Editing Hattie Jacques (section)

==Biography==

===Early life: 1922–1944===
{{multiple image | align = right| direction = vertical | header_align = center | footer_align = left | footer_background = | image1 = Hattie Jacques Sandgate blue plaque.jpg| width1 = 200 | caption1 = [[Blue plaque]] at the house where Jacques was born: 125 High Street, [[Sandgate, Kent]]|alt1=blue plaque commemorating Hattie Jacques | image2 = 125 High Street, Sandgate (2).JPG |width2 = 200 |caption2 =125 High Street, Sandgate}}

Jacques was born Josephine Edwina Jaques on 7 February 1922 at 125 Sandgate High Street, [[Sandgate, Kent]].{{sfn|Merriman|2007|p=1}} She was the youngest child of Robin Rochester Jaques, an officer in the [[British Army]] and later a [[flying officer]] in the [[Royal Air Force]], and Mary Jaques ({{nee}} Thorn), a nurse who served in the [[Voluntary Aid Detachment]] (VAD).{{sfn|Merriman|2007|p=2}}{{efn|Robin was born into relative affluence in [[Newcastle upon Tyne]]. His father Joseph Rochester Jaques was a billiard room manager from [[Northumberland]] who married Florence King, the daughter of a Devon-born bookseller.{{sfn|Merriman|2007|p=2}} Hattie's maternal grandfather Joseph Thorn (1875–?){{sfn|Merriman|2007|p=8}} was a jeweller who lived at 65 Brompton Road in London. The address is notable today for being the current business premises of the upmarket jewellers [[Mappin & Webb]].{{sfn|Merriman|2007|p=8}}}}

The Jaques family were predominantly non-theatrical, with the exception of Mary who appeared in the small role of Harry Hathaway in the Christmas [[pantomime]] ''[[Robinson Crusoe]]'' at the Palace Theatre, [[Cologne]], in 1920.{{sfn|Merriman|2007|pp=2–3}} Mary enjoyed the theatre, and took Jacques to live performances from an early age. The result had a "profound effect" on the young girl, particularly a love of dance.{{sfn|Merriman|2007|p=12}} Robin Rochester Jaques, who attained the rank of [[flight lieutenant]] with the RAF, was a keen sportsman and became a semi-professional footballer. He signed to [[Clapton Orient]] and [[Fulham F.C.]], but his career was cut short when he died in a flying accident on 8 August 1923.{{sfn|Merriman|2007|pp=4–5}}{{sfn|Joyce|2004|p=137}} Upon his death, Mary, Jacques and her elder brother [[Robin Jacques|Robin]] moved from [[Newton, Lincolnshire|Newton]] in [[Lincolnshire]] to London,{{sfn|Merriman|2007|p=6}} where Jacques was sent to the Lady Margaret primary school in Chelsea. In July 1930 Jacques started her secondary schooling at the [[Godolphin and Latymer School]] in [[Hammersmith]],<ref name="D Tel: Lewis" />{{sfn|Merriman|2007|p=13}} and also attended a local dance school, the Dean Sisters Academy, where she was a principal dancer in the academy's shows.{{sfn|Merriman|2007|p=13}} She left Godolphin and Latymer in the summer of 1939 with unremarkable grades.{{sfn|Merriman|2007|p=17}} She continued intermittently with amateur theatricals, and in May 1939 appeared with the Curtain Club in Barnes in productions of ''[[Fumed Oak]]'' and ''Borgia''.{{sfn|Merriman|2007|p=16}}

At the outbreak of the [[Second World War]] Jacques became a nurse in the [[Voluntary Aid Detachment]] (VAD); she served in a mobile unit in London, attending bombed sites during [[the Blitz]].{{sfn|Merriman|2007|pp=17–18}} After a reorganisation in the VAD,{{efn|The VAD mobile units, based in communal air raid shelters and [[London Underground]] stations, were discontinued in June 1942.{{sfn|Merriman|2007|p=19}}}} Jacques sought new work and, in the summer of 1943, she became a [[welder]] in a factory in north London,{{sfn|Merriman|2007|p=22}} a job that lasted until the end of the year.{{sfn|Merriman|2007|p=23}} Around this time she became romantically involved with an American soldier, Major Charles Kearney. Jacques later claimed that the pair had been engaged and that Kearney had been killed in action,{{sfn|Merriman|2007|p=35}} although her biographer, Andy Merriman, discovered that Kearney had a wife and children in the United States when he had proposed to Jacques, and had returned to them after the war.<ref name="D Tel: Lewis" />{{efn|The couple last saw each other in March 1945, and last corresponded with each other in May of the same year.{{sfn|Merriman|2007|pp=33–34}}}}

===Early post-war work: 1944–1950===
In 1944, after being auditioned by [[Leonard Sachs]],{{sfn|Merriman|2007|p=31}} Jacques made her professional theatrical debut as Josephine Jacques{{sfn|Merriman|2007|p=40}}—adding a "c" to her birth name as she did so{{sfn|Merriman|2007|p=24}}{{efn|Her brother also changed his name at the same time.{{sfn|Merriman|2007|p=23}}}}—at the [[Players' Theatre]], London in a revue called ''Late Joys''.{{sfn|Sheridan|1952|p=41}} Almost immediately she became a regular performer with the company, appearing in [[music hall]] revues and playing the [[Fairy Queen]] in their Victorian-style pantomimes.<ref name="D Tel: Lewis" /> Her biographer, Frances Gray, described the Players' as being Jacques's drama school, as she acted, directed, wrote lyrics and "developed the persona she was to use in pantomime for years, the large, bossy, but vulnerable fairy queen".{{sfn|Gray|2004}} It was while appearing in a ''Late Joys'' revue in June 1946 that she made her debut on television, when the show was broadcast on the [[BBC]].{{sfn|Merriman|2007|pp=40 & 224}} While appearing at the Players' in 1946 she acquired the nickname "Hattie" after performing in the [[minstrel show]] ''Coal Black Mammies for Dixie''. A member of the backstage staff compared her "blacked up" appearance with the American actress [[Hattie McDaniel]], known for her work in ''[[Gone with the Wind (film)|Gone with the Wind]]'', and Jacques adopted the name for the rest of her life.{{sfn|Merriman|2007|p=40}}{{efn|Although Jacques confirmed this version of the origin of her name, another story was that the dancer and singer Josephine Gordon named Jacques as such after the musical ''[[Panama Hattie]]'', while yet another version relates that she was given the name because of the extravagant hats she wore on stage at the Players'.{{sfn|Merriman|2007|pp=40–41}}}}

