Old Hollywood Actresses

Here are the actresses (leading ladies as well as "scene stealers") from Hollywood's Golden Age - the classic era that many refer to as "Old Hollywood." I just call it the Best Hollywood.

Carole Lombard Quotes and Trivia: As Clark Gable Clearly Knew, She Was Extra Special

May 2, 2018 By Joi Leave a Comment

Carole Lombard

I love reading about old Hollywood actors and actresses. Okay… let’s be honest – I’m completely obsessed with it. Carole Lombard (like Fred Astaire and James Stewart, to name a few) is one of those people who… the more you read about her, the more you like her. She apparently had a huge personality and a wicked sense of humor. She was friends with Lucille Ball, so that shouldn’t surprise us.

Below are a few Fast Facts about the stunning actress, followed by trivia and classic Carole Lombard quotes.

Birth: Carole Lombard was born Jane Alice Peters on October 6, 1908 in Fort Wayne, Indiana. One of her nicknames was actually “The Hoosier Tornado.” After her parents divorced, Carole moved, with her mother, to the Los Angeles area in 1916. Her first film was A Perfect Crime in 1921 when she was only 12 years old. It would be four more years before she appeared in another film.

In 1926 Carole was seriously injured in an automobile accident. The left side of her face was scarred as a result of the accident. To LITERALLY add insult to injury, once she had recovered, Fox canceled her contract.

In spite of the accident (and Fox’s rejection), Carole Lombard went on to achieve legendary success as a leading lady. Gifted with a beautiful voice, she was able to transition from silents to “talkies” – something many stars were unable to do.

In 1931, she was teamed with William Powell in Man of the World. She and the talented actor fell hard for one another and married. Unfortunately, like many things in Hollywood, it didn’t last and they divorced in 1933.

In No Man of Her Own (1932), Carole’s co-star was none other than the wonderful Clark Gable. They hit it off and were married seven years later in 1939. By this time, she was with Paramount Pictures and was one of its biggest stars.

Her last film was in 1942. She played Maria Tura opposite Jack Benny in To Be or Not to Be. Tragically, the beautiful actress was killed before the movie’s release. The film wrapped in 1941 just as the US entered World War II. Carole went home to Indiana for a war bond rally. On January 16, 1942, Carole, her mother, and 20 other others were flying home California when the plane went down outside of Las Vegas, Nevada.

There were no survivors. Carole Lombard was only 33 years old. THIRTY-THREE.

Carole Lombard Trivia

After her 1926 automobile accident badly cut her face, Carole elected for plastic surgery. At the time, doctors believed that use of anesthetic during the surgery would leave worse scars, so she endured the reconstructive surgery without an anesthetic. Unimaginable!

She was only 5’2″ (with shoes).

She was posthumously awarded the Medal of Freedom by President Franklin D. Roosevelt as the first woman killed in the line of duty in World War II.

To Be or Not to Be was in post-production when she died in the plane crash. The producers decided to remove a line where her character asks, “What can happen in a plane?“.

Lucille Ball said she actually agreed to do I Love Lucy when Carole (who had been a close friend) came to her in a dream and recommended she take a chance on television.

Considered by a lot of fans to be the inspiration for the icy blondes in Alfred Hitchcock’s films. (I certainly think she was.)

Carole Lombard’s performance as Maria Tura in To Be or Not to Beis ranked #38 on Premiere magazine’s 100 Greatest Performances of All Time.

Turned down the role of Ellie Andrews in It Happened One Night. Claudette Colbert was then given the role and won a Best Actress Oscar for her performance.

During their honeymoon, Clark Gable and Carole Lombard stayed at the Willows Inn in Palm Springs, California. Not only does the Inn still exist, guests can stay in the same room the legendary couple stayed in, called “The Library Suite.” The room remains largely unaltered since the Gables stayed slept there.

She and Gloria Swanson were close friends.

Both of her husbands (William Powell and Clark Gable) starred in Manhattan Melodrama (1934) with Myrna Loy.

Apparently her mother had had a bad feeling about taking a plane and wanted to take a train to Los Angeles instead. The decision to take the plane was literally decided by the flip of a coin – with Carole “winning” the toss.

