Hy Hazell
Hy Hazell | |
|---|---|
 in Up in the World (1956) | |
| Born | Hyacinth Hazel O'Higgins 4 October 1919 |
| Died | 10 May 1970 (aged 50) London, England, UK |
| Occupation(s) | Actress Singer |
Hy Hazell (4 October 1919 – 10 May 1970), was a British actress of theatre, musicals and revue as well as a contralto singer and film actress .[1][2] Allmusic described her as "an exuberant comic actor and lively singer and dancer".[3] A pretty brunette, with long legs, she was billed as Britain's answer to Betty Grable.[4]
Early life and Theatre career
Hazell was born as Hyacinth Hazel O'Higgins, in London in 1919 (although the British Film Institute cites 1920 and The Oxford Reference cites 1922). As a teenager, Hy Hazell started life as a performer in the chorus of the West End production of Rodgers and Hart's On Your Toes (1937). She later had a long and successful run of leading roles in musicals, including Expresso Bongo at the Saville Theatre in 1958, as heartless Dixie Collins; as Mrs Squeezum in the Mermaid Theatre's Lock Up Your Daughters in 1959 (playing for almost 2,000 performances); as ex-Cochran girl Kay Connor in Charlie Girl at the Adelphi Theatre from 1965 ; and as Mrs Peachum in a notable Beggar's Opera by the Prospect Theatre Company in 1968.[5]
Films
She was in British films Meet Me at Dawn (1946), The Yellow Balloon (1953), and B-movies like The Body Said No! and The Lady Craved Excitement (both 1950), where she got to sing. She established a reputation as "English pantomime's most distinguished post war principal boy". She was a favourite in the British tradition of having glamorous young women play the Principal boy in pantos, and for years she was extremely popular in this seasonal form of theatre.[3][5]
Death
Hazell was playing Golde in Fiddler on the Roof in London's West End. Following a performance, she died accidentally, choking to death while eating a steak at a restaurant, on 10 May 1970.[3][5][6]
Selected filmography
- Meet Me at Dawn (1947)
- Just William's Luck (1947)
- Paper Orchid (1949)
- The Lady Craved Excitement (1950)
- The Body Said No! (1950)
- The Franchise Affair (1951)
- The Night Won't Talk (1952)
- The Yellow Balloon (1953)
- Forces' Sweetheart (1953)
- Stolen Assignment (1955)
- Up in the World (1956)
- The Whole Truth (1958)
- Trouble with Eve (1960)
- Five Golden Hours (1961)
- What Every Woman Wants (1962)
- Every Home Should Have One (1970)
References
- ^ "Hy Hazell". BFI.
- ^ "Hy Hazell Theatre Credits". broadwayworld.com. Retrieved 18 October 2016.
- ^ a b c "Hy Hazell - Biography". AllMusic.com. Retrieved 18 October 2016.
- ^ Alan Royle (3 June 2015). "Tragic Hollywood: Accidental Death's (Pt 6)". filmstarfacts.com. Retrieved 18 October 2016.
- ^ a b c "Hy Hazell". findadeath.com. Retrieved 18 October 2016.
- ^ "Hy Hazell profile". britmovie.co.uk. Retrieved 18 October 2016.
External links
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