Agnes Ayres
Encyclopedia
Agnes Ayres was an American actress who rose to fame during the silent film
era. She was best known for her role as Lady Diana Mayo in The Sheik and The Son of the Sheik opposite Rudolph Valentino
.
to Solon and Emma Slack Henkel on April 4, 1898. She also had an older brother named Solon William Henkel born in 1888. She began her career in 1914 when she was noticed by an Essanay Studios
staff director and cast as an extra
in a crowd scene. After moving to New York City
with her mother to pursue a career in acting, Ayres was spotted by actress Alice Joyce
. Joyce noticed the physical resemblance the two shared which eventually led to Ayres being cast in Richard the Brazen (1917), as Joyce's character's sister. Ayres' career began to gain momentum when Paramount Pictures
founder Jesse Laksy began to take an interest in her. Lasky gave her a starring role in the Civil War
drama Held by the Enemy (1920), and also lobbied for parts for her in several Cecil B. DeMille
productions. It was during this time that Ayres married, and quickly divorced, Captain Frank P. Schuker, an army officer whom she had wed during World War I
. She also began a romance with Lasky.
In 1921, Ayres shot to stardom when she was cast as Lady Diana Mayo, an English heiress opposite "Latin lover" Rudolph Valentino
in The Sheik
. Ayres later reprised her role as Lady Diana in the 1926 sequel Son of the Sheik. Following the release of The Sheik, she went on to have major roles in many other films including The Affairs of Anatol
(1921) starring Wallace Reid
, Forbidden Fruit
(1921), and Cecil B. DeMille's epic The Ten Commandments
(1923).
By 1923, Ayres' career began to wane following the end of her relationship with Jesse Lasky. She married Mexican diplomat S. Manuel Reachi in 1924. The couple had a daughter before divorcing in 1927. In 1929, Ayres lost her fortune and real estate holdings in the Crash of ’29
. That same year, she also appeared in her last major role in The Donovan Affair, starring Jack Holt
. To earn money, she left acting and played the vaudeville
circuit. She returned to acting in 1936, confident that she could make a comeback. Unable to secure starring roles, Ayres appeared in mostly uncredited bit part
s and finally retired from acting for good in 1937.
. She also lost custody of her daughter to Reachi, in 1939.
She died from a cerebral hemorrhage on December 25, 1940 at her home at the age of 42. She is interred in the Hollywood Forever Cemetery in Hollywood, CA.
For her contribution to motion pictures, Agnes Ayres has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
at 6504 Hollywood Boulevard
.
Silent film
A silent film is a film with no synchronized recorded sound, especially with no spoken dialogue. In silent films for entertainment the dialogue is transmitted through muted gestures, pantomime and title cards...
era. She was best known for her role as Lady Diana Mayo in The Sheik and The Son of the Sheik opposite Rudolph Valentino
Rudolph Valentino
Rudolph Valentino was an Italian actor, and early pop icon. A sex symbol of the 1920s, Valentino was known as the "Latin Lover". He starred in several well-known silent films including The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, The Sheik, Blood and Sand, The Eagle and Son of the Sheik...
.
Early life and career
Born as Agnes Eyre Henkel in Carbondale, IllinoisCarbondale, Illinois
Carbondale is a city in Jackson County, in the state of Illinois, within the Southern Illinois region. It is located at the junction of Illinois Route 13 and U.S. Route 51, southeast of St. Louis, Missouri, on the northern edge of the Shawnee National Forest...
to Solon and Emma Slack Henkel on April 4, 1898. She also had an older brother named Solon William Henkel born in 1888. She began her career in 1914 when she was noticed by an Essanay Studios
Essanay Studios
The Essanay Film Manufacturing Company was an American motion picture studio. It is best known today for its series of Charlie Chaplin comedies of 1915.-Founding:...
staff director and cast as an extra
Extra (actor)
A background actor or extra is a performer in a film, television show, stage, musical, opera or ballet production, who appears in a nonspeaking, nonsinging or nondancing capacity, usually in the background...
in a crowd scene. After moving to New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
with her mother to pursue a career in acting, Ayres was spotted by actress Alice Joyce
Alice Joyce
Alice Joyce was an American actress, who appeared in more than 200 movies during the 1910s and 1920s, perhaps best known for her roles in the 1923 silent and 1930 talking versions of The Green Goddess....
. Joyce noticed the physical resemblance the two shared which eventually led to Ayres being cast in Richard the Brazen (1917), as Joyce's character's sister. Ayres' career began to gain momentum when Paramount Pictures
Paramount Pictures
Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American film production and distribution company, located at 5555 Melrose Avenue in Hollywood. Founded in 1912 and currently owned by media conglomerate Viacom, it is America's oldest existing film studio; it is also the last major film studio still...
founder Jesse Laksy began to take an interest in her. Lasky gave her a starring role in the Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
drama Held by the Enemy (1920), and also lobbied for parts for her in several Cecil B. DeMille
Cecil B. DeMille
Cecil Blount DeMille was an American film director and Academy Award-winning film producer in both silent and sound films. He was renowned for the flamboyance and showmanship of his movies...
productions. It was during this time that Ayres married, and quickly divorced, Captain Frank P. Schuker, an army officer whom she had wed during World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. She also began a romance with Lasky.