{{Quote box|bgcolor=#E0E6F8|align=left|quote="It was planned that I should play a character named 'Ella Phant'. Ted thought the laughs would come on the size gags but, being radio, and coupled with the fact my voice didn't have the timbre of a 'heavy', that didn't really work out&nbsp;... A large lady with a little voice hit the spot, so 'Sophie Tuckshop' was born—the terrible child who never stopped eating".|source=Jacques on her role in ''[[It's That Man Again]]''{{sfn|Kavanagh|1970|p=136}}|width=200px|salign=right}}

Jacques made her big-screen debut, briefly and uncredited, in the 1946 film ''[[Green for Danger (film)|Green for Danger]]'', directed by [[Sidney Gilliat]].{{sfn|Merriman|2007|p=56}} In December that year, she joined the [[Young Vic#Young Vic Theatre|Young Vic Theatre Company]] and played Smeraldina in ''The King Stag''. The play ran at the [[Lyric Theatre (Hammersmith)|Lyric Theatre]] for a month before going on a five-month tour of the UK.{{sfn|Merriman|2007|p=44}} It received favourable reviews; the ''[[Gloucestershire Echo]]'' described the piece as "a noble play", and thought that Jacques was "very solidly in step".<ref name="Glos Echo: Stag" /> In March 1947 [[Alberto Cavalcanti]]'s film ''[[Nicholas Nickleby (1947 film)|Nicholas Nickleby]]'' was released, in which Jacques had her first credited big-screen role as Mrs Kenwick.<ref name="BFI: Filmog" /> While engaged at the Players' in June 1947, Jacques was introduced to the actor [[John Le Mesurier]] and the two began a relationship. Le Mesurier was married but estranged from his wife.{{sfn|McCann|2010|p=114}}

[[File:The Laugh!- the Recording of the Radio Comedy 'itma', London, England, UK, 1945 D24424.jpg|thumb|right|''[[ITMA]]'', during a wartime recording session]]
In August 1947 [[Ted Kavanagh]], the scriptwriter of the [[BBC Home Service]] show ''[[It's That Man Again]]'' (''ITMA''), visited the Players' and invited Jacques to audition for the series, which she did on 18 September, for a fee of five [[Guinea (British coin)|guineas]].{{sfn|Merriman|2007|pp=53–54}} She became so nervous during the audition that [[Tommy Handley]], the show's star, held her hand, which she found made her more nervous.{{sfn|Kavanagh|1970|p=136}} Jacques joined the cast of ''ITMA'' as the greedy schoolgirl Sophie Tuckshop,{{sfn|Merriman|2007|pp=54 & 223}} where she "would regale listeners with terrifying accounts of epic binges",{{sfn|Gray|2004}} before finishing her stories with the catchphrase "But I'm alright now".{{sfn|Gifford|1978|p=269}} Jacques started her run in ''ITMA'' in September 1947, at the beginning of series eleven, which ran for 38 episodes,{{sfn|Foster|Furst|1999|pp=37–38}} and was paid ten guineas per episode.{{sfn|Merriman|2007|p=55}}

For much of 1948 Jacques continued to record episodes of ''ITMA'' for half the week, while spending evenings in the Players' Theatre; she also found time during the spring to record the role of Flora in ''[[No, No, Nanette]]'' for the BBC{{sfn|Briggs|1961|p=206}} and appear at the [[Whitehall Theatre]] in ''Bates Wharf'' with the Under Thirty Theatre Group.{{sfn|Merriman|2007|pp=55 & 224}} Later that year she appeared as a singer at the Three Cripples tavern in the [[David Lean]] film ''[[Oliver Twist (1948 film)|Oliver Twist]]''.<ref name="BFI: Filmog" /> In September she started recording her second series of ''ITMA''—the show's twelfth{{sfn|Foster|Furst|1999|pp=37–38}}—before returning to the Players' for the Christmas pantomime, ''The Sleeping Beauty in the Wood''.{{sfn|Sheridan|1952|p=93}} In the latter performance, ''[[The Times]]'' commented that Jacques "must surely be among the funniest fairies" in her role as the Fairy Queen Antedota—which was one of her favourite parts.{{sfn|Merriman|2007|p=56}}<ref name="Times: Sleeping Beauty 1948" />

Tommy Handley died suddenly on 9 January 1949; the BBC decided that he was "so much the keystone and embodiment of the actual performance" of ''ITMA'', that they cancelled the show immediately.{{sfn|Took|2004}} Jacques later remarked that Handley was "one of the greatest radio performers we have ever known. I learned&nbsp;... so much from him".{{sfn|Kavanagh|1970|p=136}} Later that year Le Mesurier divorced his wife; shortly after the divorce came through, Jacques proposed to him, asking, "don't you think it's about time we got married?"{{sfn|Le Mesurier|1984|p=71}} The couple wed on 10 November that year, at Kensington Registrar's Office.{{sfn|Merriman|2007|p=60}}<ref>[[General Register Office for England and Wales|General Register Office]], ''England and Wales Civil Registration Indexes'', volume 5c, p. 2328.</ref> After a week's honeymoon in [[Southsea]],{{sfn|Le Mesurier|1984|p=71}} she returned to the Players' where she was engaged to appear as Marrygolda in the Christmas pantomime ''[[Beauty and the Beast]]''.{{sfn|Sheridan|1952|p=73}}

