Irene Ware on:
[Wikipedia]
[Google]
[Amazon]
Irene Ware (born Irene Catherine Ahlberg; November 6, 1910 – March 11, 1993) was an American actress. She was a beauty queen and showgirl before appearing in 29 films between 1932 and 1940, and is mostly remembered for her roles as Princess Nadji in ''Chandu the Magician (film), Chandu the Magician'' (1932) with Edmund Lowe and Bela Lugosi, and as Boris Karloff's and Lugosi's leading lady in 1935's ''The Raven (1935 film), The Raven''.
Irene Catherine Ahlberg was born November 6, 1910, in Albany, New York. Her father, Ernest Ahlberg, born in Sweden, managed a saloon. Her mother, Anna Freya, born in New York of Austrian parents, was a real estate agent. She lived in New York and Los Angeles. Her sister, Anita, was an artist.
Ware's first marriage was to American screenwriter John Meehan, Jr., who won three Oscars for his work. Her second marriage was to federal Judge Fred Campbell. She left the industry to become a mother to their two children, John and Deirdre Meehan.
Author Gregory William Mank wrote in 'Bela Lugosi and Boris Karloff the Expanded Story of a Haunting Collaboration', (McFarland & Company), (2010), that Ware lived in Encinitas; had "Severe dementia"; and that she died in the evening, of "Pneumonia", in the Western Medical Centre, Santa Ana, California, Santa Ana.
Early years
Irene Catherine Ahlberg was born November 6, 1910, in Albany, New York. Her father, Ernest Ahlberg, born in Sweden, managed a saloon. Her mother, Anna Freya, born in New York of Austrian parents, was a real estate agent. She lived in New York and Los Angeles. Her sister, Anita, was an artist.
Beauty queen
As an 18-year-old stenographer, (5`6"/1.68 cm tall), Ware was crowned Miss Greater New York, then Miss United States in 1929, and the same year was first runner-up for the title of Miss Universe at a pageant held in Galveston, Texas. She also won $1,000. ("Miss United States" was an unofficial alternative to the Miss America Pageant, which was not held in 1929. The Miss Universe contest of the 1920s was not connected to the current Miss Universe system, which was launched in 1952.)Acting
Ware debuted on stage in a revue at the Metropolitan Theatre (Boston, Massachusetts), Metropolitan Theatre Boston in July 1929, She performed in ''Early Carroll's Sketch Book'' (1929) and in the 1930 and 1931 versions of Earl Carroll's Vanities on Broadway. She was then contracted to Fox Studios and moved to Hollywood, changing her name to Irene Ware. Her first movie was ''Society Girl (film), Society Girl'', in 1932 at Fox Film Corporation as uncredited together with names like James Dunn, Peggy Shannon and Spencer Tracy. The second film, which quickly made her a star, was ''Chandu the Magician (film), Chandu the Magician'', also released in 1932 and directed by Marcel Varnel.Personal life
Ware's first marriage was to American screenwriter John Meehan, Jr., who won three Oscars for his work. Her second marriage was to federal Judge Fred Campbell. She left the industry to become a mother to their two children, John and Deirdre Meehan.
Author Gregory William Mank wrote in 'Bela Lugosi and Boris Karloff the Expanded Story of a Haunting Collaboration', (McFarland & Company), (2010), that Ware lived in Encinitas; had "Severe dementia"; and that she died in the evening, of "Pneumonia", in the Western Medical Centre, Santa Ana, California, Santa Ana.
Filmography
*1932: ''Society Girl (film), Society Girl'' - (uncredited) *1932: ''Chandu the Magician (film), Chandu the Magician'' - Princess Nadji *1932: ''Six Hours to Live'' - The Prostitute *1933: ''Humanity (film), Humanity'' - Olive Pelton *1933: ''Brief Moment'' - Joan *1933: ''My Weakness (film), My Weakness'' - Eve Millstead *1934: ''Moulin Rouge (1934 film), Moulin Rouge'' - show girl (uncredited) *1934: ''Orient Express (1934 film), Orient Express'' - Janet Pardoe *1934: ''Let's Talk It Over'' - Sandra *1934: ''The Affairs of Cellini'' - Daughter Of The House Of Bocci *1934: ''You Belong to Me (1934 film), You Belong To Me'' - Lila Lacey *1934: ''King Kelly of the U.S.A.'' - Princess Tania aka Catherine Bell *1935: ''Rendezvous at Midnight'' - Myra *1935: ''Night Life of the Gods'' - Diana *1935: ''Whispering Smith Speaks'' - Nan Roberts *1935: ''The Raven (1935 film), The Raven'' - Jean Thatcher *1935: ''Cheers of the Crowd'' - Mary Larkin *1935: ''Happiness C.O.D.'' - Carroll Sherridan *1935: ''False Pretenses'' - Mary Beekman *1936: ''The Dark Hour (1936 film), The Dark Hour'' - Elsa Carson *1936: ''Murder at Glen Athol'' - Jane Maxwell *1936: ''O'Malley of the Mounted (1936 film), O'Malley of the Mounted'' - Edith "Edie" Hyland *1936: ''In Paris, A.W.O.L.'' - Constance *1936: ''Federal Agent'' - Helen Lynch / Helen Gray *1936: ''Gold Diggers of 1937'' - Irene (Sally´s pal) *1937: ''The Live Wire (1937 film), The Live Wire'' - Jane *1938: ''No Parking'' - Olga *1938: ''Around The Town'' - Norma Wyngold *1940: ''Outside the Three-Mile Limit'' - Dorothy Kenney (final film role)References
External links
* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Ware, Irene 1910 births 1993 deaths 20th-century American actresses Actresses from New York City American beauty pageant winners American film actresses American people of Austrian descent American people of Swedish descent American stage actresses