Hattie jacques biography meaning

English actress (1922–1980)

Hattie Jacques (; born Josephine Edwina Jaques; 7 February 1922 – 6 Oct 1980) was an English jocularity actress of stage, radio endure screen. She is best put as a regular of say publicly Carry On films, where she typically played strict, no-nonsense notation, but was also a bountiful television and radio performer.

Jacques started her career in 1944 with an appearance at authority Players' Theatre in London, nevertheless came to national prominence owing to her appearances on three immensely popular radio series on primacy BBC: with Tommy Handley resist It's That Man Again; interview ventriloquist Peter Brough on Educating Archie; and then with Elegant Hancock on Hancock's Half Hour.

After the Second World Fighting Jacques made her cinematic premiere in Green for Danger (1946), in which she had simple brief, uncredited role. From 1958 to 1974 she appeared alternative route 14 Carry On films, demeanour various roles including the deafening hospital matron. On television she had a long professional corporation with Eric Sykes, with whom she co-starred in his long-running series Sykes and Sykes careful a....

The role endeared an added to the public and integrity two became staples of Nation television.

In private, Jacques spoiled a turbulent life. She was married to the actor Ablutions Le Mesurier from 1949 waiting for their divorce in 1965, unadulterated separation caused by her five-year affair with another man. Jacques, who had been overweight by reason of her teenage years, suffered ill-health soon after the separation devour Le Mesurier and her stream of abuse rose to nearly 20 pit (280 lb; 130 kg).

She died translate a heart attack on 6 October 1980, at the organize of 58. Her biographer, Frances Gray, considers Jacques had fine "talent for larger-than-life comedy which never lost its grip location humanity", while she could as well display "a broader comic mode" as a result of attend "extraordinary versatility".

Biography

Early life: 1922–1944

Jacques was born Josephine Edwina Jaques take a break 7 February 1922 at Cardinal Sandgate High Street, Sandgate, Painter.

She was the youngest minor of Robin Rochester Jaques, type officer in the British Service and later a flying officebearer in the Royal Air In action, and Mary Jaques (née Thorn), a nurse who served cattle the Voluntary Aid Detachment (VAD).^[a]

The Jaques family were predominantly non-theatrical, with the exception of Welcome who appeared in the wee role of Harry Hathaway bring in the Christmas pantomimeRobinson Crusoe readily obtainable the Palace Theatre, Cologne, encircle 1920.

Mary enjoyed the thespian, and took Jacques to subsist performances from an early hurt. The result had a "profound effect" on the young cub, particularly a love of diploma. Robin Rochester Jaques, who effected the rank of flight delegate with the RAF, was spick keen sportsman and became out semi-professional footballer.

He signed converge Clapton Orient and Fulham F.C., but his career was decrease short when he died enjoy a flying accident on 8 August 1923. Upon his brusque, Mary, Jacques and her preeminent brother Robin moved from Physicist in Lincolnshire to London, ring Jacques was sent to grandeur Lady Margaret primary school sufficient Chelsea. In July 1930 Jacques started her secondary schooling exploit the Godolphin and Latymer Faculty in Hammersmith,^[10] and also fraudulent a local dance school, prestige Dean Sisters Academy, where she was a principal dancer tag on the academy's shows.

She nautical port Godolphin and Latymer in probity summer of 1939 with muffle grades. She continued intermittently do faster amateur theatricals, and in Can 1939 appeared with the Shut off Club in Barnes in oeuvre of Fumed Oak and Borgia.

At the outbreak of the Next World War Jacques became a-okay nurse in the VAD; she served in a mobile private house in London, attending bombed sites during the Blitz.

After out reorganisation in the VAD,^[b] Jacques sought new work and, prickly the summer of 1943, she became a welder in shipshape and bristol fashion factory in north London, put in order job that lasted until representation end of the year. Have a laugh this time she became romantically involved with an American combatant, Major Charles Kearney.

Jacques next claimed that the pair esoteric been engaged and that Kearney had been killed in occur to, although her biographer, Andy Merriman, discovered that Kearney had top-notch wife and children in illustriousness United States when he esoteric proposed to Jacques, and abstruse returned to them after significance war.^[10][c]

Early post-war work: 1944–1950

In 1944, after being auditioned by Author Sachs, Jacques made her outdated theatrical debut as Josephine Jacques—adding a "c" to her derivation name as she did so^[d]—at the Players' Theatre, London access a revue called Late Joys.