Carole had a much-loved little dachshund named Commissioner that reportedly ignored Clark Gable completely. After her death in 1942, however, the dog would not leave his side.

One of my personal favorite stories about Carole Lombard comes from writer Garson Kanin. Apparently Carole never had a dressing room when shooting a movie. Instead, she preferred to socialize with the cast and crew members during her breaks. Words can’t describe how much I love this about her.

Carole Lombard Quotes

“(William Powell) is the only intelligent actor I’ve ever met.”(Explaining why she would not work with Orson Welles) “I can’t win working with Welles. If the picture’s a huge hit, he’ll get the credit and, if it’s a flop, I’ll be blamed.”

“Personally, I resent being tagged ‘glamour girl’. It’s such an absurd, extravagant label. It implies so much that I’m not.”

“A woman has just as much right in this world as a man and can get along in it just as well if she puts her mind to it.”

“I can’t imagine a duller fate than being the best-dressed woman in reality. When I want to do something, I don’t pause to contemplate whether I’m exquisitely gowned. I want to live, not pose!”

“When it comes to your personal life, such as love and romance, girls should take a tip from the men and keep their affairs to themselves. Any man worth his salt regards his private life as his own. To kiss a girl and run and tell would mark him as a cad. Why doesn’t that apply to girls also?”

Photo Credit: By Paramount Studios – Ebay [1], Public Domain, Link

I Love Lucy: The Lost Pilot (Complete Episode)

August 21, 2017 By Joi Leave a Comment

Synopsis: Ricky tries to keep Lucy away from auditioning for a TV show, but when a clown becomes unavailable, Lucy takes his place!

Marjorie Main: Getting to Know Ma Kettle a Little Better….

July 19, 2017 By Joi 2 Comments

Marjorie MainI spend (and will continue to spend, because that’s how I roll) a lot of time writing about Audrey Hepburn, Rita Hayworth, Olivia de Havilland, John Wayne, James Dean, and the other legends from “Hollywood Yesterday.” The household names, if you will. The reason behind this blog is to keep these stars shining as bright as they did when they were earthbound, so the posts will continue to be cranked out.

But what about the equally talented stars who didn’t quite achieve this level of notoriety? It’d be my great honor to keep these stars shining just as brightly, so I’m going to begin spending a lot more energy on these wonderful men and women. I’m anxious for all of us to get to know them a little better.

First up (Marjorie Main) is a random one, I’ll admit, but I’ve always enjoyed her so much. Marjorie just seems like a perfect place to start for several reasons. For one thing, she falls into a category that a lot of these non-household names fall into. The category where we end up saying things like, “Wait a minute…. I know that face… I know that voice… where have I seen her/him from…. Gunsmoke? Andy Griffith? I Love Lucy? Was it a Western? Was it a Musical… nah, I don’t think they could sing…. Where do I know that face from?!?!”

Marjorie Main is a classic example of this because I pretty much went through the entire series of questions above recently when she showed up on an episode of Wagon Train I was watching. She was the title character in the episode “The Cassie Tanner Story.” For whatever reasons, when I’m trying to identify a face, my “go to” options are Gunsmoke (after all, who didn’t guest star on this series at some point?!), musicals, westerns, or screen time with Lucy or Andy.

As Cassie Tanner (with her adorable hat) kept looking at me from my tv, it finally hit me… Ma Kettle, it’s you!

The 5’7″ actress was born Mary Tomlinson in Acton, Indiana (basically Indianapolis). Her father was a minister which is undoubtedly why – after she joined vaudeville – she changed her last name to keep from “embarrassing” the family.

Marjorie Main as Cassie Tanner on Wagon Train

More Facts About Marjorie Main

Her film debut was A House Divided in 1931.
She Played Baby Face Martin’s mother in Dead End (1937). Baby Face was played by Humphrey Bogart. This role led to other motherly characters for Marjorie.
She had a fear of germ contamination and was known to wear white gloves and a surgical mask in an effort to protect herself.
She played the character of Ma Kettle in a total of 10 films.
She was married to Stanley Lefevre Krebs from 1921–1935 (his death).
After her husband died in 1935, Marjorie would often have “conversations” with him – even in the middle of filming. If she had to interrupt a scene… that’s just what she’d do! She’d let the director know when it was okay to continue and then she’d do so as if nothing happened.
Marjorie appeared in several MGM musicals, including, Meet Me in St. Louis and The Belle of New York.
She died from lung cancer on April 10, 1975 in Los Angeles.

