Agnes Ayres | |
|---|---|
 Ayres,c. 1920 | |
| Born | Agnes Henkel (1892-04-04)April 4, 1892 Carbondale, Illinois, U.S. |
| Died | December 25, 1940(1940-12-25) (aged 48) Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Resting place | Hollywood Forever Cemetery |
| Other names | Agnes Eyre Agnes Rendleman |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1914–1929, 1936–1937 |
| Spouses | |
| Children | 1 |
Agnes Ayres (bornAgnes Henkel; April 4, 1892[1] – December 25, 1940) was an American actress who rose to fame during the period ofsilent films.[2] She was known for her role as Lady Diana Mayo inThe Sheik oppositeRudolph Valentino.[3]
Ayres began her career in 1914 when she was noticed by anEssanay Studios staff director and cast as an extra in a crowd scene.[3] After moving to Manhattan with her mother to pursue a career in acting, Ayres was spotted by actressAlice Joyce. Joyce noticed the physical resemblance the two shared which eventually led to Ayres being cast inRichard the Brazen (1917), as Joyce's character's sister. Ayres' career began to gain momentum whenParamount Pictures founderJesse Lasky began to take an interest in her. Lasky gave her a starring role in the dramaHeld by the Enemy (1920), and he lobbied for parts for her in several productions byCecil B. DeMille.[4] During this period Ayres began a romance with Lasky.[5]
In 1921, Ayres shot to stardom when she was cast as Lady Diana Mayo, an English heiress, with "Latin lover"Rudolph Valentino inThe Sheik. Ayres later reprised her role as Lady Diana in the 1926 sequelThe Son of the Sheik. Following the release ofThe Sheik, she had major roles in many other films, includingThe Affairs of Anatol (1921) starringWallace Reid,Forbidden Fruit (1921), and Cecil B. DeMille'sThe 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.[6] The couple had a daughter,[7] then divorced in 1927.[8]
Ayres lost her fortune and real estate holdings in theWall Street Crash of 1929.[3] That same year, she also appeared in her last major role inThe Donovan Affair, starringJack Holt. To earn money, she left acting and played thevaudeville circuit. She returned to acting in 1936, confident that she could make a comeback — but, unable to secure starring roles, and somewhat overweight, Ayres appeared in mostly uncredited parts and finally retired from acting in 1937.[6]
After her retirement, Ayres became despondent and was eventually committed to a sanatorium. In 1939, she also lost custody of her daughter, Maria Ayres, to Reachi.[6]
She died from a cerebral hemorrhage on December 25, 1940, at her home in Hollywood, California at the age of 48; she had been ill for several weeks.[3][9] She is interred atHollywood Forever Cemetery. In 1960, Ayres was inducted into theHollywood Walk of Fame with amotion pictures star at 6504 Hollywood Boulevard for her contributions to the film industry.[10]
Her daughter Maria Reachi had a small part in the movieEast Side, West Side (1949).[11]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1914 | The Masked Wrestler | Uncredited | |
| 1915 | His New Job | Extra, Secretary | Alternative title:Charlie's New Job |
| 1917 | Motherhood | The Mother | Credited as Agnes Eyre Lost film |
| The Debt | Countess Ann | Credited as Agnes Eyre Lost film | |
| Mrs. Balfame | Alys Crumley | Credited as Agnes Eyre | |
| Hedda Gabler | Credited as Agnes Eyre | ||
| The Mirror | undetermined | Credited as Agnes Eyre Lost film | |
| The Dazzling Miss Davison | Lillian, Miss Davison's sister | Credited as Agnes Eyre Lost film | |
| The Defeat of the City | Alicia Van Der Pool | Credited as Agnes Eyre | |
| The Bottom of the Well | Alice Buckingham | Lost film | |
| 1918 | The Purple Dress | Maida | *short |
| The Enchanted Profile | Ida Bates | ||
| Sisters of the Golden Circle | Mrs. James Williams | ||
| One Thousand Dollars | Margarett Hayden | ||
| 1919 | The Girl Problem | Helen Reeves | |
| A Stitch in Time | Lela Trevor | ||
| In Honor's Web | Carson | Lost film | |
| Sacred Silence | Lost film | ||
| The Gamblers | Isabel Merson | ||
| 1920 | A Modern Salome | Helen Torrence | Lost film |
| The Inner Voice | Barbara | Survives; Library of Congress, Cineteca Nazionale | |
| Go and Get It | Helen Allen | Survives; Cineteca Nazionale | |
| Held by the Enemy | Rachel Hayne | Lost film | |
| 1921 | The Love Special | Laura Gage | Survives |
| Forbidden Fruit | Mary Maddock | Survives | |
| Too Much Speed | Virginia MacMurran | Unknown/presumablyLost | |
| Cappy Ricks | Florrie Ricks | Incomplete film | |
| The Affairs of Anatol | Annie Elliott | Survives | |
| The Sheik | Lady Diana Mayo | Survives | |
| 1922 | The Lane That Had No Turning | Madelinette | Lost film |
| Bought and Paid For | Virginia Blaine | Lost film | |
| The Ordeal | Sybil Bruce | Lost film | |
| A Daughter of Luxury | Mary Fenton | Lost film | |
| Clarence | Violet Pinney | Lost film | |
| 1923 | The Heart Raider | Muriel Gray (a speed girl) | |
| Racing Hearts | Virginia Kent | Lost film | |
| The Ten Commandments | The Outcast | Survives | |
| The Marriage Maker | Alexandra Vancy | Lost film | |
| Don't Call It Love | Alice Meldrum | Lost film | |
| Hollywood | Herself (cameo) | Lost film | |
| 1924 | When a Girl Loves | Sasha Boroff | Survives |
| Bluff | Betty Hallowell | Survives | |
| The Guilty One | Irene Short | Lost | |
| Detained | Short filmSurvives | ||
| The Story Without a Name | Mary Walsworth | Lost film | |
| 1925 | Tomorrow's Love | Judith Stanley | Lost film |
| Her Market Value | Nancy Dumont | Survives | |
| The Awful Truth | Lucy Satterlee | Survives | |
| Morals for Men | Bessie Hayes | Survives | |
| 1926 | The Son of the Sheik | Lady Diana | Survives |
| 1927 | Eve's Love Letters | The Wife | Survives; *short |
| 1928 | Into the Night | Billie Mardon | Lost film |
| 1929 | The Donovan Affair | Lydia Rankin | ?Survives |
| Bye, Bye, Buddy | Glad O'Brien | Lost film | |
| 1936 | Small Town Girl | Catherine | Uncredited |
| 1937 | Maid of Salem | Bit Part | Uncredited |
| Midnight Taxi | Society woman | Uncredited | |
| Souls at Sea | Bit Role | Uncredited | |
| Morning Judge | Mrs. Kennedy |
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| People | |
| Other | |