Almost immediately she became excellent regular performer with the society, appearing in music hall revues and playing the Fairy Sovereign in their Victorian-style pantomimes.^[10] Need biographer, Frances Gray, described influence Players' as being Jacques's stage show school, as she acted, secured, wrote lyrics and "developed justness persona she was to pardon in pantomime for years, representation large, bossy, but vulnerable dryad queen".

It was while emergence in a Late Joys vaudeville in June 1946 that she made her debut on leader-writers, when the show was televise on the BBC. While attending at the Players' in 1946 she acquired the nickname "Hattie" after performing in the cantor showCoal Black Mammies for Dixie. A member of the qualifications staff compared her "blacked up" appearance with the American contestant Hattie McDaniel, known for cause work in Gone with picture Wind, and Jacques adopted authority name for the rest end her life.^[e]

Jacques made her big-screen debut, for a moment and uncredited, in the 1946 film Green for Danger, likely by Sidney Gilliat. In Dec that year, she joined integrity Young Vic Theatre Company most recent played Smeraldina in The Soughtafter Stag.

The play ran watch the Lyric Theatre for uncut month before going on organized five-month tour of the UK. It received favourable reviews; influence Gloucestershire Echo described the lump as "a noble play", prep added to thought that Jacques was "very solidly in step".^[29] In Parade 1947 Alberto Cavalcanti's film Nicholas Nickleby was released, in which Jacques had her first credited big-screen role as Mrs Kenwick.^[30] While engaged at the Players' in June 1947, Jacques was introduced to the actor Gents Le Mesurier and the three began a relationship.

Le Mesurier was married but estranged implant his wife.

In August 1947 Unintelligent Kavanagh, the scriptwriter of blue blood the gentry BBC Home Service show It's That Man Again (ITMA), visited the Players' and invited Jacques to audition for the escort, which she did on 18 September, for a fee possess five guineas.

She became and above nervous during the audition walk Tommy Handley, the show's draw, held her hand, which she found made her more insecure. Jacques joined the cast outandout ITMA as the greedy beginner Sophie Tuckshop, where she "would regale listeners with terrifying finance of epic binges", before irrevocable her stories with the phrase "But I'm alright now".

Jacques started her run in ITMA in September 1947, at rectitude beginning of series eleven, which ran for 38 episodes, brook was paid ten guineas adequate episode.

For much of 1948 Jacques continued to record episodes claim ITMA for half the period, while spending evenings in glory Players' Theatre; she also wind up time during the spring acquaintance record the role of Plant in No, No, Nanette represent the BBC and appear belittling the Whitehall Theatre in Bates Wharf with the Under 30 Theatre Group.

Later that twelvemonth she appeared as a chorister at the Three Cripples bar in the David Lean single Oliver Twist.^[30] In September she started recording her second apartment of ITMA—the show's twelfth—before cyclical to the Players' for righteousness Christmas pantomime, The Sleeping Belle in the Wood.

In glory latter performance, The Times commented that Jacques "must surely do an impression of among the funniest fairies" elation her role as the Brownie Queen Antedota—which was one lay out her favourite parts.^[40]

Tommy Handley deadly suddenly on 9 January 1949; the BBC decided that blooper was "so much the prime and embodiment of the real performance" of ITMA, that they cancelled the show immediately.

Jacques later remarked that Handley was "one of the greatest receiver performers we have ever painstaking. I learned ... so much shake off him". Later that year Escapable Mesurier divorced his wife; by after the divorce came by, Jacques proposed to him, solicitation, "don't you think it's fairly accurate time we got married?" Position couple wed on 10 Nov that year, at Kensington Registrar's Office.^[44] After a week's honeymoon in Southsea, she returned take it easy the Players' where she was engaged to appear as Marrygolda in the Christmas pantomime Beauty and the Beast.

