Born 1899 in San Francisco, American actress Carmel Myers left for New York City, where she acted mainly in theater. She was signed by Universal, where she emerged as a popular actress in vamp roles. Her most popular film from this period—which does not feature her in a vamp role—is probably the romantic comedy All Night. By 1924, she was working for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, making such films as Broadway After Dark, which also starred Adolphe Menjou, Norma Shearer, and Anna Q. Nilsson.
In 1925, Myers appeared in arguably her most famous role, that of the Egyptian vamp Iras in Ben-Hur. This film was a boost to her career, and she appeared in major roles throughout the 1920s, including Tell It to the Marines in 1926. She appeared in Four Walls and Dream of Love, both with Joan Crawford in 1928; and in The Show of Shows (1929), a showcase of popular contemporary film actors.
Myers had a fairly successful sound career, mostly in supporting roles, perhaps due to her image as a vamp rather than as a sympathetic heroine. In 1976, Myers was one of the very few silent stars who were cast in Won Ton Ton, the Dog Who Saved Hollywood, a comedy featuring cameos by dozens of Hollywood stars of the past.
Myers died of a heart attack in 1980, in Los Angeles Medical Center at the age of 81. Take a look at these gorgeous photos to see the beauty of young Carmel Myers in the 1920s.
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