Ma and Pa Kettle on Vacation Trailer (1953):

Olivia de Havilland: If She Isn’t One of Your Favorite Actresses…. I Just Don’t Know You!

July 12, 2017 By Joi 1 Comment

Beautiful Olivia de HavillandI recently had a great conversation with a fellow lover of the Golden Age of Hollywood… okay, we’re obsessed if we’re being honest. We started off trying to name our five favorite actresses and five favorite actors and when that proved to be impossible for both of us, we moved on to talking about a few of our own favorites. While we had quite a few favorites in common (Audrey Hepburn, Ava Gardner, Rita Hayworth, Claudette Colbert, Lucille Ball, Elizabeth Taylor, Shirley Temple, Hattie McDaniel, Marilyn Monroe, Hedy Lamarr, Butterfly McQueen, Vivien Leigh, James Dean, Lillian Randolph, Frank Sinatra, Henry Fonda, Cary Grant, James Stewart, Clark Gable…), there were a few that were exclusive to each of us.

For example, a few who are firmly on my lists of favorites that are (somehow!) not on her’s are Olivia de Havilland, Veronica Lake, Gene Tierney, Ida Lupino, Abbott and Costello, Clint Eastwood, Dean Martin, Jerry Lewis, and Lauren Bacall.

There were also a couple of her “absolute favorites” who didn’t quite make my list: Grace Kelly, Laurence Olivier, Myrna Loy, and Ingrid Bergman. Not that I don’t like them, mind you.. .they simply aren’t my favorites. I mean, they can’t ALL be, right??!

Because she is one of my absolute TOP favorites, I had to question her about not listing the beautiful and talented Olivia de Havilland. I had a feeling that I KNEW the reason, but I wanted to interrogate her to be sure. As I’d suspected, she’d only seen her in Gone With the Wind.

That’s the only explanation there could be.

Melanie was a lovely character in one of the greatest movies of all time, but the role did very little to showcase Olivia de Havilland’s talent, beauty, and personality. The same can certainly be said for Leslie Howard as Ashley. The characters of Rhett and Scarlett were written larger than life and they were directed in a manner to loom larger than the rest of the cast – although, in my personal opinion, Hattie McDaniel and Butterfly McQueen – along with Clark Gable – were the ones who truly stole the show. Melanie and Ashley were vital to the story but were never meant to outshine the stars.

While their performances were, obviously, wonderful, they didn’t show all they have to offer. This is especially true (in my opinion) with Olivia de Havilland. The actress is a real force to be reckoned with – ironically, she has a great deal of “Scarlett O’Hara” fire in her… certainly more Scarlett than Melanie.

Her personality is as large as her face is beautiful – and that’s saying a great deal.

A few of my favorite Olivia de Havilland roles:

Maid Marian in The Adventures of Robin Hood
Charlotte Bronte in Devotion
Rachel in My Cousin Rachel
Josephine in To Each His Own
Emmy in Hold Back the Dawn
Catherine in The Heiress
Virginia in The Snake Pit
Okay, so maybe there are too many to name..

I’ll leave you with the same words I left my fellow “Old Hollywood” lover with… If you’ve never seen Olivia de Havilland in anything besides Gone With the Wind, DO SO! She is about as far from Melanie as you can conceivably get. The vast majority of her roles are filled with passion, fire, personality, and fun. To give you an idea of the type of personality we’re talking about here, when she was nine years old, Olivia made a will in which she stated, “I bequeath all my beauty to my younger sister Joan, since she has none”.

Wonder what Melanie would think about that?!

