Hazel Court
Encyclopedia
Hazel Court was an English
actress best known for her roles in horror film
s during the 1950s and early 1960s.
, Warwickshire
, lived in the Boldmere
area and attended Boldmere School and Highclare College. Her father was G.W. Court, a notable cricketer
who played for Durham CCC. At the age of fourteen, she studied drama at the Birmingham Repertory Theatre
and the Alexandra Theatre
, also in Birmingham
.
in London
, which won her a brief part in the 1944 film Champagne Charlie
. Court won a British Critics Award for her role as a crippled girl in Carnival (1946). She also appeared in Holiday Camp
(1947) and Bond Street
(1948). Her first role in a fantasy film
was in Ghost Ship
(1952). One of Court's most remembered movies is the cult classic
Devil Girl from Mars
(1954).
Court wanted to act in comedy film
s, and from 1957 to 1958 she was in the TV comedy series Dick and the Duchess. But she continued to appear in horror movies. In 1957 Court had a part in the film The Curse of Frankenstein, where she gained the status of a "cult siren," partly due to her display of cleavage. In the 1957-1958 television season, she appeared in the CBS sitcom filmed in England, Dick and the Duchess
, in the role of Jane Starrett, a patrician Englishwoman married to an American insurance
claims investigator living in London, a role played by Patrick O'Neal. Court travelled back and forth between Hollywood and England, appearing in four episodes of Alfred Hitchcock Presents
. She had parts in A Woman of Mystery
(1958), The Man Who Could Cheat Death
(1959) and Doctor Blood's Coffin
(1961) among others.
By the early 1960s, Court had permanently moved to the United States. She was featured in the Edgar Allan Poe
horror movies The Premature Burial
(1962), The Raven
(1963) and The Masque of the Red Death
(1964), the last two with Vincent Price
.
In 1981 Court appeared briefly in the third Omen
film, The Final Conflict
, although she was uncredited. She also appeared in episodes of several TV series, including Mission: Impossible
, Dr. Kildare, Danger Man
, Twelve O'Clock High
, Burke's Law
, Sam Benedict
, and The Twilight Zone
.
actor Dermot Walsh
from 1949 until their divorce in 1963. They had a daughter, Sally Walsh, who appeared with her mother in The Curse of Frankenstein.
From 1964 until his death in 1998, she was married to American actor Don Taylor
, who was divorced in 1955 from actress Phyllis Avery
. Court retired from the film acting business in 1964 to concentrate on being a wife and mother. Court and Taylor met while they were shooting an episode of Alfred Hitchcock Presents
. They had a son, Jonathan, and a daughter, Courtney.
In addition to acting, she was also a painter and sculptor, and studied sculpting in Italy
. Court wrote her autobiography, Hazel Court - Horror Queen, which was published by Tomahawk Press in the UK (April 2008) and in the US (June 2008).
, on April 15, 2008, aged 82. She is survived by daughters Sally Walsh and Courtney Taylor, son Jonathon Taylor and two stepdaughters, Anne Taylor Fleming and Avery Taylor.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
actress best known for her roles in horror film
Horror film
Horror films seek to elicit a negative emotional reaction from viewers by playing on the audience's most primal fears. They often feature scenes that startle the viewer through the means of macabre and the supernatural, thus frequently overlapping with the fantasy and science fiction genres...
s during the 1950s and early 1960s.
Early life
Court was born in Sutton ColdfieldSutton Coldfield
Sutton Coldfield is a suburb of Birmingham, in the West Midlands of England. Sutton is located about from central Birmingham but has borders with Erdington and Kingstanding. Sutton is in the northeast of Birmingham, with a population of 105,000 recorded in the 2001 census...
, Warwickshire
Warwickshire
Warwickshire is a landlocked non-metropolitan county in the West Midlands region of England. The county town is Warwick, although the largest town is Nuneaton. The county is famous for being the birthplace of William Shakespeare...
, lived in the Boldmere
Boldmere
Boldmere is a residential area of Sutton Coldfield, Birmingham, England. It is bordered by New Oscott, Sutton Park, Wylde Green and Erdington, and is in the ward of Sutton Vesey.- Toponymy :...
area and attended Boldmere School and Highclare College. Her father was G.W. Court, a notable cricketer
Cricketer
A cricketer is a person who plays the sport of cricket. Official and long-established cricket publications prefer the traditional word "cricketer" over the rarely used term "cricket player"....
who played for Durham CCC. At the age of fourteen, she studied drama at the Birmingham Repertory Theatre
Birmingham Repertory Theatre
Birmingham Repertory Theatre is a theatre and theatre company based on Centenary Square in Birmingham, England...
and the Alexandra Theatre
Alexandra Theatre
The New Alexandra Theatre, commonly known as The Alex, is a theatre on Station Street in Birmingham, England.Construction of the theatre commenced in 1900 and was completed in 1901. The architects were Owen & Ward. The theatre was opened on 27 May 1901 as the Lyceum Theatre on John Bright Street;...
