Wanted to pay tribute today to Carla Laemmle, niece of Universal Studios founder Carl Laemmle who passed away last week at the age of 104…
— Horror Nights (@HorrorNights) June 19, 2014
Wanted to pay tribute today to Carla Laemmle, niece of Universal Studios founder Carl Laemmle. Carla passed away last week at the age of 104. Carla was the last link to the great Silent Film era at Universal that gave birth to the Classic Monster Movies that made the studio famous. Carla played the Prima Ballerina in 1925’s “The Phantom of the Opera,” along side the great Lon Chaney, The Man of 1,000 Faces. Carla also had a role in 1931’s “Dracula,” she is in the opening scene where Renfield takes the carriage ride to Castle Dracula.
I had the pleasure of filming Carla several years ago, She told me amazing stories about growing up on the Universal lot in the Silent era. Back in those days, several of Laemmle’s relatives actually lived on the backlot. She told me about how they celebrated Halloween: The studio technicians set up a scary walk through for the children in a wooded section of the backlot. No pictures survive of that. It was kind of the predecessor to HHN, so it was amazing to here her tell me about that walk through and filming Dracula/Phantom.
Carla also told me a strange tale about a mysterious man named Pete the Hermit who roamed the hills of the Universal backlot with his goats. He would often dress like Moses and walk down to Hollywood Blvd. and direct traffic! It sounded too crazy to be true but I did some research. There was a guy named Pete the Hermit that lived up in the canyon with his goats and roamed the Universal backlot. He died in the 60’s.
I always think about Pete the Hermit when I’m roaming the dirt trails that criss-cross the wilderness part of the backlot during HHN. You guys and gals get to walk the same trail when you’re experiencing Terror Tram. I wonder if the Ghost of Pete the Hermit haunts them?
It was a pleasure to know Carla & to hear her stories about the earliest days of Universal & the Classic Horror movies. Rest in Peace.