Book description
For over thirty years Hattie Jacques was a familiar presence on radio
(Hancock's Half Hour), television (60 episodes of Sykes alone) and
film (she was a stalwart of the Carry On series). But her stage
persona of a buxom, masterful female dragon who, both literally and
figuratively, carried all before her (the formidable matron of Carry
On, Nurse was a typical role) could hardly have been more at odds with
her off-stage personality. Warm, impetuous and generous to a fault,
she was almost pathetically grateful for any show of affection and
painfully self-conscious about her figure which, she believed, had
caused her to be type-cast in comic roles and never given the
opportunity to tackle more serious parts.
In 1947, after a tempestuous wartime affair with an American
officer, she married the actor John Le Mesurier who was persuaded to
divorce her in 1965 - though only after she had moved her
chauffeur-lover into the marital home. It was, however typical of her
that she actively encouraged Le Mesurier to remarry and the two
remained firm friends until her death. Her lover's subsequent
desertion was a bitter blow from which she never fully recovered,
though she compensated my involving herself deeply in charity work and
becoming a confidante to many of the young actors and actresses with
whom she worked.
This biography has been written with the help and encouragement of
Hattie's surviving son and her many friends, including Barbara
Windsor, Clive Dunn, Bill Pertwee and John Le Mesurier.
Andy Merriman is the son of the legendary radio scriptwriter Eric
Merriman and has himself written for both radio and television. His
previous books include A Minor Adjustment, a biography of his daughter
Sarah, who has Down's syndrome.
