Yvonne De Carlo at Brian's Drive-In Theater

biography

Born Peggy Yvonne Middleton in Vancouver, British Columbia, on September 1, 1922, actress Yvonne De Carlo's father abandoned her family just a few years later. Working as a waitress to support the family, De Carlo's mother took great interest in her daughter's budding talents as a dancer. In the late 1930s, the family made its way to Hollywood. Soon, the beautiful young De Carlo found work as a chorus girl, and began making the rounds at casting calls, trying to get into the movies. By the time she celebrated her 19th birthday, she had begun landing small film roles, first at Columbia Studios and then Paramount. She appeared in about 20 films between 1941 and 1944, but only in small roles and bit parts. De Carlo had to wait four years for her breakthrough role in the Universal Technicolor film Salome, Where She Danced (1945; with Rod Cameron and David Bruce), which was followed by Frontier Gal (1945; with Rod Cameron and Andy Devine). Finally, at Universal she found success and meaty film roles. Her next big role was in the adventure Song of Scheherazade (1947; with Brian Donlevy and Jean Pierre Aumont). De Carlo's career picked up when Maria Montez left Hollywood behind, but she found herself typecast in costume epics and musicals, a genre that was quickly losing favor among movie-going audiences. Her starring role in the western Black Bart (1948; with Dan Duryea) helped De Carlo bridge the gap between costume dramas and the western genre, although she portrays an exotic European beauty, much as she had in earlier roles.

LEFT and CENTER A: Glamour girl Yvonne De Carlo in two 1940s Universal promotional photos. CENTER B: Photo used for the album cover of Yvonne De Carlo Sings, released in 1957. RIGHT: With husband Bob Morgan in 1955

De Carlo's success in Black Bart helped change her image, so much so that she soon became typecast in westerns. Throughout the 1950s, she made scores of westerns, including Tomahawk (1951), Silver City (1951), and Shotgun (1955). And she even appeared in the pilot episode of the TV series Bonanza in 1959. But her best remembered role in the 1950s was in The Ten Commandments (1956), in which she portrayed Sephora. In addition to her acting career, De Carlo released several albums in the 1950s, highlighting her pleasant singing voice which she had previously showcased in her 1940s musicals.

De Carlo married actor and noted stuntman Robert Morgan in November 1955, and they appeared together in the RKO noir thriller Death of a Scoundrel (1956; with George Sanders and Zsa Zsa Gabor). With the birth of her two sons in the late 1950s, she took time off from acting, taking on only occasional guest roles on television shows such as Bonanza. However, while working as a stuntman on the set of How the West Was Won (1962; with Carroll Baker and Henry Fonda), Morgan was nearly killed when he was pinned underneath an avalanche of logs. DeCarlo had to return to work to support her family and pay her husband's mouting medical bills, as it took him several years to recover from his injuries; Morgan never again worked as a stuntman. Once again active in Hollywood, De Carlo took roles in several films, including McLintock! (1963; with John Wayne) and Law of the Lawless (1964; with Dale Robertson and John Agar), before being cast as Lily Munster in the CBS-TV series The Munsters.

the films of vvonne de carlo

Salome, Where She Danced (1945)

De Carlo as the title character in the Universal drama Salome, Where She Danced

Song of Scheherazade (1947)

With Jean-Pierre Aumont in the Universal-International adventure Song of Scheherazade

Slave Girl (1947)

From Universal's Technicolor comedy Slave Girl. LEFT: As the beautiful Francesca. RIGHT: With George Brent

Criss Cross (1949)

From Universal-International's film noir thriller Criss Cross. LEFT: As femme fatale Anna Dundee. RIGHT: With Dan Duryea

Buccaneer's Girl (1950)

From Universal-International's Buccaneer's Girl. RIGHT: With Andrea King

The Desert Hawk (1950)

As Princess Scheherazade in The Desert Hawk

Scarlet Angel (1952)

From Univeral's adventure Scarlet Angel. LEFT: De Carlo as Roxy McClanahan. CENTER: With Rock Hudson. RIGHT: With Richard Denning

Hurricane Smith (1952)

With John Ireland in the Paramount adventure Hurricane Smith

Border River (1954)

With Joel McCrea in the Universal western Border River

Raw Edge (1956)

From Universal-International's western Raw Edge. LEFT: Glamour photo. RIGHT: With Mara Corday and Neville Brand

Death of a Scoundrel (1956)

Having a drink with George Sanders in the RKO noir release Death of a Scoundrel

Band of Angels (1957)

From the Civil War epic Band of Angels

Timbuktu (1959)

De Carlo stars as Natalie Dufort in the adventure Timbuktu, released by United Artists

A Global Affair (1964)

With Bob Hope in the MGM comedy A Global Affair

The Munsters (1964-1966 CBS TV Series)

