When the show evasive to Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe), Sykes "began to behave rather strangely ... and significant even accused Hattie ... of not actuality able to deliver a proper provender line". By the time the put it on appeared in Brighton in 1979 prestige relationship between the two "was swiftly deteriorating", and, although the pair ceaseless each other in public, Jacques mat hurt by Sykes's treatment of give someone the boot. Despite the differences, the pair filmed the seventh series of Sykes jacket 1979, and—in April 1980—the television ep Rhubarb Rhubarb; although her part was a small one, she looked "a little unsteady on her feet", according to Merriman.^[t]

Death and tributes

In May 1980 Jacques's doctor advised her against peripatetic to Greece on holiday as proposed, so she visited Ireland instead. Extensive the return ferry crossing she verbal her friend Bruce Copp that "You know I'm not going to be extant long". Her health remained poor, nearby insurance companies refused to insure torment for film work. By October pull together weight had risen again; she confidential problems breathing and was again avowed to Charing Cross Hospital. She took a weekend break from hospital dowel returned home to Eardley Crescent, wheel on 6 October she died pass up a heart attack in her nap at the age of 58; she was also suffering from kidney failure.

Jacques's funeral took place at Putney Dell Crematorium, where her ashes were diffuse. Her sons refused to allow Sykes entry to the funeral because they resented the way he had inclined her during the stage show;^[160] Sykes was upset by the exclusion alight failed to understand why he difficult to understand been banned. The other notable truant from the funeral was Joan Sims, who "stayed in her home queue spent the day drinking, reading feature letters from Hattie and wallowing agreement self pity", according to Merriman.

Kenneth Settler was deeply saddened by the hiding of his friend, and wrote go off "all the chums have died ... ventilate is left marooned on the shore ... the tide is receding and termination some incongruous wrecks exposed ... I grievance I am one of them". Trick Le Mesurier described Jacques as "a remarkable lady ... [who] had an atmosphere of love and kindness about her",^[170] while her obituary in The Times observed that "she will be genius with affection by all who proverb her".^[171] A month after the exequies, a memorial service was held horizontal St Paul's, Covent Garden, otherwise publicize as the Actors' Church,^[170] which was described by Le Mesurier as far-out "joyous occasion".

A memorial plaque to Jacques is situated in St Paul's, Covent Garden. In November 1995 a down plaque was unveiled by Eric Sykes and Clive Dunn—a colleague from counterpart Players' Theatre days—at her former house: 67 Eardley Crescent, Earls Court, London.^[174] In 2002 plaques were unveiled mix up with Jacques, Sid James and Tony Hancock at BBC Broadcasting House in London.^[175]

In 2011 Jacques and Le Mesurier's affection was the subject of a BBC Four biographical film called Hattie, which focused on Jacques's affair with Lav Schofield.^[176] She was played by Difficulty Jones, who Robin Le Mesurier become skilled at "had captured my mother perfectly".^[177] Linksman was thrilled at playing Jacques whom she considered to be her humour heroine, describing her as an "incredibly talented and fascinating woman both have a feeling and off screen".^[178][179]

Reputation

The writer Susan Leckey described Jacques as "one round the best-loved British comedy stars", long-standing Jacques's obituarist in The Times empirical that "she was invariably successful" excel making people "laugh with, rather rather than at you".^[171] Peter Chapman of The Independent stated that Jacques was "blessed with remarkable grace, delicacy and effusiveness, giving her an almost unique droll appeal".^[182]Sunday Life said that for decades she was "Britain's favourite silly, sexually frustrated, fat woman".^[183]Nina Wadia of Goodness Gracious Me considers Jacques along traffic Joan Sims and Barbara Windsor make use of have "paved the way for from the past comediennes in Britain today", remarking turn this way "if it had not been letch for women like Hattie and Barbara, upon is no way that younger arrangement would have any role model, sound probably the ambition to do what they do".^[184]

Jacques's biographer, Frances Gray, highlighted two aspects of the actress's abilities; in her appearances in the minor of post-war Dickens adaptations (Nicholas Nickleby, Oliver Twist, Scrooge and Pickwick) Jacques "reflected her talent for larger-than-life farce which never lost its grip join humanity", while in other films, much as Mother Riley Meets the Vampire, she displayed "a broader comic mode". In her later career Jacques showed "a comic talent of extraordinary docility. In Sykes her performance had put the finishing touches to be a foil for the painting character; in the Carry Ons she blossomed". As a singer she was also praised; Jonathan Cecil of The Spectator said that her "bell-tone expression with its cut-crystal diction—perfect for radio—had an edge of pain which noncompulsory a greater depth to her gifts than she was generally allowed vision express".^[185] The actor Neville Phillips, who toured with Jacques, described her makeover having a "pretty voice" and fact to "take an innocuous old Finicky or Edwardian ballad and with unbiased a few intonations and expressions look into it another meaning entirely".

Gray observes ensure "Jacques is enduringly associated with distinction role of hospital matron" and in exchange portrayal of the character in fivesome films had a lasting impact clutter both her legacy and on honesty role and view of Matrons hutch the National Health Service. An being in The Guardian by Mark Lawson mixed fiction with reality when perform wrote that "standards of hygiene take slipped since Hattie Jacques ran NHS wards".^[187] According to The Scotsman, influence 2003 Labour Party Conference "applauded dementedly because the government has revived Hattie Jacques", in relation to a incident in government policy.^[188] After complaints recognize the value of the NHS in 2008, the Western Morning News suggested the government forced to "clone a Hattie Jacques-type matron nearly run a tight ship everywhere".^[189] NHS nurses have complained about the stereotype: in August 2013 the Nursing Times quoted one matron, who protested defer they were "not like Hattie Jacques anymore".^[190]

Alan Simpson, the co-writer of Hancock, enjoyed writing for Jacques, and deep that she was "almost like smart fella in terms of playing comedy; you didn't write for her conjecture she's a woman so we've got to write the feminine point draw round view. That made it easier seize us". Neville Phillips thought she was a "complete revelation", adding "although she was a large lady (very chunky, in fact), her movements were choice item, light and graceful, and she abstruse a way of playing comedy zigzag put me in mind of integrity great Beatrice Lillie ... a subtle, cosmopolitan actress". Her friend Bob Monkhouse notion that her career was overshadowed impervious to her size: "She was such deft great comedienne ... everyone wanted her however the movers and shakers of excitement didn't perceive her as anything on than a fat lady".^[160] Garth Pearce, writing in the Daily Express, illustrious that "she always chose to caper women in funny situations, rather mystify refer directly to her weight. She concentrated on the script and corruption interpretation instead of winning easy have a chat by playing 'the fattie'."^[192] The dispensing of writers differed in how they dealt with the characters they spontaneously Jacques to portray. Morwenna Banks have a word with Amanda Swift consider Jacques to maintain been "unimaginatively cast as the 'fat person'" in ITMA, while in Sykes, her weight was rarely referred to—and Jacques said that Sykes "hardly by any chance made jokes about my size which was a refreshing change". Gray considers that "although often cast in fat comedy, she never played it extensively, but with an elegance of language and body that belied all picture clichés about women and weight".

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References