"Among the rugged peaks that frown down upon the Borgo Pass are found crumbling castles of a bygone age" -Dracula, 1931-
Rebecca Isabelle "Carla" Laemmle, born October the 20th 1909, passed away on Friday, June the 12th 2014 in her home in Los Angeles, she was found by her caretaker Josephine Delavega.
Carla Laemmle, was one of only a handful of surviving Silent Movie Actors, the last living testaments to a long gone era.
Born in Chicago, she moved to Los Angeles in the early 1920s and she had her start in Hollywood by living in a bungalow in a movie lot inside the Universal Studios compound, not shabby.
She was of as noble of origins as Hollywood Royalties could ever be, her uncle, Carl Laemmle was the Co-Founder of Universal Studios and ironically they shared the same name.
A dancer and an actress, she debuted on the silver screen in 1925 with a small uncredited role in "The Phantom Of The Opera", followed by an equally small but pivotal role in "Dracula" Starring the great Bela Lugosi in 1931, in which she spoke the first opening lines, a small but crucial achievement, given that "Dracula" was the first talking Supernatural Thriller.
She appeared in an array of movies, including: "Uncle Tom's Cabin", "The Broadway Melody", "Mystery of Edwin Drood", "His Last Fling", "The Adventures of Frank Merriwell" and after starring in "On Your Toes" she decided to abandon the Silver Screen and pursue a career as a dancer in Dance Clubs.
Not much is known about her private life. She had a long Love Story with Actor/Writer/Virtuoso Fisherman Ray Cannon, passed away in 1977, and she never married.
In the following years, she inspired a Documentary,"Among The Rugged Peaks" narrated by Sally Kirkland and appeared in few documentaries and a couple of small roles in movies.
In 2001 she played a vampire in "The Vampire Hunters Club" and her last role was in the upcoming "Mansion Of Blood", starring Gary Busey now in post-production.
Please Follow me on Twitter for News and Updates.