===Increasing fame: 1950–1958===
In the early months of 1950 ''[[Chance of a Lifetime (1950 film)|Chance of a Lifetime]]'' was released into British cinemas; it was a film in which Jacques "really made her mark", according to her biographer, Andy Merriman.{{sfn|Merriman|2007|p=61}} ''Chance of a Lifetime'' is a social and [[industrial relations]] drama based in a plough factory whose manager cedes control to the workforce. Jacques played Alice, a welder: when she was offered her fee for 17 days filming, she replied "I've done this job welding [[Bailey Bridge|Bailey]] and Pontoon Bridges and I know how hard it is. That's not enough money!" and the offer was raised accordingly.{{sfn|Merriman|2007|p=62}} The film critic Geoff Mayer considered that Jacques had "the best scene in the film with her mock seductive dance in front of an angry [[Niall MacGinnis|[Niall] MacGinnis]]".{{sfn|Mayer|2003|pp=61–62}}

On 6 June 1950 Jacques was cast in the first episode of the weekly radio show ''[[Educating Archie]]'' as Agatha Dinglebody. The "Archie" of the title was the [[ventriloquism|ventriloquist]]'s dummy [[Archie Andrews (puppet)|Archie Andrews]], operated by [[Peter Brough]]. The first series ran for 29 weeks until 19 December.{{sfn|Foster|Furst|1999|pp=128–29}} In the show Jacques appeared alongside [[Max Bygraves]], [[Julie Andrews]], [[Beryl Reid]] and—in the second series—[[Tony Hancock]].{{sfn|Barfe|2009|p=47}} It was on this programme that she first worked with [[Eric Sykes]], who was providing scripts for the series. Sykes had been impressed with Jacques since he visited the Players' in 1948. He later wrote that she "moved about the stage with an elegance and grace as if she owned it. At the end of her act, to great applause, she leapt in the air, finishing in the splits, landing as softly as a snowflake in July".{{sfn|Sykes|2003|p=100}} After the show Sykes was introduced to Jacques backstage and thought that the meeting was "the beginning of a new flight" in his professional life.{{sfn|Sykes|2005|p=231}} At the end of the series Jacques returned to the Players' to appear in the Christmas pantomime, ''Ali Baba and the Thirty-nine Thieves'', which she and [[Joan Sterndale-Bennett]] had adapted after they had copied it out long-hand at the [[British Museum]].{{sfn|Kavanagh|1970|p=75}} The reviewer in ''The Times'' thought that Jacques was "as appealing as last year",<ref name="Times: Ali Baba" /> in her performance as [[Ali Baba]]'s wife, Cogia.{{sfn|Merriman|2007|p=63}}

Throughout 1951 Jacques continued to mix work in different media, including appearing as Mrs Fezziwig in the film ''[[Scrooge (1951 film)|Scrooge]]'' starring [[Alastair Sim]];{{sfn|Merriman|2007|p=64}} from 3 August until 25 January 1952 she appeared in a second radio series of ''Educating Archie'',{{sfn|Foster|Furst|1999|p=131}} as well as appearing in the related stage show, ''The Archie Andrews Christmas Show'' at the [[Prince of Wales Theatre]] from December 1952 to January 1953.{{sfn|Merriman|2007|pp=222–23}} She again appeared in—and co-adapted—a Christmas pantomime at the Players' Theatre, ''[[Riquet with the Tuft]]'', a French [[fairy tale]] by [[Charles Perrault]].{{sfn|Sheridan|1952|p=73}}{{efn|Her other appearances included on radio, with ''Calling All Forces'',{{sfn|Merriman|2007|p=224}} ''Fine Goings On''{{sfn|Foster|Furst|1999|pp=137–38}} and ''Further Goings On'';{{sfn|Merriman|2007|p=224}} on stage she also appeared with the Players' in ''Apartments'', ''The Crystal Palace—1851'' and ''[[Going Up (musical)|Going Up]]''.{{sfn|Sheridan|1952|p=94}}}} In 1952 Jacques also portrayed Mrs Jenks in [[John Gilling]]'s comedy horror film ''[[Mother Riley Meets the Vampire]]'', co-starring [[Arthur Lucan]] and [[Bela Lugosi]].{{sfn|Rhodes|2006|p=39}}

[[File:Terry-Thomas in Where Were You When the Lights Went Out.jpg|thumb|upright|right|[[Terry-Thomas]], with whom Jacques appeared on stage and in film]]
Jacques became pregnant in 1952, but worked through most of her pregnancy, appearing in the Players' revue ''The Bells of St Martins'' between August and November 1952: she slid down the table and did the splits at the end{{sfn|Merriman|2007|p=74}}—something ''The Times'' thought was "especially good",<ref name="Times: Bells of St Martins" /> although ''[[The Guardian|The Manchester Guardian]]'' considered that she was "monumental of person but surprisingly thin of voice".<ref name="Guardian: Bells of St Martins" /> Le Mesurier reported that he was "faintly relieved" when the revue came to an end because of her exertions,{{sfn|Le Mesurier|1984|pp=71–72}} added to which she appeared in the 27 episodes of the third series of ''Educating Archie'' between September 1952 and June 1953.{{sfn|Foster|Furst|1999|pp=131–32}}{{efn|The series was split into two parts: 18 September 1952&nbsp;– 12 February 1953 and 21 May&nbsp;– 26 June 1953{{sfn|Foster|Furst|1999|pp=131–32}}}} She then directed—but did not appear in—the Players' Christmas pantomime of 1952, ''[[Babes in the Wood]]''. In March 1953 Jacques gave birth to her first son, Robin, and returned to work after a few days to film ''[[Up to His Neck]]''.{{sfn|Merriman|2007|p=75}}{{sfn|Le Mesurier|1984|p=72}} Later that year she provided the lead alongside Le Mesurier in the 38-minute "movie-[[masque]]" ''[[The Pleasure Garden (1953 film)|The Pleasure Garden]]''; filmed in 1952, it won the {{Lang|fr|Prix de Fantasie Poétique}} at the 1954 [[Cannes Film Festival]].<ref name="BFI:Pleasure Gdn" /> From October until April 1954 she was in series four of ''Educating Archie'',{{sfn|Foster|Furst|1999|p=132}} while in December 1953 she also appeared in and directed ''[[Cinderella]]'' at the Players'; ''The Times'' commented that "Miss Jacques as actress, playing a deliciously arch and absent-minded Fairy Queen, goes a long way to retrieve the failure of Miss Jacques as dramatist".<ref name="Times: Cinderella" />