{Continued Below….}

Facts About Olivia de Havilland:

Born in Tokyo, Japan on July 1, 1916.
Sister of actress Joan Fontaine.
During a time when women “simply did not” make waves, she did just that. She took Warner Brothers to court in the mid 1940s and won. Her victory stopped Warner Brothers from adding suspension periods to actors’ contracts. The “de Havilland decision” meant more freedom for actors in Hollywood and she is remembered for her boldness to this day.
In 1965 she became the first female president of the jury at the Cannes Film Festival.
She made a special appearance at the The Academy Awards in 2003 and received a standing ovation.
Won the Oscar for Best Actress for To Each His Own in 1946.
She and Joan Fontaine were the first sisters to win Oscars.
Her mother named her Olivia from a heroine in William Shakespeare’s “Twelfth Night”.
She received the Medal of Arts honor from President George W. Bush in 2008, “for her persuasive and compelling skill as an actress in roles from Shakespeare’s Hermia to Margaret Mitchell’s Melanie. Her independence, integrity, and grace won creative freedom for herself and her fellow film actors.“
Was offered the role of Mary in It’s a Wonderful Life but turned it down.
In 1950, she won the Best Actress Academy Award for “The Heiress.”

Golden Age of Hollywood Paper Dolls: Marilyn, Audrey, Rita, Elizabeth, Gone With the Wind…

August 18, 2016 By Joi Leave a Comment

When I was growing up, I loved dolls of every size and shape – Barbies, doll babies, paper dolls…. Still do, if we’re being completely honest. I mean, I try not to move them around and talk for them anymore, but my love of dolls has never ceased.

I never realized just how the love of dolls still resonated with me until I saw these paper dolls on Amazon and promptly threw each into the cart.

The Golden Age of Hollywood Paper Dolls (pictured at the top) was the first to catch my eye. This collection depicts 16 stars of the silver screen, each with a sparkling costume enhanced by a dash of glitter: Marilyn Monroe, Kim Novak, Gina Lollobrigida, Rita Hayworth, Brigitte Bardot, Audrey Hepburn, Grace Kelly, Elizabeth Taylor, and more.

The one pictured above is Glamorous Movie Stars of the 1950’s Thiscollection features Doris Day, Ava Gardner, Susan Hayward, Jane Russell, Audrey Hepburn, Jane Powell, Debbie Reynolds, and Elizabeth Taylor. 8 dolls, 24 costumes. (many more paper doll collections are pictured below)

More Paper Dolls on Amazons for Collectors (or fellow doll fanatics who never quite grew up!):

Below are 4 more Golden Age of Hollywood Paper Dolls – Marilyn Monroe, Loretta Young, Rita Hayworth…

Below are 4 Paper Doll Collections for fans and collectors of Gone With the Wind and Vivien Leigh…

Below are even more beautiful paper dolls for collectors…

Review: In Such Good Company by Carol Burnett

January 14, 2016 By Joi 1 Comment

In Such Good CompanyA few classic television series stand out to me as being as much a part of growing up as Hostess Cupcakes and Saturday morning cartoons. Gunsmoke, The Carol Burnett Show, Sanford and Son, Andy Griffith, I Love Lucy, Good Times, The Jeffersons, The Beverly Hillbillies are a few. They were (and are!) extra special to me because I spent so many years sharing the experiences with my mom and dad.

One of our absolute favorites was The Carol Burnett Show. Carol Burnett was my first girl crush – I loved her style, her beautiful smile, and… most importantly.. she had what I’ve always considered to be the BEST trait for anyone to have. She made you laugh.

And laugh and laugh and laugh and laugh!

I can still watch skits with Carol Burnett, Vicki Lawrence, Harvey Korman, Tim Conway, and Lyle Waggoner and roll with laughter as though it was the first time I’d ever seen them. A lot of people talk about “it” and about “TV magic,” these 5 were bathed in “it” and frolicked in the magic they created.

When I saw that Carol Burnett had written a new book, In Such Good Company, and that it was devoted to the 11 years of creating The Carol Burnett Show, it was all I could think about. I knew it’d be a very special book, but it actually surpassed my expectations.

About In Such Good Company (from Amazon)

The New York Times Bestseller

Comedy legend Carol Burnett tells the hilarious behind-the-scenes story of her iconic weekly variety series, The Carol Burnett Show.

In In Such Good Company, Carol Burnett pulls back the curtain on the twenty-five-time Emmy-Award winning show that made television history, and she reminisces about the outrageously funny and tender moments that made working on the series as much fun as watching it.