Fred Gwynne, Yvonne De Carlo, Butch Patrick, Al Lewis, and Pat Priest

LEFT: De Carlo as Lily Munster. CENTER: A 1965 cast photo with Fred Gwynne, Butch Patrick, Al Lewis, and Pat Priest. RIGHT: At Home with the Munsters childrens' album, released by Golden Records in 1965

Hostile Guns (1967)

Tab Hunter, Yvonne De Carlo, and George Montgomery

From the Paramount western Hostile Guns with Tab Hunter and George Montgomery

The Seven Minutes (1971)

Philip Carey, Yvonne De Carlo, and Marianne McAndrew

LEFT: De Carlo portrays movie star Constance Cumberland in Russ Meyer's drama The Seven Minutes, released by 20th Century Fox. RIGHT: With Philip Carey and Marianne McAndrew

Guyana: Cult of the Damned (1979)

De Carlo meets a gruesome end in the Universal release Guyana: Cult of the Damned

The Munsters' Revenge (1981)

Fred Gwynne, Yvonne De Carlo, K.C. Martel, Al Lewis, and Jo McDonnell

With Fred Gwynne, K.C. Martel, Al Lewis, and Jo McDonnell in NBC's made-for-TV movie The Munsters' Revenge

later years

Her only TV series, The Munsters exposed Yvonne De Carlo to a new generation of fans. A total of 70 episodes were filmed, yet despite the show's popularity, it was canceled in 1966. Most of the cast members reunited for the theatrically released film Munster, Go Home! (1966; with Robert Pine and John Carradine). De Carlo then went back to westerns, acting in Hostile Guns (1967; with George Montgomery and Tab Hunter) and Arizona Bushwhackers (1968; with John Ireland and Scott Brady). In 1971, she was cast in the Broadway musical Follies with Alexis Smith and Gene Nelson. That same year, she returned to the big screen in two films, The Seven Minutes and The Delta Factor. After her 1973 divorce from Bob Morgan, De Carlo worked steady in films and television through the mid 1990s. Her last film appearance was in the comedy The Naked Truth (1992; with Alex Cord), and her last TV appearance was in the made-for-TV film The Barefoot Executive (1995; with Eddie Albert). Sadly, Yvonne De Carlo passed away on January 8, 2007, at the age of 84. She was survived by her son, Bruce, and stepdaughter, Bari. Her son Michael passed away in 1997.