In 1954 Jacques continued to work on radio. Between April and July she was in ''Paradise Street'', a spin-off series from ''Educating Archie'', while in June she was in ''Archie in Goonland'', a one-off special programme that was a collaboration between ''Educating Archie'' and ''[[The Goon Show]]''.{{sfn|Gifford|1985|p=18}}{{efn|The programme was also the first collaboration between the two writers [[Eric Sykes]] and [[Spike Milligan]].{{sfn|Foster|Furst|1999|p=131}}}} As well as recording in series five of ''Educating Archie'', she was also cast as Mrs Leathers for 18 episodes of ''[[Mrs Dale's Diary]]'' between February and April 1955.{{sfn|Merriman|2007|p=79}} She both produced and directed ''Twenty Minutes South'', first at the Players' Theatre, and then for 105 performances at the [[St Martin's Theatre]] and finished the year by appearing in seven episodes of ''The Granville Melodramas'' on [[ITV (TV network)|ITV]] between October and December.{{sfn|Merriman|2007|pp=222–25}}{{sfn|Herbert|1978|p=774}}

A second pregnancy led to the birth of a son, Kim, "who came rollicking and laughing into the world in October 1956, a trifle before his allotted time", according to Le Mesurier.{{sfn|Le Mesurier|1984|p=74}} In June 1956 Jacques appeared in an episode of ''[[The Tony Hancock Show]]'' on ITV; this led to the role of Hancock's secretary, Griselda Pugh, in the BBC radio series ''[[Hancock's Half Hour]]''. She appeared in 16 episodes from November 1956 to February 1957, alongside Hancock and regulars [[Sid James|Sidney James]], [[Bill Kerr]] and [[Kenneth Williams]].{{sfn|Merriman|2007|p=84}}{{sfn|Webber|2004|p=111}}{{efn|Jacques joined as part of the storyline of episode five of the fourth series of the radio programme.{{sfn|Foster|Furst|1999|p=189}}}} Jacques's arrival on ''Hancock'' "provided an additional boost to the series", according to television historian Richard Webber.{{sfn|Webber|2004|p=111}} She appeared again in five further episodes of ''Hancock's Half Hour'' between April and June 1957,{{sfn|Webber|2004|pp=247–51}} and again for a further 20 episodes between January and June 1958,{{sfn|Webber|2004|pp=218–29}} before a special edition on Christmas Day 1958.{{sfn|Webber|2004|p=229}} She spent much of 1958 at the [[London Palladium]], undertaking 380 performances of the revue ''Large as Life'', alongside [[Terry-Thomas]], Eric Sykes and [[Harry Secombe]].{{sfn|Merriman|2007|pp=92–93}} She appeared in the sketches "Concerto for Three Buffoons" with Secombe and Sykes, "[[The Good Old Days (UK TV series)|The Good Old Days]]", and the two full company numbers that closed each of the two halves of the show.<ref name="LaL Programme"/>

===The ''Carry On'' series: 1958–1963===
When the first ''[[Carry On (film series)|Carry On]]'' film was made in 1958, Jacques formed part of the cast. This series would go on to employ the same group of actors who would collectively become known as the "[[List of Carry On films cast members|Carry On team]]". Jacques appeared in 14 of these films over a 15-year period{{sfn|Snelgrove|2003|p=59}} and like many of her ''Carry On'' co-stars, she quickly became typecast. A recurring role for Jacques was a no-nonsense matron which she played in five of the films – ''[[Carry On Nurse]]'',{{sfn|Ross|2005|p=22}} ''[[Carry On Doctor]]'',{{sfn|Ross|2005|p=88}} ''[[Carry On Again Doctor]]'',{{sfn|Ross|2005|p=104}} ''[[Carry On Camping]]''{{sfn|Ross|2005|p=100}} and ''[[Carry On Matron]]''.{{sfn|Ross|2005|p=136}} She became known by the team as a "Mother Hen" figure,{{sfn|Goddard|2012|p=64}} and was a close friend to many of her co-stars, including Kenneth Williams and [[Joan Sims]], whom Jacques provided with a great deal of advice and practical help. In return, Sims regarded Jacques as her "greatest friend", and as "both a sister and a mother to me".{{sfn|Sims|2000|p=173}}{{sfn|Goddard|2012|p=64}} Jacques would frequently invite Sims, Williams and Hawtrey to her house for Christmas dinner.{{sfn|Goddard|2012|p=64}}

