Christopher Hassall

b. 24 March 1912, London, England, d. 25 April 1963, Rochester, Kent, England. After gaining experience as an actor, Hassall performed in several West End productions, eventually becoming understudy to Ivor Novello. Learning of Hassall's untested ability as a lyricist, Novello asked him to collaborate on a new musical comedy. This was Glamorous Night (1935), which became a huge success and launched a partnership that brought to the West End some of the most popular musical shows in the history of the British theatre. The shows, and the songs by Novello and Hassall, remained in...