Carol delves into little-known stories of the guests, sketches and improvisations that made The Carol Burnett Show legendary, as well as some favorite tales too good not to relive again. While writing this book, Carol rewatched all 276 episodes and screen-grabbed her favorite video stills from the archives to illustrate the chemistry of the actors and the improvisational magic that made the show so successful.

Putting the spotlight on everyone from her costars to the impressive list of guest stars, Carol crafts a lively portrait of the talent and creativity that went into every episode. With characteristic wit and incomparable comic timing, she details hiring Harvey Korman, Vicki Lawrence, Lyle Waggoner, and Tim Conway; shares anecdotes about guest stars and close friends, including Lucille Ball, Roddy Mcdowell, Jim Nabors, Bernadette Peters, Betty Grable, Steve Lawrence, Eydie Gorme, Gloria Swanson, Rita Hayworth, and Betty White; and gives her take on her favorite sketches and the unpredictable moments that took both the cast and viewers by surprise.

This book is Carol’s love letter to a golden era in television history through the lens of her brilliant show. Get the best seat in the house for “eleven years of laughter, mayhem, and fun in the sandbox.”

In Such Good CompanyI haven’t had the book in my possession very long but I devoured it like I would a piece of peanut butter fudge – and, at the risk of sounding corny, the stories and reflections in this book are even sweeter and more enjoyable than any peanut butter fudge I’ve ever had.

And I make some darn good peanut butter fudge, just so you know.

The book includes adorable behind the scenes photographs as well as photographs from skits (naturally, I remembered each and every one). The stories and reflections are broken into bite size readings – sort of like blog posts. I can’t tell you how much I love this. Books that break everything down in such a way spoil me to the point that I get annoyed with books with long chapters. I know, I know – that doesn’t say anything good about my attention span, but there you have it.

I just can’t say enough good things about this book. I feel like I know so much more now about Carol Burnett, Harvey Korman, Vicki Lawrence, Lyle Waggoner, and Tim Conway as well as guest stars that are also household names: Sammy Davis, Jr, Rita Hayworth, Betty White, Betty Grable, Jim Nabors, and my much beloved Lucille Ball. This gal was never happier than the times my favorite red heads shared TV time together.

I hope you will click through In Such Good Company and order a copy for yourself. This book would also make a perfect gift idea – there’s a whole generation of us who connect with this show and these stars in a very profound way. Trust me, this is a book any Carol Burnett fan would love immensely.

Note: I received this book from the Blogging for Books program in exchange for this review. The opinions and photographs are my own. When they send books for review, it’s entirely up to the reviewer whether it’s a positive or negative review…. it all depends on the book and In Such Good Company is exceptional!

Shop for Autographed Carol Burnett Collectibles at HollywoodMemorabilia.com

Ann Harding Biography by Scott O’Brien

June 23, 2010 By Joi Leave a Comment

“I believe that the actress who wears her profession on her sleeve, as it were, outside of her work, is, as a rule, merely dramatizing herself. When she acts off-stage as well as on, she is wasting her talent. It is like using nectar to quench a casual thirst.” – Ann Harding

Ann Harding, was born Dorothy Gatley on August 7, 1901 in Fort Sam Houston, Texas.

You may remember her as Mae Priest on “Dr. Kildare” or as Edith Sommers on Ben Casey. Ann Harding also had a very impressive film career – even though she never received the acclaim she truly should have.

An exciting new biography has been written about this talented and beautiful actress.

Press Release for Ann Harding: Cinema’s Gallant Lady:

When Ann Harding opted for an acting career, her Brigadier General father, George Grant Gatley, told her that she had taken “the inevitable road to Hell.” He banished her from his home. The year was 1921. The father and his equally strong-willed daughter did not reconcile until he was on his death-bed ten years later.

Ann proved her father wrong.

Her integrity as an actor – her commitment to her profession, allowed her to create a sensation on and off Broadway in such hits as Inheritors, Tarnish, and The Trial of Mary Dugan. When Ann and actor-husband Harry Bannister settled into Hollywood, she took the motion picture industry by storm. Film fans and critics were transported by her honest, natural portrayals. The microphone loved her. One critic referred to Ann as having the “Voice of Temple Gongs.”