Jacques began her association with the ''Carry On'' series in March 1958{{sfn|Snelgrove|2003|p=105}} with the first film in the series, ''[[Carry On Sergeant]]''.{{sfn|Ross|2005|p=141}} She played the small role of Captain Clark, a "[[Battle-axe (woman)|battleaxe]] medical officer"{{sfn|Hartley|2013|p=493}} who fails to believe the fabricated ailments of the [[hypochondriac]] Private Horace Strong, played by [[Kenneth Connor]].{{sfn|Ross|2005|p=16}} The following year she played "Matron" for the first time{{sfn|Ross|2005|p=22}} in ''Carry On Nurse'', a film which broke that year's box office records, selling more than 10&nbsp;million tickets in British cinemas.{{sfn|Ross|2005|p=26}}{{sfn|Webber|2008|p=50}} Although Jacques's role was still relatively small, she appeared in perhaps the best known scene of the film, in which she retrieves a daffodil from [[Wilfrid Hyde-White]]'s buttocks, put there by a mischievous nurse as revenge for his constant harassment of the staff.{{sfn|Ross|2005|p=23}} So popular was Jacques's scene, that the producers imported two million plastic daffodils from Japan which were then used to promote the comedy.{{sfn|Snelgrove|2003|p=11}} Other characterisations followed, including the formidable maths mistress Grace Short in ''[[Carry On Teacher]]'' (1959){{sfn|Ross|2005|p=28}} and the friendly Police Sergeant Laura Moon in ''[[Carry On Constable]]'' (1960).{{sfn|Ross|2005|p=32}} Of the former film, Derek Prouse of ''[[The Sunday Times]]'' thought that Jacques "triumph[ed] over material so remorselessly juvenile that one is battered into a kind of fascinated admiration".<ref name="SX: Teacher" />

On 29 January 1960 Jacques appeared in the first episode of the BBC comedy series ''[[Sykes and a...]]'', co-starring with Eric Sykes as a pair of twins; [[Richard Wattis]] and [[Deryck Guyler]] were also regulars in the cast.{{efn|Wattis's role, Charles Brown, was originally offered to Le Mesurier, but he turned down the role as he wanted "to make it on&nbsp;... [his] own" without his wife's help.{{sfn|Le Mesurier|1984|p=73}} }} Jacques's character—Hattie (Hat) Sykes—was "a middle-class, slightly pretentious lady struggling to keep her dignity as the men made fools of themselves".{{sfn|Gray|2004}} ''Sykes and a...'' went on to run for sixty episodes over nine series during the next five years.{{sfn|Merriman|2007|p=112}} According to the media historian Graham McCann, the show was "one of the best-natured, least pretentious and most successful British sitcoms of the 1960s".{{sfn|McCann|2007|p=209}} Because of the success, Jacques and Sykes "became embedded in the public mind as a priceless comic partnership";<ref name="BFI: Sykes and a" /> to capitalise, they released a comedy album entitled ''Eric and Hattie and Things<nowiki>!!!</nowiki>'', but it failed to chart.{{sfn|Debenham|1988|p=303}} In September 1960 she starred in her second television series, ''[[Our House (1960 TV series)|Our House]]'', alongside [[Charles Hawtrey (actor born 1914)|Charles Hawtrey]], [[Bernard Bresslaw]] and Joan Sims; Jacques played the librarian Georgina Ruddy, who was forced to keep quiet at work and so made up for it by being extremely noisy at home.{{sfn|Lewisohn|1998|p=521}}{{efn|The first series ran until December 1960; a second series ran from September 1961 to April 1962.{{sfn|Lewisohn|1998|p=521}}}} Later that year she played minor roles in two films: ''[[Watch Your Stern]]'', with many of the ''Carry On'' regulars, and ''[[School for Scoundrels (1960 film)|School for Scoundrels]]'', opposite [[Ian Carmichael]]. After these her screen time increased with the part of Nanette Parry in ''[[Make Mine Mink]]'' in which she co-starred with Terry-Thomas and [[Athene Seyler]]. She later described this as her favourite film.{{sfn|Merriman|2007|pp=94–95 & 97}}

In October 1961 Jacques appeared on ''[[Desert Island Discs]]'', and said that she would be too lonely on such a quiet island for someone of her temperament.{{sfn|Merriman|2007|p=119}}{{efn|The programme was broadcast on 16 October 1961; her full choice was [[Ludwig van Beethoven]]'s [[Symphony No. 9 (Beethoven)|Symphony No. 9 in D minor]] ("Choral") – [[Robert Shaw Chorale]] and the [[NBC Symphony Orchestra]], conducted by [[Arturo Toscanini]]; [[Duke Ellington]]'s "Hello Little Girl" – Ellington and his Orchestra; [[George Frideric Handel]]'s "[[Let the bright Seraphim]]" from ''[[Samson (Handel)|Samson]]'' – [[Joan Sutherland]] and the orchestra of the [[Royal Opera House]]; [[Johann Sebastian Bach]]'s "[[Prelude and Fugue in A minor, BWV 543|Fugue in A minor]]" – [[Stuttgart Chamber Orchestra]]; [[Tommy Dorsey]]'s version of [[On the Sunny Side of the Street]]; The [[Modern Jazz Quartet]]'s version of "[[God Rest You Merry, Gentlemen]]"; [[Peter Sellers]]'s recording of "Lord Badminton's Memoirs"; and [[Judy Garland]] and the [[Gordon Jenkins]] Orchestra with "The Red Balloon". Her chosen book was ''[[The Oxford Dictionary of Quotations]]'' and her luxury item was a photograph and recording of her family.<ref name="BBC: DiD" />}} By this time ''Carry On'' had become a leading film franchise, with the author Robert Ross describing it as a "phenomenon".{{sfn|Ross|2005|p=38}} That year's film, ''[[Carry On Regardless]]'', was the fifth in the series; Jacques received a fee of £100 for the small role of a disgruntled hospital sister, who appeared briefly on screen alongside the English character actor [[Kynaston Reeves]]. Jacques was initially intended for a major part in the film, but she was unable to commit to a longer role because of ill health.{{sfn|Ross|2005|p=40}} She appeared in her sixth ''Carry On'', ''[[Carry On Cabby]]'', in 1963, as "Peggy Hawkins", the emotionally neglected wife of taxi-firm boss "Charlie", played by Sid James.{{sfn|Ross|2005|p=48}} Jacques later named the film as her favourite of the series, as she was allowed to drop her "battleaxe" persona and play the romantic lead opposite James.{{sfn|Merriman|2007|p=128}}

