Eileen Jessie 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 Jessie Mary Bennett was born in London, England on 8 July 1919. She attended the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and started her career as a model.

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. Bennett was described as "Britain's new screen star" in 1942. She had significant roles in the comedy Much Too Shy (1942) and Thursday's Child (1943).

Personal life and death

Bennett married Thomas West Hammond Jr. during World War II in July 1945. He died from a heart attack in 1970. The couple had two sons: David Hammond, and actor Nicholas Hammond. Bennett turned 100 on 8 July 2019, and she died in Washington, D.C. on 9 March 2025, at the age of 105.

Filmography

References

External links