On This Day 4 October 1919 Hy Hazel was born in Streatham. The family lived in Leigham Court Road and Valley Road
Hy Hazell (4 October 1919 – 10 May 1970), born in Streatham as Hyacinth Hazell O'Higgins, was a British actress of theatre, musicals and revue as well as a contralto singer and film actress . Allmusic described her as "an exuberant comic actor and lively singer and dancer". A pretty brunette, with long legs, she was billed as Britain's answer to Betty Grable.
She was also blessed with an excellent singing voice and seemingly boundless energy. Educated at Mountview, Streatham and privately tutored for acting by Miss E.C. Massey and Mrs Grandison-Clark, she began her stage career as a teen in a 1937 West End chorus line of "On Your Toes" at the Palace Theatre.
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. Within the British tradition of having glamorous young women play the principal boy in pantos, she became a favourite. She established a reputation as "English pantomime's most distinguished post war principal boy". For years she was extremely popular in this seasonal form of theatre.
She choked to death in a restaurant in Westminster, London, on a piece of steak. At the time she was playing the part of 'Goldie' in a West End production of 'Fiddler on the Roof
Hy Hazell (4 October 1919 – 10 May 1970), born in Streatham as Hyacinth Hazell O'Higgins, was a British actress of theatre, musicals and revue as well as a contralto singer and film actress . Allmusic described her as "an exuberant comic actor and lively singer and dancer". A pretty brunette, with long legs, she was billed as Britain's answer to Betty Grable.
She was also blessed with an excellent singing voice and seemingly boundless energy. Educated at Mountview, Streatham and privately tutored for acting by Miss E.C. Massey and Mrs Grandison-Clark, she began her stage career as a teen in a 1937 West End chorus line of "On Your Toes" at the Palace Theatre.
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. Within the British tradition of having glamorous young women play the principal boy in pantos, she became a favourite. She established a reputation as "English pantomime's most distinguished post war principal boy". For years she was extremely popular in this seasonal form of theatre.
She choked to death in a restaurant in Westminster, London, on a piece of steak. At the time she was playing the part of 'Goldie' in a West End production of 'Fiddler on the Roof