Increasing fame: 1950–1958

In the early months of 1950 Chance of a Lifetime was released into British cinemas; in the buff was a film in which Jacques "really made her mark", according to her biographer, Sly Merriman.Chance of a Lifetime high opinion a social and industrial liaison drama based in a till 1 factory whose manager cedes monitor to the workforce.

Jacques troubled Alice, a welder: when she was offered her fee presage 17 days filming, she replied "I've done this job welding Bailey and Pontoon Bridges prep added to I know how hard fight is. That's not enough money!" and the offer was peer accordingly. The film critic Geoff Mayer considered that Jacques abstruse "the best scene in rectitude film with her mock flirtatious dance in front of plug up angry [Niall] MacGinnis".

On 6 June 1950 Jacques was cast send out the first episode of high-mindedness weekly radio show Educating Archie as Agatha Dinglebody.

The "Archie" of the title was loftiness ventriloquist's dummy Archie Andrews, operated by Peter Brough. The lid series ran for 29 weeks until 19 December. In prestige show Jacques appeared alongside Loudening Bygraves, Julie Andrews, Beryl Philosopher and—in the second series—Tony Hancock. It was on this plan that she first worked congregate Eric Sykes, who was plan scripts for the series.

Sykes had been impressed with Jacques since he visited the Players' in 1948. He later wrote that she "moved about excellence stage with an elegance good turn grace as if she celebrated it. At the end look after her act, to great eulogy, she leapt in the mood, finishing in the splits, touchdown as softly as a shaving in July".

After the put it on Sykes was introduced to Jacques backstage and thought that class meeting was "the beginning chief a new flight" in monarch professional life. At the imitation of the series Jacques mutual to the Players' to show up in the Christmas pantomime, Ali Baba and the Thirty-nine Thieves, which she and Joan Sterndale-Bennett had adapted after they difficult to understand copied it out long-hand engagement the British Museum.

The commentator in The Times thought rove Jacques was "as appealing likewise last year",^[54] in her carrying out as Ali Baba's wife, Cogia.

Throughout 1951 Jacques continued to flutter work in different media, together with appearing as Mrs Fezziwig weighty the film Scrooge starring Alastair Sim; from 3 August till such time as 25 January 1952 she developed in a second radio keep fit of Educating Archie, as sufficiently as appearing in the agnate stage show, The Archie Naturalist Christmas Show at the Sovereign of Wales Theatre from Dec 1952 to January 1953.

She again appeared in—and co-adapted—a Noel pantomime at the Players' Dramatic art, Riquet with the Tuft, expert French fairy tale by River Perrault.^[f] In 1952 Jacques too portrayed Mrs Jenks in Convenience Gilling's comedy horror film Mother Riley Meets the Vampire, co-starring Arthur Lucan and Bela Lugosi.

Jacques became pregnant in 1952, nevertheless worked through most of waste away pregnancy, appearing in the Players' revue The Bells of Restrained Martins between August and Nov 1952: she slid down authority table and did the splits at the end—something The Times thought was "especially good",^[64] allowing The Manchester Guardian considered desert she was "monumental of for my part but surprisingly thin of voice".^[65] Le Mesurier reported that recognized was "faintly relieved" when influence revue came to an peter out because of her exertions, accessorial to which she appeared assume the 27 episodes of depiction third series of Educating Archie between September 1952 and June 1953.^[g] She then directed—but upfront not appear in—the Players' Xmas pantomime of 1952, Babes absorb the Wood.

In March 1953 Jacques gave birth to in sync first son, Robin, and shared to work after a loss of consciousness days to film Up pare His Neck. Later that assemblage she provided the lead adjoin Le Mesurier in the 38-minute "movie-masque" The Pleasure Garden; filmed in 1952, it won rendering Prix de Fantasie Poétique mix with the 1954 Cannes Film Festival.^[70] From October until April 1954 she was in series a handful of of Educating Archie, while unveil December 1953 she also developed in and directed Cinderella rot the Players'; The Times commented that "Miss Jacques as participant, playing a deliciously arch beginning absent-minded Fairy Queen, goes neat as a pin long way to retrieve position failure of Miss Jacques significance dramatist".^[72]

In 1954 Jacques continued homily work on radio.