filmography

FILM
The Barefoot Executive (1995) with Eddie Albert, Jay Mohr, Ann Magnuson, and Kathy Griffin
Here Come the Munsters (1995) with Veronica Hamel, Robert Morse, Christine Taylor, and Mary Woronov
Seasons of the Heart (1993) with Claude Akins
The Sorority House Murders (1993) with Ginger Lynn Allen
Desert Kickboxer (1992)
The Naked Truth (1992) with Billy Barty, David Birney, Alex Cord, Erik Estrada, Norman Fell, Lou Ferrigno, Zsa Zsa Gabor, and Dick Gautier
Oscar (1991) with Sylvester Stallone, Peter Riegert, Chazz Palminteri, Joey Travolta, Don Ameche, and Eddie Bracken
Mirror, Mirror (1990) with Karen Black
American Gothic (1988) with Rod Steiger, Michael J. Pollard, and Fiona Hutchison
Cellar Dweller (1988) with Vince Edwards, Debrah Farentino, and Pamela Bellwood
A Masterpiece of Murder (1986) with Bob Hope, Don Ameche, Jayne Meadows, Anne Francis, Stella Stevens, Frank Gorshin, Kevin McCarthy, and Anita Morris
Flesh and Bullets (1985) with Aldo Ray, Cesar Romero, and Cornel Wilde
Play Dead (1985)
Vultures (1983) with Stuart Whitman, Meredith MacRae, and Aldo Ray
National Lampoon's Class Reunion (1982) with Gerrit Graham, Misty Rowe, and Jacklyn Zeman
The Munsters' Revenge (1981) with Fred Gwynne, Al Lewis, and Sid Caesar
Liar's Moon (1981) with Matt Dillon, Hoyt Axton, Broderick Crawford, and Christopher Connelly
Guyana: Cult of the Damned (1980) with Stuart Whitman, John Ireland, Gene Barry, Joseph Cotten, and Bradford Dillman
The Man with Bogart's Face (1980) with Sybil Danning, Michelle Phillips, Olivia Hussey, Misty Rowe, Victor Buono, Herbert Lom, Gregg Palmer, and George Raft
Silent Scream (1980) with Barbara Steele, Cameron Mitchell, and Avery Schreiber
Nocturna (1979) with John Carradine
Satan's Cheerleaders (1977) with John Ireland, Jacqueline Cole, John Carradine, and Sydney Chaplin; directed by Greydon Clark
House of Shadows (1976) with John Gavin
Won Ton Ton, the Dog Who Saved Hollywood (1976)
It Seemed Like a Good Idea at the Time (1975) with Anthony Newley, Stefanie Powers, Isaac Hayes, Lloyd Bochner, and John Candy
Blazing Stewardesses (1974) with Regina Carrol and Don 'Red' Barry; directed by Al Adamson
The Mark of Zorro (1974) with Ricardo Montalban, Gilbert Roland, Frank Langella, Louise Sorel, and Anne Archer
The Girl on the Late, Late Show (1974) with Don Murray, Bert Convy, Gloria Grahame, Van Johnson, Ralph Meeker, Cameron Mitchell, Mary Ann Mobley, John Ireland, and Walter Pidgeon
The Delta Factor (1971) with Christopher George, Yvette Mimieux, Diane McBain, Rhodes Reason, and Ralph Taeger
The Seven Minutes (1971) with Edy Williams, Philip Carey, Jay C. Flippen, Lyle Bettger, Charles Drake, John Carradine, and Tom Selleck; directed by Russ Meyer
Arizona Bushwhackers (1968) with John Ireland, Scott Brady, Howard Keel, Marilyn Maxwell, Brian Donlevy, and James Craig
The Power (1968) with George Hamilton, Suzanne Pleshette, Richard Carlson, Earl Holliman, Gary Merrill, Barbara Nichols, Aldo Ray, and Michael Rennie
Hostile Guns (1967) with Tab Hunter, George Montgomery, Brian Donlevy, John Russell, James Craig, Richard Arlen, Don 'Red' Barry, and Fuzzy Knight
Munster, Go Home (1966) with Fred Gwynne, Al Lewis, Butch Patrick, Terry-Thomas, Debbie Watson, Hermione Gingold, Robert Pine, John Carradine, Bernard Fox, and Richard Dawson
A Global Affair (1964) with Bob Hope and Jacques Bergerac
Law of the Lawless (1964) with John Agar, Dale Robertson, William Bendix, Richard Arlen, Jody McCrea, Kent Taylor, Bill Williams, Lon Chaney Jr., and Don 'Red' Barry
McLintock! (1963) with John Wayne, Maureen O'Hara, Patrick Wayne, Stefanie Powers, Chill Wills, Jerry Van Dyke, Edgar Buchanan, and Bruce Cabot
Timbuktu (1959) with Victor Mature, George Dolenz, Marcia Henderson, and Robert Clarke
The Sword and the Cross (1958) with Philippe Hersent, Terence Hill, and Rossana Podesta
Band of Angels (1957) with Clark Gable, Rex Reason, Sidney Poitier, Efrem Zimbalist Jr., Andrea King, and Raymond Bailey
Raw Edge (1956) with Rex Reason, Rory Calhoun, Mara Corday, John Gavin, Neville Brand, and Ed Fury
Death of a Scoundrel (1956) with George Sanders, Coleen Gray, Zsa Zsa Gabor, Victor Jory, John Hoyt, Tom Conway, and Werner Klemperer
Magic Fire (1956) with Rita Gam, Carlos Thompson, and Peter Cushing
The Ten Commandments (1956) with Charlton Heston, Yul Brynner, Anne Baxter, Edward G. Robinson, Debra Paget, Woody Strode, John Derek, Vincent Price, Mike Connors, and John Carradine
Flame of the Islands (1955) with Howard Duff, James Arness, and Zachary Scott
Shotgun (1955) with Sterling Hayden and Zachary Scott
The Contessa's Secret (1955) with Rossano Brazzi
Passion (1954) with Cornel Wilde, Raymond Burr, and Lon Chaney Jr.
Border River (1954) with Joel McCrea
Happy Ever After (1954) with David Niven and Barry Fitzgerald
The Backbone of America (1953) with Wendell Corey, Gene Lockhart, Thomas Mitchell, and Gloria Talbott
Fort Algiers (1953) with Raymond Burr, Carlos Thompson, and Leif Erickson
Sombrero (1953) with Ricardo Montalban, Cyd Charisse, Pier Angeli, and Vittorio Gassman
The Captain's Paradise (1953) with Alec Guinness and Sebastian Cabot
Sea Devils (1953) with Rock Hudson
Hurricane Smith (1952) with John Ireland, James Craig, Forrest Tucker, Lyle Bettger, and Richard Arlen
The San Francisco Story (1952) with Joel McCrea
Scarlet Angel (1952) with Rock Hudson, Richard Denning, and Amanda Blake
Tomahawk (1951) with Van Heflin, Rock Hudson, Susan Cabot, and Alex Nicol
Hotel Sahara (1951) with Peter Ustinov
Silver City (1951) with Edmond O'Brien, Richard Arlen, Barry Fitzgerald, Kasey Rogers, Edgar Buchanan, and Myron Healey
Buccaneer's Girl (1950) with Elsa Lancester, Andrea King, and Peggie Castle
The Desert Hawk (1950) with Jackie Gleason, George Macready, Rock Hudson, and Joe Besser
Criss Cross (1949) with Burt Lancaster, Richard Long, Dan Duryea, and Stephen McNally
Calamity Jane and Sam Bass (1949) with Howard Duff and Lloyd Bridges
The Gal Who Took the West (1949) with Scott Brady and John Russell
Black Bart (1948) with Dan Duryea and Percy Kilbride
Casbah (1948) with Tony Martin, Peter Lorre, Marta Toren, Hugo Haas, and Virginia Gregg
River Lady (1948) with Dan Duryea and Rod Cameron
Brute Force (1947) with Burt Lancaster, Hume Cronyn, Charles Bickford, Howard Duff, Ann Blyth, and Ella Raines
Slave Girl (1947) with George Brent, Broderick Crawford, Albert Dekker, and Andy Devine
Song of Scheherazade (1947) with Brian Donlevy, Jean-Pierre Aumont, and Eve Arden
Bring on the Girls (1945) with Veronica Lake and Sonny Tufts
Frontier Gal (1945) with Rod Cameron, Andy Devine, Fuzzy Knight, Sheldon Leonard, and Clara Blandick
Salome, Where She Danced (1945) with Rod Cameron, David Bruce, Walter Slezak, and Albert Dekker
Deerslayer (1943) with Jean Parker, Larry Parks, and Wanda McKay
True to Life (1943) with Dick Powell, Mary Martin, Franchot Tone, and William Demarest
Youth on Parade (1942)
The Kink of the Campus (1941)

