"Scream Queen" Hazel Court Dies At 82

LOS ANGELES — Hazel Court, an English actress who co-starred with the likes of Boris Karloff and Vincent Price in popular horror movies of the 1950s and '60s, has died. She was 82.

Court died early Tuesday of a heart attack at her home near Lake Tahoe, daughter Sally Walsh said Wednesday.

While she had a substantial acting career both in England and on American TV, Court was perhaps best known for her work in such films as 1963's "The Raven." She co-starred with Price, Karloff and Peter Lorre in director Roger Corman's take on the classic Edgar Allan Poe poem.

Corman directed her in five movies. Like other "scream queens" of the era, Court often relied on her cleavage and her ability to shriek in fear and die horrible deaths for her roles.

"The Premature Burial," "The Masque of the Red Death," "The Curse of Frankenstein" and "Devil Girl from Mars" helped propel her to cult status and brought her fan mail even in her later years.

"She'd probably get over 100 pieces of fan mail a month and she would reply to every single one," her daughter said.

Court had finished an autobiography, "Hazel Court _ Horror Queen," which will be published in Britain, Walsh said.

The daughter of a professional cricket player, Court was born Feb. 10, 1926, in the English town of Sutton Coldfield. As a teenager, she was appearing in stage productions when she was spotted and signed by the J. Arthur Rank Organisation, which owned movie studios and theaters.

She got her first movie bit part by the time she was 18 and went on to become a popular actress and pinup girl, her daughter said.

"She was one of the great beauties of all time," Walsh said. "She was a redhead with really green eyes and almost ... the perfect face. She was on the cover of almost every magazine."

Court co-starred with Patrick O'Neal in the 1957 British TV comedy series "Dick and the Duchess." In the late 1950s, she came to the United States to work on the TV show "Alfred Hitchcock Presents."

Besides acting, Court was a commissioned sculptor and painter whose works appeared in public galleries.

Court is survived by daughters Walsh and Courtney Taylor, son Jonathan Taylor and stepdaughters Anne Taylor Fleming and Avery Taylor.

(This version CORRECTS 'apply' to 'reply'.)

Comments

[MizJ]

We had "The Late, Late, Late Show" many years ago. They used to play a movie that ran in the theaters for 100 minutes crammed into a 1 hour show. Plus commercials!! I watched them because I was up feeding newborns and the station would hack it up so badly you had no idea of the plot and nothing made sense. Of course at that hour with a feeding infant anything was a welcome distraction.

[QueenCeleste]

I love the old horror movies. I don't recall Miss Court, but I'm sure I've seen her in many a film. May she rest in peace. We will never see the likes of these actors and actresses again, I fear.

[Gasparilla]

Speaking of horror films, the original House on Haunted Hill was great, cheesy special effects, but they knew how to write scripts then to heighten the tension. Most horror films now are a joke.

[tcpgh]

So long! RIP.

[BlueandGreen]

Hazel Court was fab! She always looked great in those bodice-ripping, melodramatic horror movies ... they were such fun. RIP, Hazel.

[shinybear]

She played the great Satanic bitch goddess ever in "The Masque of Red Death".

She was fabulous.

[Economike]

Hot photo

[Charity]

when i was growing up in the 50s one of my favorite shows - if not short-lived, if i recall - was "Dick and the Duchess." i had long forgotten who starred next to Hazel Court (i was nine when the show was broadcast in America), so i see here in this obit that it was Patrick O'Neal.

my dad simply LOVED Hazel Court, wouldn't miss an episode, and i remember it as being a light, frothy comedy. i also remember that she was ever so the "duchess" - classy, english, very pretty.

strangely enough, i barely remember her in all the horror films, though i've seen most of them listed here.

to me, she will always remain that very classy woman on "Dick and the Duchess." RIP, Ms. Court.

[Sylvester]

One of my early heart throbs, she could do comedy or drama equally well and had an elegance that is sadly lacking in today's actresses. I too remember her in Dick and the Duchess, particularly a scene in court where she climbed a ladder to demonstrate a point about driving down a one-way street. She was also Robert Lansing's paramour in Twelve O'Clock High. She was so beautiful; this news has made me quite sad.
Rest in Peace, dear lady.

[Lucille]

AMC still shows Vincent Price movies a couple times a year and I'm sure I've seen Ms. Court in a few of them. Rest in peace.

[maca]

Meant to say "on local tv" above.

[WRPrintz]

RIP Lenore, we will quote the raven, nevermore.

I first saw Hazel as a young man, watching "The Raven" on Fritz the Night Owl (late show), which seems like 100 years ago. She was stunning and the film was great (in the mind of a 10 year old, anyway).

A true talent, she will be missed.

[maca]

Wow, another Columbus-ite. I miss "Fritz the Nite Owl". In fact, I miss the whole concept of local television, which has vanished under our corporate-owned FCC.

The last time I remember seeing a Vincent Price movie on tv, it was Masque of the Red Death on "Fright Night", a horror movie show on the low power channnel WO8BV. This would have been around 1985.

[chery]

In Milwaukee, we had Dr. Cadaverino! Always a great reason to get together to share soda and pizza on a weekend, with our favorite horror flicks! Kept us off the streets too!