Between Apr and July she was develop Paradise Street, a spin-off periodical from Educating Archie, while make a purchase of June she was in Archie in Goonland, a one-off exceptional programme that was a compensation between Educating Archie and The Goon Show.^[h] As well orang-utan recording in series five be beneficial to Educating Archie, she was besides cast as Mrs Leathers request 18 episodes of Mrs Dale's Diary between February and Apr 1955.

She both produced other directed Twenty Minutes South, chief at the Players' Theatre, topmost then for 105 performances incensed the St Martin's Theatre discipline finished the year by showing up in seven episodes of The Granville Melodramas on ITV betwixt October and December.

A second maternity led to the birth own up a son, Kim, "who came rollicking and laughing into honesty world in October 1956, clever trifle before his allotted time", according to Le Mesurier.

Slight June 1956 Jacques appeared seep in an episode of The Lah-di-dah Hancock Show on ITV; that led to the role blond Hancock's secretary, Griselda Pugh, grind the BBC radio series Hancock's Half Hour. She appeared operate 16 episodes from November 1956 to February 1957, alongside Hancock and regulars Sidney James, Value Kerr and Kenneth Williams.^[i] Jacques's arrival on Hancock "provided brainchild additional boost to the series", according to television historian Richard Webber.

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She appeared bis in five further episodes firm footing Hancock's Half Hour between Apr and June 1957, and homecoming for a further 20 episodes between January and June 1958, before a special edition torment Christmas Day 1958. She exhausted much of 1958 at authority London Palladium, undertaking 380 deed of the revue Large primate Life, alongside Terry-Thomas, Eric Sykes and Harry Secombe.

She arrived in the sketches "Concerto used for Three Buffoons" with Secombe beginning Sykes, "The Good Old Days", and the two full people numbers that closed each rejoice the two halves of interpretation show.^[85]

The Carry On series: 1958–1963

When the first Carry On crust was made in 1958, Jacques formed part of the throw.

This series would go foul language to employ the same settle on of actors who would in concert become known as the "Carry On team". Jacques appeared spontaneous 14 of these films squat a 15-year period and prize many of her Carry On co-stars, she quickly became identify. A recurring role for Jacques was a no-nonsense matron which she played in five allowance the films – Carry Muddle Nurse,Carry On Doctor,Carry On Once more also Doctor,Carry On Camping and Carry On Matron.

She became be revealed by the team as clean up "Mother Hen" figure, and was a close friend to multitudinous of her co-stars, including Kenneth Williams and Joan Sims, whom Jacques provided with a gigantic deal of advice and reasonable help. In return, Sims held Jacques as her "greatest friend", and as "both a minister to and a mother to me". Jacques would frequently invite Sims, Williams and Hawtrey to prepare house for Christmas dinner.

Jacques began her association with the Carry On series in March 1958 with the first film pressure the series, Carry On Sergeant.

She played the small duty of Captain Clark, a "battleaxe medical officer" who fails uphold believe the fabricated ailments rivalry the hypochondriac Private Horace Stiff, played by Kenneth Connor. Rectitude following year she played "Matron" for the first time forecast Carry On Nurse, a coating which broke that year's stalk office records, selling more stun 10 million tickets in British cinemas.

Although Jacques's role was come to light relatively small, she appeared divide perhaps the best known landscape of the film, in which she retrieves a daffodil flight Wilfrid Hyde-White's buttocks, put present by a mischievous nurse whereas revenge for his constant annoyance of the staff. So favourite was Jacques's scene, that honourableness producers imported two million fictile daffodils from Japan which were then used to promote grandeur comedy.

Other characterisations followed, together with the formidable maths mistress Bring into disrepute Short in Carry On Teacher (1959) and the friendly The long arm of the law Sergeant Laura Moon in Carry On Constable (1960). Of loftiness former film, Derek Prouse model The Sunday Times thought focus Jacques "triumph[ed] over material like this remorselessly juvenile that one crack battered into a kind identical fascinated admiration".^[104]

On 29 January 1960 Jacques appeared in the premier episode of the BBC humour series Sykes and a..., co-starring with Eric Sykes as straighten up pair of twins; Richard Wattis and Deryck Guyler were extremely regulars in the cast.^[j] Jacques's character—Hattie (Hat) Sykes—was "a conventional, slightly pretentious lady struggling suggest keep her dignity as loftiness men made fools of themselves".Sykes and a... went on persecute run for sixty episodes escort nine series during the later five years.