===Private turmoil; new acting ventures: 1963–1967===
[[File:Hattie Jacques (4524484380).jpg|thumb|right|upright|Jacques's house, 67 Eardley Crescent, [[Earls Court]], London]]

Jacques's private life became complicated in 1963. The previous year she had met John Schofield, a [[cockney]] used-car dealer, who chauffeured her to a [[Leukaemia Research Fund]] event. The couple became romantically involved after the driver gave her the attention and support that Le Mesurier did not.{{sfn|Merriman|2007|pp=122–23}} When Jacques decided to move Schofield into the family home, Le Mesurier moved into a separate room.{{sfn|McCann|2010|p=162}} He later commented about this period: "I could have walked out, but, whatever my feelings, I loved Hattie and the children and I was certain—I had to be certain—that we could repair the damage".{{sfn|Le Mesurier|1984|pp=86–87}} During these upheavals in her personal life, Jacques was surprised to be the subject of ''[[This Is Your Life (British TV series)|This Is Your Life]]'' in February 1963, when she was approached by [[Eamonn Andrews]] during rehearsal for the sixth series of ''[[Sykes and a...]]''. Although Le Mesurier did not mention the marital situation when being questioned by Andrews, he made the comment that for Jacques "the home comes first", which Merriman considered had been said "rather pointedly".{{sfn|Merriman|2007|p=124}} Despite the matrimonial upsets, Jacques and Le Mesurier both appeared in the 1963 Tony Hancock film, ''[[The Punch and Judy Man]]''.{{sfn|Merriman|2007|p=125}} In 1964 Le Mesurier moved out of the marital home,{{sfn|Le Mesurier|1984|pp=69–70}} made a decision to protect Jacques from any negative publicity, and allowed her to bring a divorce suit on grounds of his own infidelity. This ensured that the press blamed him for the break-up, casting Jacques as the victim in the matter.{{sfn|Merriman|2007|p=136}}

In 1964, as well as recording four episodes of the radio show ''[[Housewives' Choice]]'', Jacques starred in her own television series, ''Miss Adventure'', as the private investigator Stacey Smith. Although Jacques wanted the series to be full of suspense, the programmes were more comedic and she was disappointed with the results.{{sfn|Merriman|2007|pp=133–34}} In August that year she appeared as Madame Arcati in an ITV production of ''[[Blithe Spirit (play)|Blithe Spirit]]''. The play's writer, [[Noël Coward]], felt that "finally someone had delivered a performance that wasn't overshadowed by [[Margaret Rutherford]]", who had originated the stage role in 1940 and played it in the 1945 [[Blithe Spirit (1945 film)|film version]].{{sfn|Merriman|2007|pp=134–35}}{{efn|Between 1964 and 1967 Jacques continued to regularly appear on television, in a range of largely comedy programmes that included series eight and nine of ''Sykes and a...'' in late 1964 and late 1965, respectively;{{sfn|Lewisohn|1998|p=645}} an episode of ''Cribbins'', [[Bernard Cribbins]]'s sketch show;{{sfn|Lewisohn|1998|p=170}} ten episodes of the children's programme ''[[Jackanory]]'' between January 1966 and February 1967;{{sfn|Merriman|2007|p=135}} ''Titipu'' (a re-working of ''[[The Mikado]]'');{{sfn|Merriman|2007|p=158}} as Helen in the drama "The Memorandum" for the ''[[Theatre 625]]'' series on BBC;<ref name="BFI: Memorandum" /> and ''Sykes Versus ITV'' in November 1967.{{sfn|Lewisohn|1998|p=645}}}}

Jacques went to Rome in 1966 to film ''[[The Bobo]]'' with [[Peter Sellers]]; before this she went on a strict diet and lost five stone (32&nbsp;kg), although she was disappointed that so few people noticed. She enjoyed the filming experience, calling it "one of the loveliest things I've worked on".{{sfn|Merriman|2007|p=141}} While she was in Italy, Schofield came out to stay, started an affair with an Italian heiress and broke off his relationship with Jacques; deeply upset, Jacques, who had had a weight problem since her teens,{{sfn|Merriman|2007|p=145}} began eating [[comfort food]] and her weight increased to nearly {{convert|20|stone|kg|0}}.<ref name="D Tel: Lewis" />

===Return to ''Carry On'': 1967–1974===
In the summer of 1967 the ''Carry On'' producer [[Peter Rogers]] assembled the cast for the 15th film of the series, ''Carry On Doctor''. Rogers initially chose Joan Sims to play the role of the hospital matron but she declined the part, stating that Jacques's performance of the role in ''Carry On Nurse'' could not be bettered.{{sfn|Ross|2005|p=89}} As such, Rogers cast Jacques as Matron, with Sims accepting a smaller role as the timid assistant of the film's lead character Francis Bigger, played by [[Frankie Howerd]].{{sfn|Ross|2005|p=88}} Jacques's screen time was increased from ''Carry On Nurse'', as the producers considered her part to be an extension of the earlier role.{{sfn|Ross|1996|p=70}} ''Carry On Doctor'' was released in December of that year, to much success.{{sfn|Snelgrove|2003|p=12}}

