Carla Laemmle facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Carla Laemmle
Laemmle in Dracula (1931)
Born	Rebekah Isabelle Laemmle (1909-10-20)October 20, 1909 Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Died	June 12, 2014(2014-06-12) (aged 104) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1925–1939; 2001; 2010–2014

Rebekah Isabelle Laemmle (born October 20, 1909 – died June 12, 2014) was an American actress and dancer. She was known by her stage name, Carla Laemmle. Carla was the niece of Carl Laemmle, who founded Universal Studios. She became famous for her roles in classic films like The Phantom of the Opera (1925) and Dracula (1931). When she passed away, Carla was one of the last actors from the silent movie era still alive. Her acting career lasted for almost 90 years!

Carla's Acting Career

Carla Laemmle started her movie career in 1925. Her first role was as a ballet dancer in the silent film The Phantom of the Opera. She wasn't credited for this role.

First Spoken Line in Dracula

Later, she had a small part in the early "talkie" version of Dracula (1931). In this famous horror movie, she played a passenger in a bumpy horse-drawn carriage. She had the very first spoken line of dialogue in the film! Carla continued to appear in small roles until the late 1930s. After that, she stopped acting in movies for a long time.

Coming Out of Retirement

She briefly returned to acting in 2001. She played a vampire in a movie called The Vampire Hunters Club.

Books and Documentaries

In 2009, Carla Laemmle helped write a book called Growing Up with Monsters: My Times at Universal Studios in Rhymes. The book was about her life at Universal Studios from 1921 to 1937. Famous cartoonist Jack Davis, known for Mad magazine, drew the pictures for the book.

Celebrating 100 Years

On October 20, 2009, Carla celebrated her 100th birthday! Many famous people attended her party.

Sharing Her Memories

Carla also appeared in several documentaries. In 2010, she was in a BBC Four show called A History of Horror with Mark Gatiss. She shared stories about working with actors like Lon Chaney and Béla Lugosi. She even recited her famous opening lines from Dracula.

She also appeared in:

• Moguls and Movie Stars: A History of Hollywood for Turner Classic Movies (2010)
• Paul Merton's Birth of Hollywood on the BBC (2011)

In March 2012, Carla attended a special screening of Dracula presented by Turner Classic Movies.

Later Life and Passing

Carla Laemmle passed away at her home in Los Angeles on June 12, 2014. She was 104 years old. Carla never married or had children. She was a companion to actor-writer Raymond Cannon until he died in 1977. She was buried at Home of Peace Cemetery (East Los Angeles).

Filmography

See also

In Spanish: Carla Laemmle para niños