Following an Academy Award Nomination for her role in Holiday (1930), Ann went on to further triumphs in Pre-Code hits such as The Animal Kingdom (1932), When Ladies Meet (1932), Gallant Lady (1933), and, one of her best, The Life of Vergie Winters (1934). As Vergie Winters, Ann immersed herself (and her audience) with such a realistic take on the shopworn topic of unwed motherhood, that her lovely, frank, open face easily displayed a raw vulnerability that was rare for the screen.

Noted author and film critic Mick LaSalle (who has written the foreword for the new biography release Ann Harding – Cinema’s Gallant Lady) refers to Ann Harding as an “overlooked master” – “one of the greatest actors in the history of American cinema.”

Theater visionary-director Jasper Deeter, Ann’s life-long mentor, attributed her success to her ability in hiding a childish, and stubborn temperament.

Ann’s personal life countered what many have referred to as her “noble” screen image. Her passionate, free-thinking spirit was something to be reckoned with. She fell out of love with her opportunistic husband Bannister, only to become involved with two of cinema’s “bad boys”: the avant-garde film director Dudley Murphy (Emperor Jones), and the ribald and brilliant author and screenwriter Gene Fowler (Goodnight, Sweet Prince).

Both of them married men.

Ex-husband Bannister turned to blackmail in order to continue to get his share of Ann’s cinema earnings. A child custody battle over their daughter Jane went on for close to a decade. French surrealist, Luis Bunuel considered Peter Ibbetson (1935), which paired Ann with Gary Cooper, to be among the Top Ten All-Time Best Films. Critics felt that Ann’s role as the ethereal Duchess of Towers to be “the most complete revelation of her art.” However, Ann Harding was fed up with Hollywood moguls and scripts she felt unworthy. She told one writer in the 1970’s, “When RKO couldn’t find a script in the trash can for me, Harry Edington [her manager] would arrange a loan out.”

Fed up with battling Bannister and her film career, Ann abandoned Hollywood. She headed for England, and returned to the stage for a triumphant tour in Shaw’s Candida. The convoluted personal and professional life of Ann Harding didn’t stop after her cinematic peak. Ann Harding – Cinema’s Gallant Lady (BearManor, 2010), covers in depth her extensive career on stage, film, radio, TV, and pays homage to a woman who, according to Mick LaSalle, “pointed the way to an entirely new way of being on screen.”

For cinema aficionados the time is ripe for Ann Harding to reclaim her legacy.

On Amazon: Ann Harding – Cinema’s Gallant Lady

Yvonne De Carlo: There Was More to Her Than Just Lily Munster

January 12, 2007 By Joi Leave a Comment

We lost Yvonne De Carlo last week. Most people remember her as Lily Munster from The Munsters – a ridiculously fun tv series that ran (surprisingly) for only two seasons. If I had to guess, I’d say I’ve seen each and every episode in reruns about 500 times. I never got into the Addams Family or a lot of the other little shows from that time…but The Munsters? I grew up with them and never saw fit to grow away from them. If a marathon came on television right now, I’d fly out of my home office, grab snacks and sweet tea, and assume my position in the den.

And dare anyone to disturb me!

My dad and I would watch them faithfully when I was growing up…. and laugh at the same jokes and bits each time. I’ll never forget the time he told me that “Lily” was actually a real beauty. I thought he was pulling my leg, so the next day my mom got her hands on some old pictures of the actress and they proved my dad’s point.

Boy did they ever!

I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw just how gorgeous Yvonne De Carlo actually was. And, yet here she is remembered as a green-faced vampire married to Herman. Every newspaper I’ve seen has shown a picture of her as lily with her death announcement. At first I thought it seemed kind of a shame – but then I thought about it. What better way to be remembered than someone who people loved? Someone who made them laugh and, for thirty minutes made them forget all of their worries?!

Now, that’s a legacy.

A few fast facts:

She was born in Vacouver.

Her name was actually Margaret “Peggy” Yvonne Middleton.

Yvonne’s dad walked out on the family when she was only 3. The mom worked as a waitress to support the family, but she’d always dreamed of a career in Hollywood. So, she really encouraged Yvonne to go in that direction.

Her mom first took her to Hollywood when she was only 15 years old. Apparently, there wasn’t much of a call for baby beauties, so they returned home and tried again when Yvonne was 18 years old.