Jacques started 1968 by appearing with [[Spike Milligan]] and [[Frank Thornton]] in thirteen episodes of the sketch show ''[[The World of Beachcomber]]'', based on the [[Beachcomber (Pen name)|Beachcomber]] column in the ''[[Daily Express]]'' newspaper and broadcast on the BBC from January to April.{{sfn|Lewisohn|1998|p=437}} Shortly after the series finished, she appeared alongside Frankie Howerd in his sketch show, ''Howerd's Hour'', on ITV.{{sfn|Ross|2001|p=174}} She continued her busy schedule with appearances in six films for 1969,{{efn|The six films were ''[[Rhubarb (1969 film)|Rhubarb]]'', ''[[Monte Carlo or Bust!]]'', ''[[Carry On Camping]]'', ''[[Carry On Again Doctor]]'', ''[[Crooks and Coronets]]'' and ''[[The Magic Christian (film)|The Magic Christian]]''.<ref name="BFI: Filmog" />}} including another with Sellers, ''[[The Magic Christian (film)|The Magic Christian]]''. Here she portrayed a character named Ginger, who was described as a "grotesque figure", with an "insatiable lust for bestsellers on the atrocities of World War Two".{{sfn|Films and Filming|1969|p=43}} She also appeared on television alongside Harry Secombe and [[Roy Castle]] in ''[[Pickwick (TV movie)|Pickwick]]'', which was based on the musical [[Pickwick (musical)|of the same name]],<ref name="BFI: Pickwick" /> and in ''[[Carry On Christmas Specials#Carry On Christmas|Carry On Christmas]]'', broadcast on Christmas Eve.{{sfn|Webber|2008|p=251}} Although 1969 had been busy, 1970 was relatively quiet in terms of her professional output: apart from an episode of ''[[Catweazle]]'',{{sfn|Merriman|2007|p=161}} she appeared alongside [[Willoughby Goddard]] in a six-episode series of ''Charley's Grants''.{{sfn|Lewisohn|1998|p=130}} She spent May and June filming ''[[Carry On Loving]]'', in which she played Sophie Bliss, released in September that year.{{sfn|Snelgrove|2003|p=127}} Another ''Carry On'' film followed in 1971, ''[[Carry On at Your Convenience]]'', where she played Beattie Plummer, the housebound wife of Sid Plummer, played by Sid James.{{sfn|Ross|1996|pp=98–99}} In the same year she completed another series with Sykes, ''[[Sykes and a Big, Big Show]]'', a music and sketch programme which had six episodes, broadcast between February and April.{{sfn|Lewisohn|1998|p=646}}{{efn|During the course of the year Jacques also appeared with Sykes in the on-off programme ''Sykes – With the Lid Off'', as well as making one-off appearances in ''Frankie Howerd: The Laughing Stock of Television'', ''[[Doctor at Large (TV series)|Doctor at Large]]'', ''[[Ask Aspel]]'', ''Dangerpoint'' and ''[[Christmas Night with the Stars]]''.{{sfn|Merriman|2007|p=225}}}}

Two further ''Carry On'' films followed for Jacques in 1972: ''Carry On Matron'', for which she was engaged in the title role,{{sfn|Ross|2005|p=136}} and ''[[Carry On Abroad]]'', as Floella, the fiery Spanish cook at a half-finished hotel. As well as the film being Charles Hawtrey's last, it also marked a reduction in Jacques's screen time; she spent only one week filming her scenes. During post-production, the film's insurers became concerned about Jacques's deteriorating health. In a letter to the series producer Peter Rogers, they expressed their reluctance to insure her on set in any future film.{{sfn|Ross|2005|pp=142–46}}{{efn|Her last film would be ''[[Carry On Dick]]'' in 1974, where she appeared as Martha Hoggett.{{sfn|Ross|2005|p=162}}}}

During the course of 1972 Jacques co-starred in the first series of ''[[Sykes (TV series)|Sykes]]'', in which she played Hattie Sykes, "the wide-eyed, less-knowing but remarkably patient sister-cum-mother-figure";{{sfn|Lewisohn|1998|p=646}}{{efn|''Sykes'' was an extension to the earlier series ''Sykes and a...''. In total there were seven series and two Christmas specials of ''Sykes'', ending in November 1979.{{sfn|Lewisohn|1998|p=646}}}} at its height, ''Sykes'' had 17&nbsp;million viewers.{{sfn|Merriman|2007|p=168}} In February 1972 Jacques was at home with her son Robin to watch Le Mesurier win the [[British Academy of Film and Television Arts]] "Best Television Actor" award for his portrayal of a "boozy British aristocrat&nbsp;... who became a spy for the Soviets"{{sfn|Roberts|2009|p=60}}<ref name="BFI: 72 awards" /> in [[Dennis Potter]]'s television play ''[[Traitor (TV drama)|Traitor]]''.<ref name="traitor" /> Jacques cried when her ex-husband won the award, and divulged to her son that she "wasn't crying out of professional resentment or even envy about [[Joan Le Mesurier]]&nbsp;... but from an unhappiness that, through her own actions, she lost John or there was now no-one with whom to spend her life".{{sfn|Merriman|2007|p=162}}

===After ''Carry On'': 1974–1980===

====Final appearances====
In 1974 Jacques's sons were arrested for [[Drug possession|possession of cannabis]], and her house was searched by police. In the same week that the two boys appeared in court, she received official notification of the intention to appoint her as an [[Order of the British Empire|OBE]]. In order to protect her sons from further press intrusion she declined the honour.{{sfn|Merriman|2007|pp=172–73}}{{efn|Robin and Kim Le Mesurier were both fined £20 for the charge of the drugs possession.{{sfn|Merriman|2007|p=173}}}} Later that year, while filming the third series of ''Sykes'', she suffered a cancer scare and lost a considerable amount of weight. Despite this she refused to interrupt the busy production schedule; when filming was completed on 5 December she underwent surgery at [[Charing Cross Hospital]] for what proved to be benign tumours on her kidneys.{{sfn|Merriman|2007|pp=170–71}}