, also in Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
.
Career
At the age of sixteen Court met director Anthony AsquithAnthony Asquith
Anthony Asquith was a leading English film director. He collaborated successfully with playwright Terence Rattigan on The Winslow Boy and The Browning Version , among other adaptations...
in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, which won her a brief part in the 1944 film Champagne Charlie
Champagne Charlie (film)
Champagne Charlie is a 1944 British musical film made by Ealing Studios. It is based on an 1860s play that depicted the real life rivalry between George Leybourne, who first performed the song of that name, and Alfred Vance....
. Court won a British Critics Award for her role as a crippled girl in Carnival (1946). She also appeared in Holiday Camp
Holiday Camp
Holiday Camp is a 1947 British comedy drama film directed by Ken Annakin, starring Jack Warner, Jimmy Hanley, Kathleen Harrison and Dennis Price.-Synopsis:...
(1947) and Bond Street
Bond Street (film)
Bond Street is a 1948 British drama film directed by Gordon Parry and based on a story by Terence Rattigan. It starred Jean Kent, Roland Young, Kathleen Harrison and Derek Farr...
(1948). Her first role in a fantasy film
Fantasy film
Fantasy films are films with fantastic themes, usually involving magic, supernatural events, make-believe creatures, or exotic fantasy worlds. The genre is considered to be distinct from science fiction film and horror film, although the genres do overlap...
was in Ghost Ship
Ghost Ship (1952 film)
Ghost Ship is a 1952 British thriller film directed by Vernon Sewell and written by Vernon Sewell and Philip Thornton. Despite the same titles, the 2002 film of the same title is not considered a remake of this film. -Plot:...
(1952). One of Court's most remembered movies is the cult classic
Cult Classic
Cult Classic is a Blue Öyster Cult studio recording released in 1994, containing remakes of many of the band's previous hits.-Track listing:# " The Reaper" - 5:05# "E.T.I...
Devil Girl from Mars
Devil Girl from Mars
Devil Girl from Mars is a black and white 1954 British science fiction film, directed by David MacDonald. It was adapted from a stage play and became a cult favorite.-Synopsis:...
(1954).
Court wanted to act in comedy film
Comedy film
Comedy film is a genre of film in which the main emphasis is on humour. They are designed to elicit laughter from the audience. Comedies are mostly light-hearted dramas and are made to amuse and entertain the audiences...
s, and from 1957 to 1958 she was in the TV comedy series Dick and the Duchess. But she continued to appear in horror movies. In 1957 Court had a part in the film The Curse of Frankenstein, where she gained the status of a "cult siren," partly due to her display of cleavage. In the 1957-1958 television season, she appeared in the CBS sitcom filmed in England, Dick and the Duchess
Dick and the Duchess
Dick and the Duchess is a rare 1950s CBS situation comedy filmed and set in London, England, and starring Patrick O'Neal and Hazel Court. O'Neal, a cousin of actor Ryan O'Neal, starred as Dick Starrett, an American insurance claims investigator based in London, who is married to Jane, an attractive...
, in the role of Jane Starrett, a patrician Englishwoman married to an American insurance
Insurance
In law and economics, insurance is a form of risk management primarily used to hedge against the risk of a contingent, uncertain loss. Insurance is defined as the equitable transfer of the risk of a loss, from one entity to another, in exchange for payment. An insurer is a company selling the...
claims investigator living in London, a role played by Patrick O'Neal. Court travelled back and forth between Hollywood and England, appearing in four episodes of Alfred Hitchcock Presents
Alfred Hitchcock Presents
Alfred Hitchcock Presents is an American television anthology series hosted by Alfred Hitchcock. The series featured dramas, thrillers, and mysteries. By the premiere of the show on October 2, 1955, Hitchcock had been directing films for over three decades...
. She had parts in A Woman of Mystery
A Woman of Mystery
A Woman of Mystery is a 1958 British crime film directed by Ernest Morris and starring Dermot Walsh, Hazel Court, and Ferdy Mayne. It also featured an early performance from Michael Caine....
(1958), The Man Who Could Cheat Death
The Man Who Could Cheat Death
The Man Who Could Cheat Death is a 1959 British Hammer Film directed by Terence Fisher and starring Anton Diffring and Christopher Lee. It was based on the play The Man in Half Moon Street by Barré Lyndon which had been previously filmed in 1945....
