CARLA LAEMMLE REMEMBERS is a special feature on the definitive DVD restoration of The Phantom of the Opera from Image Entertainment.



Carla is hostsand narrator of THE ROAD TO DRACULA, an original documentary by David Skal that appears on all available DVD releases of the classic 1931 film.



Read Carla's authorized biography AMONG THE RUGGED PEAKS, a major labor of love by her close personal friend Rick Atkins, from Midnight Marquee Press.

CARLA LAEMMLE REMEMBERS: A Conversation with David J. Skal


Film historian David Skal, who first met Carla Laemmle while researching his book HOLLYWOOD GOTHIC, conducts a DVD featurette interview with the actress for the Milestone Collection's "ultimate edition" of the 1925 and 1929 releases of Universal's Phantom of the Opera. The niece of Universal's founder Carl Laemmle, Carla literally grew up on the Universal backlot, made her film debut dancing in Phantom and later spoke the first lines of dialogue in the studio's 1931 classic Dracula. Carla speaks affectionately of her legendary uncle and her cousin Carl Laemmle, Jr., the prime force behind Universal's golden age of horror, as well as her childhood friendship with Phantom leading lady Mary Philbin. There are few people today who can speak with such first-person authority about this magical period in Hollywood history.

The 2-disc DVD is a "must have" treasure, showcasing the skills of master restorationist Kevin Brownlow, with an audio commentary and exciting extras by film historian and Phantom expert Scott MacQueen.

Carla Laemmle in Hollywood, August 2009. Ms. Laemmle made her film debut as the prima ballerina in the 1925 Phantom of the Opera and will celebrate her 100th birthday October 20. (Photo by Sergio Ruiz)


What becomes a legend most? Another legend, of course. Which is why seeing Carla Laemmle immortalized by MAD magazine's Jack Davis in GROWING UP WITH MONSTERS(BearManor Media) a special delight. Written by Carla and Daniel Kinske, LCDR, USN (that's him above, with the spear gun), GROWING UP recounts Carla's coming of age on the Universal backlot in rhyming verse with charming illustrations and an introductory tribute by Ray Bradbury. Favorite image: Carla reading aloud to a circle of baby Universal monsters. Purchase link at left and below.

LIKE CARLA LAEMMLE? MORE ON CARLA AND THE HISTORY OF UNIVERSAL:

Selected Works

Books
The ultimate "collector's vault"!
There's much more to the Invisible Man than ever met the eye!
How horror entertainment reveals a "secret history" of 20th century culture.
A comprehensive, backstage chronicle at the undying career of the world's favorite vampire.
An in-depth history of one of America's most popular and perplexing holidays.
Co-edited with Nina Auerbach, the definitive academic edition.
The first full-length biography of the reclusive and mysterious director of "Freaks."
One of the largest vampire anthologies ever published, fully illustrated and annotated.
"The Bible of Blood," according to the Washington Post.
Completely illustrated and annotated, the stage play that put Count Dracula on the road to Hollywood.
The curious evolution of a major cultural icon -- the mad scientist.
Science fiction nvel about a California cult seeking total body replacement
Science fiction novel about genetically engineered, hermaphroditic "children."
Science fiction novel about the ultimate in vicarious living.
DVD Documentaries
A revealing featurette about a Universal legend.
Audio commentary for the ultimate cult film.
The ultimate horror icon comes to life.
Life story of the troubled actor best-known as the Wolf Man.
Biography of the man who was Dracula.
The life and career of Hollywood's favorite bogeyman.
A movie icon unwrapped.
The parallel lives of two immortal imagineers.
A nostalgic look at a studio's extraterrestrial adventures.
Revisiting Hollywood's classic horror comedies.
"Even a man who's pure in heart..."
The undying tale of a beauty and a beast.
Behind the scenes with an Academy Award-winning film.
A head-first dive into watery terror.
There's more to this character than meets the eye.
The monster demands a mate, with decidedly mixed results.
The vampire's bumpy journey from Victorian sex nightmare to modern matinee idol.
Articles and Essays
Read David's foreword to this provocative collection!

Quick Links

amazon.com
Authors Guild
E-mail me!
Find Authors