Eileen Bennett
Eileen Bennett | |
|---|---|
| Born | Eileen Mary Bennett 8 July 1919 London, England |
| Died | 9 March 2025 (aged 105) |
| Occupation(s) | Actress, model |
| Years active | 1939–1943 |
| Spouse | Thomas Hammond West Jr. |
| Children | 2, including Nicholas Hammond |
Eileen Mary Bennett (8 July 1919 – 9 March 2025) was a British film and West End stage actress who was active in the industry in the late 1930s and early 1940s. She was the mother of actor Nicholas Hammond.
Early life
Eileen Mary Bennett was born in London, England on 8 July 1919.[1] She attended the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and started her career as a model.[2]
Film career
Bennett made her uncredited screen debut in the 1939 film The Outsider. Later that year, she played Eve in the thriller Trunk Crime. 1939 also saw her deputise as a television announcer for Jasmine Bligh when she was on leave.[3] Bennett was described as "Britain's new screen star" in 1942.[4] She had significant roles in the comedy Much Too Shy (1942) and Thursday's Child (1943).[5]
Personal life and death
Bennett married Thomas Hammond West Jr. during World War II. The couple had two sons: David Hammond, and actor Nicholas Hammond.[5] Bennett turned 100 on 8 July 2019, and she died on 9 March 2025, at the age of 105.[1]
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 1939 | The Outsider | Uncredited |
| Q Planes | Uncredited | |
| The Gang's All Here | Cigarette seller | |
| Trunk Crime | Eve | |
| Cæsar's Friend (TV movie) | Marcella | |
| 1941 | He Found a Star | Sleepy |
| 1942 | Back-Room Boy | Uncredited |
| Breach of Promise | Uncredited | |
| Much Too Shy | Jackie Somers | |
| 1943 | Thursday's Child | Phoebe Wilson |
References
- ^ a b "Eileen Bennett, actress who starred with George Formby on screen and lit up the West End in the war". The Telegraph. 14 March 2025. Retrieved 15 March 2025.
- ^ "Sequel to Fantasia". Evening Standard. 6 April 1942. p. 6. Retrieved 22 September 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Corbishley, H (April 1939). "Scannings and Reflections" (PDF). Television and Short-Wave World. 12 (134): 209–210 – via World Radio History.
- ^ "Untitled". Coventry Evening Telegraph. 3 August 1942. p. 6. Retrieved 22 September 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b "Eileen Bennett". The George Formby Society. Retrieved 22 September 2022.