In 1921, Ayres shot to stardom when she was cast as Lady Diana Mayo, an English heiress opposite "Latin lover" Rudolph Valentino
Rudolph Valentino
Rudolph Valentino was an Italian actor, and early pop icon. A sex symbol of the 1920s, Valentino was known as the "Latin Lover". He starred in several well-known silent films including The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, The Sheik, Blood and Sand, The Eagle and Son of the Sheik...
in The Sheik
The Sheik (film)
The Sheik is a 1921 silent film produced by Famous Players-Lasky, directed by George Melford and starring Rudolph Valentino, Agnes Ayres, and Adolphe Menjou...
. Ayres later reprised her role as Lady Diana in the 1926 sequel Son of the Sheik. Following the release of The Sheik, she went on to have major roles in many other films including The Affairs of Anatol
The Affairs of Anatol
The Affairs of Anatol is a 1921 silent drama film directed by Cecil B. DeMille.-Cast:* Wallace Reid as Anatol DeWitt Spencer* Gloria Swanson as Vivian Spencer * Wanda Hawley as Emilie Dixon* Theodore Roberts as Gordon Bronson...
(1921) starring Wallace Reid
Wallace Reid
Wallace Reid was an actor in silent film referred to as "the screen's most perfect lover".-Early life:Born William Wallace Reid in St...
, Forbidden Fruit
Forbidden Fruit (1921 film)
Forbidden Fruit is a 1921 drama film directed by Cecil B. DeMille. It is a remake of the 1915 film The Golden Chance, which was also directed by DeMille. The film survives in prints at George Eastman House and the Library of Congress.-Cast:...
(1921), and Cecil B. DeMille's epic The Ten Commandments
The Ten Commandments (1923 film)
The Ten Commandments is a 1923 American epic silent film directed by Cecil B. DeMille, starring Theodore Roberts as Moses, Charles de Rochefort as Pharaoh Ramesses, Estelle Taylor as Miriam the sister of Moses, and James Neill as Aaron, the brother of Moses...
(1923).
By 1923, Ayres' career began to wane following the end of her relationship with Jesse Lasky. She married Mexican diplomat S. Manuel Reachi in 1924. The couple had a daughter before divorcing in 1927. In 1929, Ayres lost her fortune and real estate holdings in the Crash of ’29
Wall Street Crash of 1929
The Wall Street Crash of 1929 , also known as the Great Crash, and the Stock Market Crash of 1929, was the most devastating stock market crash in the history of the United States, taking into consideration the full extent and duration of its fallout...
. That same year, she also appeared in her last major role in The Donovan Affair, starring Jack Holt
Jack Holt (actor)
Jack Holt was an American motion picture actor. He was a leading man of silent and sound films, and was known for his many roles in Westerns.-Early life:...
. To earn money, she left acting and played the vaudeville
Vaudeville
Vaudeville was a theatrical genre of variety entertainment in the United States and Canada from the early 1880s until the early 1930s. Each performance was made up of a series of separate, unrelated acts grouped together on a common bill...
circuit. She returned to acting in 1936, confident that she could make a comeback. Unable to secure starring roles, Ayres appeared in mostly uncredited bit part
Bit part
A bit part is a supporting acting role with at least one line of dialogue . In British television, bit parts are referred to as under sixes...
s and finally retired from acting for good in 1937.
Later years and death
After her retirement, Ayres became despondent and was eventually committed to a sanatoriumSanatorium
A sanatorium is a medical facility for long-term illness, most typically associated with treatment of tuberculosis before antibiotics...
. She also lost custody of her daughter to Reachi, in 1939.
She died from a cerebral hemorrhage on December 25, 1940 at her home at the age of 42. She is interred in the Hollywood Forever Cemetery in Hollywood, CA.
For her contribution to motion pictures, Agnes Ayres has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
Hollywood Walk of Fame
The Hollywood Walk of Fame consists of more than 2,400 five-pointed terrazzo and brass stars embedded in the sidewalks along fifteen blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street in Hollywood, California...
at 6504 Hollywood Boulevard
Hollywood Boulevard
-Revitalization:In recent years successful efforts have been made at cleaning up Hollywood Blvd., as the street had gained a reputation for crime and seediness. Central to these efforts was the construction of the Hollywood and Highland shopping center and adjacent Kodak Theatre in 2001...
.