TELEVISION SERIES
The Munsters, CBS-TV series which ran from 1964 through 1966; a total of 70 episodes were produced. De Carlo portrayed Lily Munster.

TELEVISION GUEST APPEARANCES
Tales from the Crypt, episode Death of Some Salesmen, originally aired October 2, 1993
Dream On, episode The Second Greatest Story Ever Told, originally aired July 7, 1991
The Black Stallion, episode Star Quality, originally aired October 6, 1990
Murder, She Wrote, episode Jessica Behind Bars, originally aired December 1, 1985
Fantasy Island, episode The Victim/The Mermaid, originally aired December 1, 1979
Fantasy Island, episode Charlie's Cherubs/Stalag 3, originally aired December 9, 1978
The Name of the Game, episode Island of Gold and Precious Stones, originally aired January 16, 1970
The Virginian, episode Crime Wave in Buffalo Springs, originally aired January 29, 1969
Custer, episode The Raiders, originally aired December 27, 1967
The Girl from U.N.C.L.E., episode The Moulin Ruse Affair, originally aired January 17, 1967
The Greatest Show on Earth, episode The Night the Monkey Died, originally aired March 10, 1964
Burke's Law, episode Who Killed Beau Sparrow?, originally aired December 27, 1963
The Virginian, episode A Time Remembered, originally aired December 11, 1963
Death Valley Days, episode The Lady Was an M.D., originally aired August 29, 1962
Follow the Sun, episode Annie Beeler's Place, originally aired February 11, 1962
Follow the Sun, episode The Longest Crap Game in History, originally aired November 5, 1961
Adventures in Paradise, episode Isle of Eden, originally aired February 22, 1960
Bonanza, episode A Rose for Lotta, originally aired September 12, 1959
Playhouse 90, episode Verdict of Three, originally aired April 24, 1958
Schlitz Playhouse of Stars, episode Storm Over Rapallo, originally aired June 14, 1957
Shower of Stars, episode Skits & Sketches, originally aired May 9, 1957
Screen Directors Playhouse, episode Hot Cargo, originally aired January 4, 1956
The Ford Television Theatre, episode Madame 44, originally aired March 5, 1953
Lights Out, episode Another Country, originally aired March 24, 1952

yvonne de carlo links

The Official Munsters Web Site
Hosted by Butch Patrick, the Official Munsters Web Site contains lots of information about the 1964 through 1966 TV series starring Patrick, Fred Gwynne, Al Lewis, Pat Priest, and Yvonne De Carlo. Autographed photos and other assorted memorabilia can be purchased here. Great site, with excellent graphics.

vvonne de carlo trailers now showing

Watch the trailers for Yvonne De Carlo's 1949 noir thriller Criss Cross and 1950 adventure Buccaneer's Girl

vvonne de carlo television appearances

Watch Yvonne De Carlo in a March 24, 1952 episode of the NBC horror anthology series Lights Out titled Another Country

vvonne de carlo film now showing

Watch Yvonne De Carlo's 1949 film noir thriller Criss Cross

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This page premiered May 12, 2000.
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Yvonne De Carlo

(1922-2007)