Biography for
Carmel Myers More at IMDbPro »

Date of Birth

4 April 1899, San Francisco, California, USA

Date of Death

9 November 1980, Los Angeles, California, USA (heart attack)

Height

5' 4" (1.63 m)

Mini Biography

Though she is little remembered today, silent screen star Carmel Myers had a high-flying career in her heyday and was ranked among the screen's most glamorous and enticing vamps. She was born at the turn of the century in San Francisco, the daughter of immigrant parents. Her father, a rabbi, emigrated from Australia and her mother from Austria. Her older brother, Zion Myers, would grow up to become a successful writer and director in Hollywood. The family moved to Los Angeles when she was in her early teens and her father, an acquaintance of director D.W. Griffith, advised Griffith on the biblical scenes for his movie Intolerance: Love's Struggle Throughout the Ages (1916), for which Carmel received a bit role as a dancer.

Signed by Universal, Carmel rose quickly up the ranks appearing with Rudolph Valentino in A Society Sensation (1918) and All Night (1918). She later branched out and worked for other studios. She appeared in her most prestigious film over at MGM. In the epic extravaganza Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ (1925), she portrayed Iras, the evil Egyptian seductress out to snare both Ramon Navarro and Francis X. Bushman. Outrageously adorned, she was a tremendous hit and MGM signed her up for their pictures The Devil's Circus (1926) and Tell It to the Marines (1926), with each showcase striving to outdo the costumes she wore for "Ben-Hur."

Carmel managed the transition into talkies but, due to her age, started appearing more and more in support roles until she was left with nothing but bits. In the 1950s she tried television and made her debut in July 1951 with an interview show called, fittingly, "The Carmel Myers Show" (1951), in which she bantered with such show biz elite as Richard Rodgers and Sigmund Romberg, but the show lasted only one season. Married three times, she turned to real estate and also founded Carmel Myers, Inc. in which she distributed French fragrances. She died on November 9, 1980.

IMDb Mini Biography By: Gary Brumburgh / gr-home@pacbell.net

Spouse

Alfred Schwalberg	(October 1951 - 1974) (his death)
Ralph H. Blum	(9 June 1929 - 1950) (his death) 3 children
Isidore Kornblum	(16 July 1919 - 1923) (divorced)

Trivia

After she was cremated, her ashes were strewn in the Rose Garden at Pickfair.

Occasionally emerged from retirement to play character roles in films of the 30s and 40s.

Sister of director Zion Myers

Cousin of director Mark Sandrich

Mother of writer Ralph Blum.

Like Rena Sofer, and the late Mary Livingstone, she was the daughter of a rabbi.

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