According to interpretation media historian Graham McCann, high-mindedness show was "one of depiction best-natured, least pretentious and ultimate successful British sitcoms of loftiness 1960s". Because of the come after, Jacques and Sykes "became ineradicable in the public mind monkey a priceless comic partnership";^[108] add up capitalise, they released a funniness album entitled Eric and Hattie and Things!!!, but it bootless to chart.

In September 1960 she starred in her on top television series, Our House, parallel Charles Hawtrey, Bernard Bresslaw mushroom Joan Sims; Jacques played honourableness librarian Georgina Ruddy, who was forced to keep quiet level work and so made impersonation for it by being extraordinarily noisy at home.^[k] Later roam year she played minor roles in two films: Watch Your Stern, with many of justness Carry On regulars, and School for Scoundrels, opposite Ian Songster.

After these her screen interval increased with the part be proper of Nanette Parry in Make Longing Mink in which she co-starred with Terry-Thomas and Athene Seyler. She later described this likewise her favourite film.

In October 1961 Jacques appeared on Desert Isle Discs, and said that she would be too lonely meeting such a quiet island complete someone of her temperament.^[l] Hard this time Carry On confidential become a leading film poll, with the author Robert Objectionable describing it as a "phenomenon".

That year's film, Carry Avert Regardless, was the fifth deck the series; Jacques received keen fee of £100 for character small role of a ill-humoured hospital sister, who appeared for the time being on screen alongside the Justly character actor Kynaston Reeves. Jacques was initially intended for uncluttered major part in the lp, but she was unable resurrect commit to a longer impersonation because of ill health.

She appeared in her sixth Carry On, Carry On Cabby, lay hands on 1963, as "Peggy Hawkins", interpretation emotionally neglected wife of taxi-firm boss "Charlie", played by Sid James. Jacques later named primacy film as her favourite outline the series, as she was allowed to drop her "battleaxe" persona and play the idealistic lead opposite James.

Private turmoil; creative acting ventures: 1963–1967

Jacques's private believable became complicated in 1963.

Probity previous year she had trip over John Schofield, a cockney used-car dealer, who chauffeured her respecting a Leukaemia Research Fund chapter. The couple became romantically fade away after the driver gave absorption the attention and support range Le Mesurier did not. Like that which Jacques decided to move Schofield into the family home, Nice Mesurier moved into a part room.

He later commented regarding this period: "I could enjoy walked out, but, whatever low point feelings, I loved Hattie survive the children and I was certain—I had to be certain—that we could repair the damage". During these upheavals in in sync personal life, Jacques was not thought out to be the subject observe This Is Your Life tackle February 1963, when she was approached by Eamonn Andrews all along rehearsal for the sixth focus of Sykes and a....

Tho' Le Mesurier did not say the marital situation when being questioned by Andrews, he completed the comment that for Jacques "the home comes first", which Merriman considered had been aforesaid "rather pointedly". Despite the marriage upsets, Jacques and Le Mesurier both appeared in the 1963 Tony Hancock film, The Smack and Judy Man.

In 1964 Le Mesurier moved out pursuit the marital home, made cool decision to protect Jacques deseed any negative publicity, and permissible her to bring a separate suit on grounds of rulership own infidelity. This ensured dump the press blamed him hold the break-up, casting Jacques by reason of the victim in the matter.

In 1964, as well as video four episodes of the portable radio show Housewives' Choice, Jacques marked in her own television collection, Miss Adventure, as the unofficial investigator Stacey Smith.

Although Jacques wanted the series to amend full of suspense, the programmes were more comedic and she was disappointed with the close-fisted. In August that year she appeared as Madame Arcati stop off an ITV production of Blithe Spirit. The play's writer, Noël Coward, felt that "finally mortal had delivered a performance prowl wasn't overshadowed by Margaret Rutherford", who had originated the lay it on thick role in 1940 and studied it in the 1945 fell version.^[m]

Jacques went to Rome suspend 1966 to film The Bobo with Peter Sellers; before that she went on a vicinity diet and lost five chunk (32 kg), although she was abusive that so few people tempt.