In 1976 Jacques appeared in a promotional advertising film for [[British Rail]], which pitted her against racing driver [[Jackie Stewart]] in a race to London.<ref name="SC: race" /> From 1976 onwards Sykes and Jacques appeared together in the stage play ''A Hatful of Sykes'', both in the UK and internationally.{{sfn|Merriman|2007|pp=179–95}}{{efn|The play ran intermittently from 1976 to September 1979 at various places in the UK (including seasons at Torquay, Lincoln, Blackpool and Bournemouth; a UK national tour; and an international tour that included Hong Kong (February&nbsp;– March 1977), Rhodesia (April&nbsp;– May 1978), Canada (December 1978&nbsp;– January 1979) and South Africa (February&nbsp;– March 1979).{{sfn|Merriman|2007|pp=179–95}}}} During the course of the different tours relations between the two stars became increasingly strained and Sykes altered the act several times to ensure he received more acclaim than Jacques.<ref name="D Exp: heart breaking" /> While appearing in Blackpool in 1977 Jacques's health became problematic as she suffered from [[arthritis]] and ulcerated legs, which required daily dressing. Because a dressing room was arranged that avoided her needing to use stairs, Sykes accused her of receiving special treatment.{{sfn|Merriman|2007|p=183}} When the show moved to Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe), Sykes "began to behave rather strangely&nbsp;... and he even accused Hattie&nbsp;... of not being able to deliver a proper feed line".{{sfn|Merriman|2007|p=191}} By the time the show appeared in Brighton in 1979 the relationship between the two "was rapidly deteriorating", and, although the pair praised each other in public, Jacques felt hurt by Sykes's treatment of her.{{sfn|Merriman|2007|p=199}} Despite the differences, the pair filmed the seventh series of ''Sykes'' in 1979,{{sfn|Lewisohn|1998|p=646}} and—in April 1980—the television film ''[[Rhubarb Rhubarb]]''; although her part was a small one, she looked "a little unsteady on her feet", according to Merriman.{{sfn|Merriman|2007|p=203}}{{efn|''Rhubarb Rhubarb'' was broadcast on ITV on 15 December 1980, two months after Jacques's death.<ref name="BFI: Rhubarb, Rhubarb" />}}

====Death and tributes====
[[File:Ruth Jones Little Britain Gavin and Stacey.jpg|thumb|upright|right|[[Ruth Jones]], who portrayed Jacques in ''[[Hattie (film)|Hattie]]'']]

In May 1980 Jacques's doctor advised her against travelling to Greece on holiday as planned, so she visited Ireland instead. During the return ferry crossing she told her friend Bruce Copp that "You know I'm not going to live long".{{sfn|Merriman|2007|p=204}} Her health remained poor, and insurance companies refused to insure her for film work. By October her weight had risen again; she had problems breathing and was again admitted to Charing Cross Hospital. She took a weekend break from hospital and returned home to Eardley Crescent, where on 6 October she died from a heart attack in her sleep at the age of 58; she was also suffering from kidney failure.{{sfn|Gray|2004}}{{sfn|Merriman|2007|pp=205 & 208}}

Jacques's funeral took place at [[Putney Vale Cemetery|Putney Vale Crematorium]], where her ashes were scattered. Her sons refused to allow Sykes entry to the funeral because they resented the way he had treated her during the stage show;<ref name="D Exp: heart breaking" /> Sykes was upset by the exclusion and failed to understand why he had been banned. The other notable absentee from the funeral was Joan Sims, who "stayed in her home and spent the day drinking, reading old letters from Hattie and wallowing in self pity", according to Merriman.{{sfn|Merriman|2007|p=210}}

Kenneth Williams was deeply saddened by the loss of his friend, and wrote that "all the chums have died&nbsp;... one is left marooned on the shore&nbsp;... the tide is receding and leaving some incongruous wrecks exposed&nbsp;... I fear I am one of them".{{sfn|Stevens|2010|p=308}} John Le Mesurier described Jacques as "a remarkable lady&nbsp;... [who] had an aura of love and kindness about her",<ref name="D Exp: Laughter & Tears" /> while her obituary in ''The Times'' observed that "she will be remembered with affection by all who saw her".<ref name="Times: Obit" /> A month after the funeral, a memorial service was held at [[St Paul's, Covent Garden]], otherwise known as the Actors' Church,<ref name="D Exp: Laughter & Tears" /> which was described by Le Mesurier as a "joyous occasion".{{sfn|Le Mesurier|1984|p=142}}

A memorial plaque to Jacques is situated in St Paul's, Covent Garden.{{sfn|Time Out|2003|p=123}} In November 1995 a [[blue plaque]] was unveiled by Eric Sykes and [[Clive Dunn]]—a colleague from her Players' Theatre days—at her former house: 67 Eardley Crescent, [[Earls Court]], London.<ref name="PA: Blue plaque" /> In 2002 plaques were unveiled for Jacques, Sid James and Tony Hancock at BBC [[Broadcasting House]] in London.<ref name="D. Post: Jacques plaque" />

In 2011 Jacques and Le Mesurier's marriage was the subject of a [[BBC Four]] biographical film called ''[[Hattie (film)|Hattie]]'', which focused on Jacques's affair with John Schofield.<ref name="BBC: Hattie"/> She was played by [[Ruth Jones]], who Robin Le Mesurier thought "had captured my mother perfectly".<ref name="Mail: Robin: Secret lover" /> Jones was thrilled at playing Jacques whom she considered to be her comedy heroine, describing her as an "incredibly talented and fascinating woman both on and off screen".<ref name="W Mail: Jones" /><ref>{{cite news |title=Ruth has captured my mum Hattie perfectly |url=https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/ruth-captured-mum-hattie-perfectly-1858437 |access-date=27 April 2020 |work=walesonline |date=17 January 2011}}</ref>