Yvonne starred opposite Charleston Heston in The Ten Commandments. She gives a memorable performance as the wife of Heston’s Moses.

She married actor and stuntman Robert Morgan in 1955. They appeared together in Death of a Scoundrel.

Yvonne and Robert had two sons. After the birth of her children, Yvonne took time off from acting. However, while working as a stuntman on the set of How the West Was Won (1962; with Henry Fonda), Robert was nearly killed when he was pinned underneath an avalanche of logs. Yvonne returned to work to support her family as well as pay for his outrageous medical bills. It took him several years to recover.

During this time, she took roles in several films, including McLintock! (1963 with John Wayne) and Law of the Lawless (1964 with Dale Robertson and John Agar). She was then cast as the infamous Lily Munster in the CBS series The Munsters.

Sometimes people wonder why Yvonne De Carlo took such a role in a television series. That question can be laid to rest – she was doing what a mother and wife had to do to support her family, and I’m an even bigger fan than before.

(Continued Below…)

Yvonne DeCarlo’s Career:

I Look at You (1941)
The Kink of the Campus (1941)
Youth on Parade (1942)
Lucky Jordan (1942)
Harvard, Here I Come! (1942)
This Gun for Hire (1942)
Road to Morocco (1942)
True to Life (1943)
So Proudly We Hail! (1943)
Salute for Three (1943)
Rhythm Parade (1943)
Let’s Face It (1943)
For Whom the Bell Tolls (1943)
Deerslayer (1943)
The Crystal Ball (1943)
Standing Room Only (1944)
Rainbow Island (1944)
Here Come the Waves (1944)
The Story of Dr. Wassell (1944)
Practically Yours (1944)
Salome Where She Danced (1945)
Bring on the Girls (1945)
Frontier Girl (1945)
Song of Scheherazade (1947)
Brute Force (1947)
Slave Girl (1947)
River Lady (1948)
Casbah (1948)
Black Bart (1948)
The Gal Who Took the West (1949)
Criss Cross (1949)
Calamity Jane and Sam Bass (1949)

The Desert Hawk (1950)
Buccaneer’s Girl (1950)
Silver City (1951)
Tomahawk (1951)
Hotel Sahara (1951)
Scarlet Angel (1952)
The San Francisco Story (1952)
Sea Devils (1952)
Sombrero (1953)
The Captain’s Paradise (1953)
Fort Algiers (1953)
Happy Ever After (1954)
The Contessa’s Secret (1954)
Border River (1954)
Passion (1954)
Shotgun (1955)
Flame of the Islands (1955)
Raw Edge (1956)
Magic Fire (1956)
Death of a Scoundrel (1956)
The Ten Commandments (1956)
Band of Angels (1957)
The Sword and the Cross (aka La Spada e la croce – 1958)
Timbuktu (1959)

McLintock (1963)
Law of the Lawless (1964)
A Global Affair (1964)
Munster, Go Home (1966)
Hostile Guns (1967)
The Power (1968)
Arizona Bushwhackers (1968)

The Seven Minutes (1971)
The Delta Factor (1971)
Blazing Stewardesses (1974)
The Girl on the Late Late Show (TV-1974)
The Mark of Zorro (TV-1974)
It Seemed Like a Good Idea at the Time (1975)
Won Ton Ton, The Dog Who Saved Hollywood (1976)
La casa de las sombras (1976)
Satan’s Cheerleaders (1977)
Nocturna (1979)

Silent Scream (1980)
The Man with Bogart’s Face (1980)
Guyana Cult of the Damned (1980)
Play Dead (1981)
Liar’s Moon (1981)
The Munster’s Revenge (1981)
National Lampoon’s Class Reunion (1982)
Vultures (1983)
Flesh and Bullets (1985)
A Masterpiece of Murder (TV-1986)
American Gothic (1988)
Cellar Dweller (1988)

Mirror, Mirror (1990)
Oscar (1991)
The Naked Truth (1992)
Desert Kickboxer (1992)
The Sorority House Murders (1993)
Seasons of the Heart (1993)
Here Come the Munsters (TV-1995)
The Barefoot Executive (1995)

TV Series – Cast:
The Munsters (1964-1965)

Rest in Peace.