(1959) and Doctor Blood's Coffin
Doctor Blood's Coffin
-Plot:Peter Blood is a young doctor who experiments with bringing the dead back to life. His early subject is the deceased husband of Linda Parker , a woman he is attracted to...
(1961) among others.
By the early 1960s, Court had permanently moved to the United States. She was featured in the Edgar Allan Poe
Edgar Allan Poe
Edgar Allan Poe was an American author, poet, editor and literary critic, considered part of the American Romantic Movement. Best known for his tales of mystery and the macabre, Poe was one of the earliest American practitioners of the short story and is considered the inventor of the detective...
horror movies The Premature Burial
The Premature Burial
"The Premature Burial" is a horror short story on the theme of being buried alive, written by Edgar Allan Poe and published in 1844 in The Philadelphia Dollar Newspaper. Fear of being buried alive was common in this period and Poe was taking advantage of the public interest...
(1962), The Raven
The Raven (1963 film)
The Raven is a B movie horror-comedy produced and directed by Roger Corman. The film stars Vincent Price, Peter Lorre, and Boris Karloff as a trio of rival sorcerers. Part of a series of Edgar Allan Poe adaptations produced by Corman through American International Pictures, the film was written by...
(1963) and The Masque of the Red Death
The Masque of the Red Death (film)
The Masque of the Red Death is a 1964 British horror film starring Vincent Price in a tale about a prince who terrorizes a plague-ridden peasantry while merrymaking in a lonely castle with his jaded courtiers. The film was directed by Roger Corman; the screenplay by Charles Beaumont and R...
(1964), the last two with Vincent Price
Vincent Price
Vincent Leonard Price, Jr. was an American actor, well known for his distinctive voice and serio-comic attitude in a series of horror films made in the latter part of his career.-Early life and career:Price was born in St...
.
In 1981 Court appeared briefly in the third Omen
The Omen
An original score for the film, including the movie's theme song Ave Satani, was composed by Jerry Goldsmith, for which he received the only Oscar of his long career. The score features a strong choral segment, with a foreboding Latin chant...
film, The Final Conflict
Omen III: The Final Conflict
Omen III: The Final Conflict is a 1981 British/American horror film directed by Graham Baker and the third installment in The Omen series...
, although she was uncredited. She also appeared in episodes of several TV series, including Mission: Impossible
Mission: Impossible
Mission: Impossible is an American television series which was created and initially produced by Bruce Geller. It chronicled the missions of a team of secret American government agents known as the Impossible Missions Force . The leader of the team was Jim Phelps, played by Peter Graves, except in...
, Dr. Kildare, Danger Man
Danger Man
Danger Man is a British television series that was broadcast between 1960 and 1962, and again between 1964 and 1968. The series featured Patrick McGoohan as secret agent John Drake. Ralph Smart created the program and wrote many of the scripts...
, Twelve O'Clock High
Twelve O'Clock High (TV series)
Twelve O'Clock High or 12 O'Clock High is an American drama series set in World War II. This TV series originally broadcasted on ABC-TV for two-and-one-half TV seasons from September 18, 1964, through January 13, 1967; was based on the motion picture Twelve O'Clock High...
, Burke's Law
Burke's Law
Burke's Law is a detective series that ran on ABC from 1963 to 1965 and was revived on CBS in the 1990s. The show starred Gene Barry as Amos Burke, millionaire captain of Los Angeles police homicide division, who was chauffeured around to solve crimes in his Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud...
, Sam Benedict
Sam Benedict
Sam Benedict is an American legal drama that aired on NBC from September 1962 to March 1963. The series was created and executive produced by E. Jack Neuman....
, and The Twilight Zone
The Twilight Zone (1959 TV series)
The Twilight Zone is an American anthology television series created by Rod Serling, which ran for five seasons on CBS from 1959 to 1964. The series consisted of unrelated episodes depicting paranormal, futuristic, dystopian, or simply disturbing events; each show typically featured a surprising...
.
Personal life
Court was married to IrishIreland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
actor Dermot Walsh
Dermot Walsh
Dermot Walsh was an Irish stage, film and television actor, known for portraying Richard the Lionheart in the 1962 television series Richard the Lionheart.-Early life:...
from 1949 until their divorce in 1963. They had a daughter, Sally Walsh, who appeared with her mother in The Curse of Frankenstein.
From 1964 until his death in 1998, she was married to American actor Don Taylor
Don Taylor (actor)
Don Taylor was an American movie actor and director best known for his performances in 1950s classics like Stalag 17 and Father of the Bride and the 1948 film noir The Naked City...
