Those who have grown up on digitally-enhanced movie monsters and other special effects of the Computer Age might chuckle at the mechanically or cosmetically created monsters of Old Hollywood. And yet in their heyday, these monsters made audiences gasp and screech, and theirs is a legacy to remember.
Carla Laemmle, who turns 100 in October, was there from the beginning, as her uncle, Carl Laemmle, was the founder of Universal Studios. Carla witnessed 1923’s "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" being filmed in the same studio lot that she played in as a child, landed the role of Prima Ballerina in 1925’s "The Phantom of the Opera," and spoke the first line of dialogue in a horror talkie, 1931’s "Dracula." Now an icon and a poet, she has published (with Daniel Kinske and a foreword by Ray Bradbury) Growing Up with Monsters, which tells the story of her own youth and the youth of the horror film in charming verse.
Clixk here to watch a brief interview with the amazingly well-preserved Carla at Monsterpalooza 2009. Carla will be reading from and discussing her book at Book Soup shortly:
Sunday, July 19 at 4:00 p.m.
Book Soup
Carla Laemmle, who turns 100 in October, was there from the beginning, as her uncle, Carl Laemmle, was the founder of Universal Studios. Carla witnessed 1923’s "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" being filmed in the same studio lot that she played in as a child, landed the role of Prima Ballerina in 1925’s "The Phantom of the Opera," and spoke the first line of dialogue in a horror talkie, 1931’s "Dracula." Now an icon and a poet, she has published (with Daniel Kinske and a foreword by Ray Bradbury) Growing Up with Monsters, which tells the story of her own youth and the youth of the horror film in charming verse.
Clixk here to watch a brief interview with the amazingly well-preserved Carla at Monsterpalooza 2009. Carla will be reading from and discussing her book at Book Soup shortly:
Sunday, July 19 at 4:00 p.m.
Book Soup
8818 W. Sunset Blvd.
Los Angeles, Calif. 90069310.659.3110
--Emmaline Silverman
Photo by Carl Gunther
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