She enjoyed the filming training, calling it "one of justness loveliest things I've worked on". While she was in Italia, Schofield came out to pause, started an affair with settle Italian heiress and broke wound his relationship with Jacques; profoundly upset, Jacques, who had difficult a weight problem since become known teens, began eating comfort gallop and her weight increased resume nearly 20 stone (127 kg).^[10]

Return term paper Carry On: 1967–1974

In the summertime of 1967 the Carry On producer Peter Rogers assembled glory cast for the 15th membrane of the series, Carry Aura Doctor.

Rogers initially chose Joan Sims to play the behave of the hospital matron nevertheless she declined the part, stating that Jacques's performance of authority role in Carry On Nurse could not be bettered. Restructuring such, Rogers cast Jacques slightly Matron, with Sims accepting copperplate smaller role as the quiet assistant of the film's mid character Francis Bigger, played timorous Frankie Howerd.

Jacques's screen at a rate of knots was increased from Carry Connect Nurse, as the producers advised her part to be sting extension of the earlier role.Carry On Doctor was released budget December of that year, give a lift much success.

Jacques started 1968 contempt appearing with Spike Milligan promote Frank Thornton in thirteen episodes of the sketch show The World of Beachcomber, based top the Beachcomber column in birth Daily Express newspaper and exterior on the BBC from Jan to April.

Shortly after goodness series finished, she appeared coextensive Frankie Howerd in his outline show, Howerd's Hour, on ITV. She continued her busy list of appointments with appearances in six cinema for 1969,^[n] including another skilled Sellers, The Magic Christian. Anent she portrayed a character styled Ginger, who was described on account of a "grotesque figure", with let down "insatiable lust for bestsellers advantage the atrocities of World Conflict Two".^[139] She also appeared stiffen television alongside Harry Secombe jaunt Roy Castle in Pickwick, which was based on the harmonious of the same name,^[140] refuse in Carry On Christmas, televise on Christmas Eve.

Although 1969 had been busy, 1970 was relatively quiet in terms representative her professional output: apart dismiss an episode of Catweazle, she appeared alongside Willoughby Goddard expect a six-episode series of Charley's Grants. She spent May plus June filming Carry On Loving, in which she played Sophie Bliss, released in September dump year.

Another Carry On tegument casing followed in 1971, Carry Shrug at Your Convenience, where she played Beattie Plummer, the shutin wife of Sid Plummer, faked by Sid James. In position same year she completed on the subject of series with Sykes, Sykes professor a Big, Big Show, smart music and sketch programme which had six episodes, broadcast in the middle of February and April.^[o]

Two further Carry On films followed for Jacques in 1972: Carry On Matron, for which she was taken aloof in the title role, favour Carry On Abroad, as Floella, the fiery Spanish cook dilemma a half-finished hotel.

As toss as the film being River Hawtrey's last, it also discolored a reduction in Jacques's partition time; she spent only look after week filming her scenes. Significant post-production, the film's insurers became concerned about Jacques's deteriorating fitness. In a letter to prestige series producer Peter Rogers, they expressed their reluctance to subsidize countersign her on set in prole future film.^[p]

During the course be fooled by 1972 Jacques co-starred in blue blood the gentry first series of Sykes, cut down which she played Hattie Sykes, "the wide-eyed, less-knowing but chiefly patient sister-cum-mother-figure";^[q] at its acme, Sykes had 17 million viewers.

Replace February 1972 Jacques was calm home with her son Thrush to watch Le Mesurier achieve first place the British Academy of Pick up and Television Arts "Best Congregate Actor" award for his performing of a "boozy British aristocrat ... who became a spy characterise the Soviets"^[152] in Dennis Potter's television play Traitor.^[153] Jacques cried when her ex-husband won depiction award, and divulged to spurn son that she "wasn't tears out of professional resentment flit even envy about Joan Unflattering Mesurier ...

but from an faintness that, through her own alacrities, she lost John or here 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 lease of cannabis, and her piedаterre was searched by police. Take away the same week that integrity two boys appeared in pursue, she received official notification enjoy the intention to appoint deduct as an OBE.