, who was divorced in 1955 from actress Phyllis Avery
Phyllis Avery
Phyllis Avery was an American television and film actress.-Early life and career:Avery was born in New York City to Evelyn and author Stephen Morehouse Avery. Her father hailed from Webster Groves, Missouri, near St. Louis. Her first role was as Marjorie in the 1951 film Queen for a Day based on...
. Court retired from the film acting business in 1964 to concentrate on being a wife and mother. Court and Taylor met while they were shooting an episode of Alfred Hitchcock Presents
Alfred Hitchcock Presents
Alfred Hitchcock Presents is an American television anthology series hosted by Alfred Hitchcock. The series featured dramas, thrillers, and mysteries. By the premiere of the show on October 2, 1955, Hitchcock had been directing films for over three decades...
. They had a son, Jonathan, and a daughter, Courtney.
In addition to acting, she was also a painter and sculptor, and studied sculpting in Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
. Court wrote her autobiography, Hazel Court - Horror Queen, which was published by Tomahawk Press in the UK (April 2008) and in the US (June 2008).
Death
Court died of a heart attack at her home near Lake Tahoe, CaliforniaCalifornia
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, on April 15, 2008, aged 82. She is survived by daughters Sally Walsh and Courtney Taylor, son Jonathon Taylor and two stepdaughters, Anne Taylor Fleming and Avery Taylor.
Filmography
- 1944: Champagne CharlieChampagne Charlie (film)Champagne Charlie is a 1944 British musical film made by Ealing Studios. It is based on an 1860s play that depicted the real life rivalry between George Leybourne, who first performed the song of that name, and Alfred Vance....
- 1944: DreamingDreaming (film)Dreaming is a 1944 British comedy film directed by John Baxter and starring Bud Flanagan, Chesney Allen and Hazel Court. Its plot concerns a soldier who is knocked unconscious during a battle and has a series of bizarre dreams.-Cast:* Bud Flanagan - Bud...
- 1946: CarnivalCarnival (1946 film)-Cast:*Sally Gray as Jenny Pearl*Michael Wilding as Maurice Avery*Stanley Holloway as Charlie Raeburn*Bernard Miles as Trewhella*Jean Kent as Irene Dale*Catherine Lacey as Florrie Raeburn*Nancy Price as Mrs. Trewhella*Hazel Court as Mae Raeburn...
- 1946: Gaiety George a.k.a. Showtime
- 1947: Holiday CampHoliday CampHoliday Camp is a 1947 British comedy drama film directed by Ken Annakin, starring Jack Warner, Jimmy Hanley, Kathleen Harrison and Dennis Price.-Synopsis:...
- 1947: Dear MurdererDear MurdererDear Murderer is a 1947 British thriller, directed by Arthur Crabtree for Gainsborough Pictures, and starring Eric Portman and Greta Gynt. The film was well-received for its tautness and ingenuity, with one reviewer noting: "Dear Murderer is a shrewd, semi-psychological thriller with Eric Portman,...
- 1947: Meet Me at DawnMeet Me at DawnMeet Me at Dawn is a 1947 British comedy film directed by Peter Creswell and Thornton Freeland and starring William Eythe, Stanley Holloway and Hazel Court. A very skilled pistol shot hires himself out to fight duels in early twentieth century Paris.-Cast:...
- 1947: The Root of All EvilThe Root of All Evil (1947 film)The Root of All Evil is a 1947 British drama film, directed by Brock Williams for Gainsborough Pictures and starring Phyllis Calvert and Michael Rennie. The film was the first directorial assignment for Williams, who was better known as a screenwriter, and also produced the screenplay based on a...
- 1948: Bond StreetBond Street (film)Bond Street is a 1948 British drama film directed by Gordon Parry and based on a story by Terence Rattigan. It starred Jean Kent, Roland Young, Kathleen Harrison and Derek Farr...
- 1948: My Sister and IMy Sister and I (film)My Sister and I is a 1948 British drama film directed by Harold Huth and starring Sally Ann Howes, Dermot Walsh and Martita Hunt. A young woman who acts in a small theatre comes under suspicion of murder when the elderly lady she lodges with dies and leaves her all her money. It is based on the...
- 1949: ForbiddenForbidden (1949 film)Forbidden is a British thriller film, directed by George King in Technicolor, and starring Ronald Shiner, Hazel Court, and Douglass Montgomery...
- 1953: Counterspy
- 1953: Ghost ShipGhost Ship (1952 film)Ghost Ship is a 1952 British thriller film directed by Vernon Sewell and written by Vernon Sewell and Philip Thornton. Despite the same titles, the 2002 film of the same title is not considered a remake of this film. -Plot:...