Selected filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1914 | Uncredited | ||
| 1915 | His New Job His New Job His New Job is a short 1915 film written by, directed by, and starring Charlie Chaplin. Gloria Swanson appears as an uncredited extra. The title is an inside reference to this being Chaplin's first film after leaving Keystone Studios for Essanay Studios.... |
Extra, Secretary | Alternative title: Charlie's New Job |
| 1917 | Motherhood | The Mother | Credited as Agnes Eyre |
| 1917 | Mrs. Balfame | Alys Crumley | Credited as Agnes Eyre |
| 1917 | Hedda Gabler | Credited as Agnes Eyre | |
| 1917 | Alicia Van Der Pool | Credited as Agnes Eyre | |
| 1918 | Maida | ||
| 1918 | Ida Bates | ||
| 1918 | Sisters of the Golden Circle | Mrs. James Williams | |
| 1918 | One Thousand Dollars | Margarett Hayden | |
| 1919 | Helen Reeves | ||
| 1919 | Lela Trevor | ||
| 1919 | In Honor's Web | Carson | |
| 1919 | Isabel Merson | ||
| 1920 | Helen Torrence | ||
| 1920 | Barbara | ||
| 1920 | Go and Get It | Helen Allen | |
| 1920 | Held by the Enemy | Rachel Hayne | |
| 1921 | Laura Gage | ||
| 1921 | Too Much Speed | Virginia MacMurran | |
| 1921 | Cappy Ricks | Florrie Ricks | |
| 1922 | Madelinette | ||
| 1922 | Bought and Paid For Bought and Paid For Bought and Paid For is a 1922 silent film drama produced by Famous Players-Lasky and distributed by Paramount Pictures. William C. deMille directed and Agnes Ayres is the starring actress. It is based on a play by George Broadhurst performed on Broadway in 1911 with Julia Dean and revived 1921... |
Virginia Blaine | |
| 1922 | Sybil Bruce | ||
| 1922 | Mary Fenton | ||
| 1922 | Clarence Clarence (1922 film) Clarence is a silent comedy drama, based on a play by Booth Tarkington, produced by Famous Players-Lasky and distributed through Paramount Pictures. It was directed by William C. deMille and starred Wallace Reid in his penultimate screen appearance. The play starred Alfred Lunt, in Reid's part,... |
Violet Pinney | |
| 1923 | Muriel Gray (a speed girl) | ||
| 1923 | Racing Hearts | Virginia Kent | |
| 1923 | Alexandra Vancy | ||
| 1923 | Don't Call It Love | Alice Meldrum | |
| 1923 | Hollywood Hollywood (1923 film) Hollywood was a silent comedy film directed by James Cruze, co-written by Frank Condon and Thomas J. Geraghty, and released by Paramount Pictures.The film has become famous as having featured cameos of more than thirty famous Hollywood stars... |
Herself (cameo) | |
| 1924 | When a Girl Loves | Sasha Boroff | |
| 1924 | Bluff | Betty Hallowell | |
| 1924 | Irene Short | ||
| 1924 | Detained | short film | |
| 1924 | The Story Without a Name The Story Without a Name The Story Without a Name is a 1924 silent film melodrama directed by Irvin Willat and based on a novel by Arthur Stringer. It was produced by Famous Players-Lasky and distributed by Paramount Pictures. The film stars Agnes Ayres. Also known as Without Warning. This film is lost... |
Mary Walsworth | |
| 1925 | Tomorrow's Love | Judith Stanley | |
| 1925 | Her Market Value Her Market Value Her Market Value is a 1925 silent film melodrama directed by Paul Powell and starring Agnes Ayres. Powell produced the picture and distributed through Producer's Distributing Corporation or PDC. This feature is extant at UCLA Film and Television Archive.... |
Nancy Dumont | |
| 1925 | Lucy Satterlee | ||
| 1925 | Morals for Men | Bessie Hayes | |
| 1926 | Lady Diana | ||
| 1927 | Eve's Love Letters Eve's Love Letters Eve's Love Letters is a 1927 silent comedy film featuring Stan Laurel.-Cast:* Agnes Ayres - The wife* Forrest Stanley - Adam, her husband* Stan Laurel - Anatole, the butler* Jerry Mandy - Mr. X aka Sir Oliver Hardy... |
The Wife | |
| 1928 | Into the Night | Billie Mardon | |
| 1936 | Small Town Girl Small Town Girl (1936 film) Small Town Girl is a film starring Janet Gaynor, Robert Taylor, and James Stewart. The romantic comedy was directed by William A. Wellman.Based on a novel by Ben Ames Williams, the film went through many changes before it reached the screen... |
Catherine | Uncredited |
| 1937 | Maid of Salem Maid of Salem Maid of Salem is a 1937 film made by Paramount Pictures, directed by Frank Lloyd, and starring Claudette Colbert and Fred MacMurray.-Plot:It tells the story of a young girl in Salem, Massachusetts, 1692, who has an affair with adventurer... |
Bit Part | Uncredited |
| 1937 | Midnight Taxi | Society woman | Uncredited |
| 1937 | Souls at Sea Souls at Sea Souls at Sea is a 1937 seafaring film starring Gary Cooper and George Raft. The movie features Frances Dee, Harry Carey, Robert Cummings, George Zucco, Joseph Schildkraut, Paul Fix, and Tully Marshall, and was directed by Henry Hathaway. The title of this film was spoofed in the Laurel and Hardy... |
Bit Role | Uncredited |
| 1937 | Morning Judge | Mrs. Kennedy |