In command to protect her sons chomp through further press intrusion she declined the honour.^[r] Later that origin, while filming the third pile of Sykes, she suffered a-ok cancer scare and lost unornamented considerable amount of weight. Insult this she refused to joggle the busy production schedule; as filming was completed on 5 December she underwent surgery undergo Charing Cross Hospital for what proved to be benign tumours on her kidneys.

In 1976 Jacques appeared in a promotional publicizing film for British Rail, which pitted her against racing practitioner Jackie Stewart in a film to London.^[158] From 1976 at the Sykes and Jacques appeared application in the stage play A Hatful of Sykes, both shoulder the UK and internationally.^[s] Close the course of the discrete tours relations between the twosome stars became increasingly strained instruction Sykes altered the act very many times to ensure he established more acclaim than Jacques.^[160] At long last appearing in Blackpool in 1977 Jacques's health became problematic variety she suffered from arthritis stake ulcerated legs, which required ordinary dressing.

Because a dressing area was arranged that avoided company needing to use stairs, Sykes accused her of receiving collective treatment. When the show assumed to Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe), Sykes "began to behave rather strangely ... and he even accused Hattie ... of not being able chance deliver a proper feed line". By the time the agricultural show appeared in Brighton in 1979 the relationship between the mirror image "was rapidly deteriorating", and, notwithstanding the pair praised each attention to detail in public, Jacques felt damage by Sykes's treatment of take five.

Despite the differences, the pits filmed the seventh series be partial to Sykes in 1979, and—in Apr 1980—the television film Rhubarb Rhubarb; although her part was uncomplicated small one, she looked "a little unsteady on her feet", according to Merriman.^[t]

Death and tributes

In May 1980 Jacques's doctor welladvised her against travelling to Ellas on holiday as planned, positive she visited Ireland instead.

Close the return ferry crossing she told her friend Bruce Copp that "You know I'm beg for going to live long". Waste away health remained poor, and protection companies refused to insure amass for film work. By Oct her weight had risen again; she had problems breathing stall was again admitted to Charing Cross Hospital. She took capital weekend break from hospital captain returned home to Eardley Old moon, where on 6 October she died from a heart incursion in her sleep at integrity age of 58; she was also suffering from kidney failure.

Jacques's funeral took place at Putney Vale Crematorium, where her attack were scattered.

Her sons refused to allow Sykes entry norm the funeral because they resented the way he had doped her during the stage show;^[160] Sykes was upset by honesty exclusion and failed to shadowy why he had been actionable. The other notable absentee propagate the funeral was Joan Sims, who "stayed in her dwellingplace and spent the day consumption, reading old letters from Hattie and wallowing in self pity", according to Merriman.

Kenneth Williams was deeply saddened by the disappearance of his friend, and wrote that "all the chums accept died ...

one is left isolated on the shore ... the direction is receding and leaving tedious incongruous wrecks exposed ... I trepidation I am one of them". John Le Mesurier described Jacques as "a remarkable lady ... [who] had an aura of fondness and kindness about her",^[170] after a long time her obituary in The Times observed that "she will credit to remembered with affection by chic who saw her".^[171] A thirty days after the funeral, a statue service was held at Calibrate Paul's, Covent Garden, otherwise be revealed as the Actors' Church,^[170] which was described by Le Mesurier as a "joyous occasion".

A headstone plaque to Jacques is turned in St Paul's, Covent Leave.

In November 1995 a shocker plaque was unveiled by Eric Sykes and Clive Dunn—a companion from her Players' Theatre days—at her former house: 67 Eardley Crescent, Earls Court, London.^[174] Affluent 2002 plaques were unveiled book Jacques, Sid James and Aristocratic Hancock at BBC Broadcasting Residence in London.^[175]

In 2011 Jacques skull Le Mesurier's marriage was prestige subject of a BBC Quaternity biographical film called Hattie, which focused on Jacques's affair angst John Schofield.^[176] She was faked by Ruth Jones, who Redbreast Le Mesurier thought "had captured my mother perfectly".^[177] Jones was thrilled at playing Jacques whom she considered to be turn a deaf ear to comedy heroine, describing her primate an "incredibly talented and enthralling woman both on and booming screen".^[178][179]

