DRACULA- 1931
USA Release: Feb. 14, 1931
Universal Studios
Rating: USA: R
By the time of her 102nd birthday, actor Carla Laemmle survived all of her fellow cast members from PHANTOM OF THE OPERA, DRACULA, and THE MYSTERY OF EDMUND DROOD
From Liz Rodriguez SILENT MOVIE STAR CELEBRATES 102nd BIRTHDAY
Hollywood (October 10th 2011) – One of Hollywood's last remaining silent movie stars, Carla Laemmle (PHANTOM OF THE OPERA, THE MYSTERY OF EDMUND DROOD) is celebrating her 102nd birthday on October 22nd 2011 in Beverly Hills, CA with friends and celebrity guests to join her reflection of her lifetime in Hollywood and being the only child to ever live on the lot of Universal Pictures.
Recently wrapped from feature film 'Mansion of Blood' with Gary Busey (PREDATOR 2), Robert Picardo (THE HOWLING) and Terry Moore, Carla was the first person in cinema history to ever speak in a talking horror picture, DRACULA (1931). The opening line in the movie, "Among the Rugged Peaks that crown down upon the Borgo Pass, are found crumbling castles of a bygone age." is the title of her new documentary film 'Among the Rugged Peaks – The Carla Laemmle Story', narrated by Award Winning Actress Sally Kirkland, and hopeful to make next year's Oscars.
Her DRACULA moment: Riding in a rickety horse drawn car, Coach Passenger, Carla Laemmle, falls onto the lap of Renfield (Dwight Fry: FRANKENSTEIN).
Carla, whose uncle was Universal Pictures Founder Carl Laemmle, first arrived to Hollywood as a classically trained ballet dancer in 1921. Throughout her life she followed her diverse artistic passions, and appeared in a wide array of films like 'King of Jazz' in 1930 with George Gershwin, 'The Phantom of the Opera' in 1925 with Lon Chaney, and 'Night and Day' in 1946 with Cary Grant.
'Among the Rugged Peaks – The Carla Laemmle Story' produced by Tom Tangen of Elusive Entertainment and featuring some classic Hollywood stars, takes Carla back to the original 'Phantom of the Opera' stage at Universal Studios to shed light on the risks and rewards of her life in film and dance.
'Among the Rugged Peaks' will be at the St. Louis International Film Festival, held November 10-20. The film is part of a documentary-shorts program on Friday, November 18, at the Tivoli. Carla Laemmle's birthday party is being held on October 22nd 2011, 7.30pm – Midnight in Beverly Hills.
UPDATE: Carla Laemmle (Birth name: Rebekah Isabelle Laemmle) died in her home two years later at the age of 104. In the intervening two years, she wrote her autobiography, GROWING UP WITH MONSTERS: My Times at Universal Studios in Rhymes! Forward by Ray Bradbury (FAHRENHEIT 451) and illustrated by Mad Magazine cartoonist, Jack Davis.