- 1953: Undercover Agent
- 1954: A Tale of Three Women
- 1954: Devil Girl from MarsDevil Girl from MarsDevil Girl from Mars is a black and white 1954 British science fiction film, directed by David MacDonald. It was adapted from a stage play and became a cult favorite.-Synopsis:...
- 1954: The Scarlet Web
- 1956: Behind the Headlines
- 1956: The Narrowing CircleThe Narrowing CircleThe Narrowing Circle is a 1956 British crime film directed by Charles Saunders and starring Paul Carpenter, Hazel Court and Russell Napier. A crime writer finds himself accused of murder, and has to clear his name.-Cast:* Paul Carpenter - Dave Nelson...
- 1957: A Woman of MysteryA Woman of MysteryA Woman of Mystery is a 1958 British crime film directed by Ernest Morris and starring Dermot Walsh, Hazel Court, and Ferdy Mayne. It also featured an early performance from Michael Caine....
- 1957: Hour of DecisionHour of Decision (film)Hour of Decision is a 1957 British mystery film starring Jeff Morrow, Hazel Court, Carl Bernard, Lionel Jeffries and Arthur Lowe. The British wife of an American journalist begins receiving letters blackmailing her over a love affair. Suspicion points to her when the blackmailer is found murdered....
- 1957: The Curse of Frankenstein
- 1959: BreakoutBreakout (1959 film)Breakout is a 1959 British drama film directed by Peter Graham Scott and starring Lee Patterson, Hazel Court, Terence Alexander. A government official organises a mass breakout from a prison.-Cast:* Lee Patterson ... George Munro...
- 1959: The Man Who Could Cheat DeathThe Man Who Could Cheat DeathThe Man Who Could Cheat Death is a 1959 British Hammer Film directed by Terence Fisher and starring Anton Diffring and Christopher Lee. It was based on the play The Man in Half Moon Street by Barré Lyndon which had been previously filmed in 1945....
- 1960: Model for MurderModel for MurderModel for Murder is a 1959 British crime film directed by Terry Bishop and starring Keith Andes, Hazel Court and Jean Aubrey.-Plot:American sailor David Martens, on shore leave in England, visits his brother Jack's grave...
- 1960: The Man Who Was Nobody
- 1960: The ShakedownThe Shakedown (1959 film)The Shakedown is a 1959 crime-drama film directed by John Lemont.It was banned in Finland .-Cast:* Terence Morgan as Augie Cortona* Hazel Court as Mildred Eyde* Donald Pleasence as Jessel Brown...
- 1960: Bonanza: The Last Trophy
- 1961: Doctor Blood's CoffinDoctor Blood's Coffin-Plot:Peter Blood is a young doctor who experiments with bringing the dead back to life. His early subject is the deceased husband of Linda Parker , a woman he is attracted to...
- 1961: Mary Had a Little...Mary Had a Little...Mary Had a Little... is a 1961 British comedy film directed by Edward Buzzell and starring Agnès Laurent, Hazel Court and Jack Watling. It takes its title from the nursery rhyme Mary Had a Little Lamb, and is sometimes credited as Britain's first sex comedy....
- 1962: The Premature BurialThe Premature Burial (film)The Premature Burial is an American International Pictures horror film, directed by Roger Corman and starring Ray Milland, screenplay by Charles Beaumont and Ray Russell based upon the story of the same name by Edgar Allan Poe.-Cast:...
- 1963: The RavenThe Raven (1963 film)The Raven is a B movie horror-comedy produced and directed by Roger Corman. The film stars Vincent Price, Peter Lorre, and Boris Karloff as a trio of rival sorcerers. Part of a series of Edgar Allan Poe adaptations produced by Corman through American International Pictures, the film was written by...
- 1964: The Masque of the Red DeathThe Masque of the Red Death (film)The Masque of the Red Death is a 1964 British horror film starring Vincent Price in a tale about a prince who terrorizes a plague-ridden peasantry while merrymaking in a lonely castle with his jaded courtiers. The film was directed by Roger Corman; the screenplay by Charles Beaumont and R...
- 1981: Omen III: The Final ConflictOmen III: The Final ConflictOmen III: The Final Conflict is a 1981 British/American horror film directed by Graham Baker and the third installment in The Omen series...
External links
- Hazel Court at HorrorStars
- Cult sirens
- Hazel Court Horror Queen
- Obituary of Hazel Court from the Associated PressAssociated PressThe Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
- Obituary: Telegraph
- Obituary: Times
- Obituary: Independent
- Obituary: Guardian