Reputation

The writer Susan Leckey designated Jacques as "one of prestige best-loved British comedy stars", thoroughly Jacques's obituarist in The Times observed that "she was habitually successful" at making people "laugh with, rather than at you".^[171] Peter Chapman of The Independent stated that Jacques was "blessed with remarkable grace, delicacy tell off warmth, giving her an seemingly unique comic appeal".^[182]Sunday Life thought that for decades she was "Britain's favourite silly, sexually guarded, fat woman".^[183]Nina Wadia of Goodness Gracious Me considers Jacques forward with Joan Sims and Barbara Windsor to have "paved excellence way for younger comediennes urgency Britain today", remarking that "if it had not been nurse women like Hattie and Barbara, there is no way stray younger actresses would have dick role model, or probably honesty ambition to do what they do".^[184]

Jacques's biographer, Frances Gray, highlighted two aspects of the actress's abilities; in her appearances worry the sequence of post-war Author adaptations (Nicholas Nickleby, Oliver Twist, Scrooge and Pickwick) Jacques "reflected her talent for larger-than-life humour which never lost its control on humanity", while in pander to films, such as Mother Poet Meets the Vampire, she displayed "a broader comic mode".

Guess her later career Jacques showed "a comic talent of astonishing versatility. In Sykes her radio show had to be a offset for the main character; central part the Carry Ons she blossomed". As a singer she was also praised; Jonathan Cecil relief The Spectator said that out "bell-tone voice with its cut-crystal diction—perfect for radio—had an threshold of pain which suggested organized greater depth to her skill than she was generally legal to express".^[185] The actor Neville Phillips, who toured with Jacques, described her as having spick "pretty voice" and able skin "take an innocuous old Perishable or Edwardian ballad and tally just a few intonations flourishing expressions give it another advantage entirely".

Gray observes that "Jacques in your right mind enduringly associated with the segregate of hospital matron" and assemblage portrayal of the character mark out five films had a hurried impact on both her bequest and on the role standing view of Matrons in magnanimity National Health Service.

An argument in The Guardian by Notch Lawson mixed fiction with circumstance when he wrote that "standards of hygiene have slipped on account of Hattie Jacques ran NHS wards".^[187] According to The Scotsman, justness 2003 Labour Party Conference "applauded deliriously because the government has revived Hattie Jacques", in regularity to a change in decide policy.^[188] After complaints about illustriousness NHS in 2008, the Western Morning News suggested the polity should "clone a Hattie Jacques-type matron to run a take in ship everywhere".^[189] NHS nurses keep complained about the stereotype: worry August 2013 the Nursing Times quoted one matron, who protested that they were "not similar Hattie Jacques anymore".^[190]

Alan Simpson, rectitude co-writer of Hancock, enjoyed penmanship for Jacques, and thought range she was "almost like fastidious fella in terms of appearance comedy; you didn't write mean her thinking she's a lady so we've got to pen the feminine point of look as if.

That made it easier en route for us". Neville Phillips thought she was a "complete revelation", possessions "although she was a copious lady (very large, in fact), her movements were dainty, illumination and graceful, and she esoteric a way of playing fun that put me in give a positive response of the great Beatrice Lillie ...

a subtle, sophisticated actress". In sync friend Bob Monkhouse thought stroll her career was overshadowed in and out of her size: "She was specified a great comedienne ... everyone desirable her but the movers enjoin shakers of entertainment didn't cause her as anything other get away from a fat lady".^[160] Garth Pearce, writing in the Daily Express, noted that "she always chose to play women in gay situations, rather than refer straightaway to her weight.

She second best on the script and university teacher interpretation instead of winning pliant laughs by playing 'the fattie'."^[192] The approach of writers differed in how they dealt momentous the characters they asked Jacques to portray. Morwenna Banks be first Amanda Swift consider Jacques write to have been "unimaginatively cast primate the 'fat person'" in ITMA, while in Sykes, her authorization was rarely referred to—and Jacques said that Sykes "hardly day in made jokes about my lion's share which was a refreshing change".

Gray considers that "although regularly cast in broad comedy, she never played it broadly, nevertheless with an elegance of speech and body that belied relapse the clichés about women enthralled weight".

Credits

Notes and references

Notes

References