There were a lot of talented and attractive actresses back in the day and the stunning Yvonne De Carlo was definitely one of them.
She catapulted to fame through starring in the CBS sitcom The Munsters, only for a tragic accident to suddenly halt her career.
Yvonne De Carlo was an amazing actress known for her beauty and talent, and she had a movie career that lasted more than sixty years. Born in 1922, she is one of the most famous stars to come from Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
When she was a little girl, her father left, and her mother raised her in tough conditions. Despite this, De Carlo always dreamed of being an actress and even started writing her own plays when she was just 13.
In Hollywood, the blue-eyed brunette showed everyone that she was incredibly talented. Not only was she stunning, but she also had a down-to-earth personality that made her relatable.
Her work in films and on TV shows highlights her strong character and determination. One of her notable roles was as Moses’ wife in the classic movie The Ten Commandments, but she is probably best remembered for her part in the TV show The Munsters.
Yvonne De Carlo was the perfect choice for Lily Munster – she truly brought the vampire character to life in the hilarious monster sitcom. Even now, many fans remember her iconic line when Lily, the head of the monster family, exclaims, “I’ve never heard of anything so outrageous in all my LIVES!”
The show really launched Yvonne De Carlo into the spotlight – this role became a huge part of her career and introduced her to a whole new group of fans. In fact, it could be said that The Munsters revived De Carlo’s career. Before the show, she was already a big deal in Hollywood, often referred to as the most beautiful girl in the world, and people adored her.
However, it’s important to note that De Carlo’s fame was starting to fade just before she got the part in the sitcom. At 42 years old, she was cast as Lily, and no one could have predicted that The Munsters would become one of the greatest TV shows ever.
“It meant security,” De Carlo later shared. “It gave me a new, young audience I wouldn’t have had otherwise. It made me ‘hot’ again, which I wasn’t for a while.”
I never thought it would turn into such a big deal. It took two hours of makeup to look like that! The show ran for two big seasons, but then CBS had a fight with the creators over reruns, and we got canceled. There was a movie in 1966 called ‘Munster, Go Home!’ that showed off all the crazy colors on my face. Honestly, I looked pretty ugly.
After The Munsters, De Carlo kept acting in TV shows and on stage. She became one of the most respected actresses around, with fans from all ages, and she always found new and exciting roles.
Sadly, the last years of De Carlo’s life were pretty tough. It all started when she met stuntman Robert “Bob” Morgan on set in 1955. They definitely had a spark, but Morgan was already married, and Yvonne didn’t want to get involved. She said she had “no intention of breaking up that marriage.”
Her husband lost his leg
After Morgan’s wife passed away, he reconnected with De Carlo while filming The Ten Commandments in Egypt. They fell in love, tied the knot, and welcomed two sons, Bruce Ross and Michael.
However, being married to a stuntman and thrill-seeker wasn’t easy. Morgan and De Carlo faced challenges in their marriage, but their lives took a dramatic turn when Morgan was struck by a moving log train during the filming of the 1962 movie How the West Was Won.
The accident caused Morgan to lose his leg. He came very close to dying while doing the stunt, and the scary event impacted the entire family. After what happened, the medical expenses started to add up, and De Carlo had to work really hard to take care of her family. Yvonne, who had mostly stopped acting by then, had to return to work to help pay the bills.
“Before the accident, we were on the verge of breaking up, but when they took me to the hospital I just choked up and only one thought filled my mind: I don’t want my husband to die,” she said.
The Hollywood couple stayed together until 1973.
Losing her son
De Carlo faced another difficult period in her life. In 1997, her son Michael died at the young age of 39. His brother mentioned that Michael’s death was due to brain damage caused by a stroke.
The loss of her son was extremely painful for De Carlo. She had finished her last film in 1995, and after Michael passed away, she never returned to acting. In 1998, she suffered a minor stroke as well.
According to her other son, Bob Ross, the stroke resulted from the stress and grief De Carlo felt over Michael’s passing.
“It just preyed on her mind to the point that she had a stroke the following year,” James Bawden, a former TV columnist for the Toronto Star, said.
“All she would talk about was her son.”
Yvonne De Carlo cause of death
Yvonne De Carlo died in January 2007 at the age of 84. In her final years, she lived in a semi-retirement home located near Solvang, which is north of Santa Barbara.
Her death was due to heart failure.
Her longtime friend and television producer Kevin Burns mentioned, “I think she will be remembered as the ultimate Lily Munster. She was the vampire mom for many baby boomers, making her iconic.”
He added, “But it would be unfortunate if that’s the only way people remember her. She was also one of the top beauty queens of the 1940s and 1950s, recognized as one of the most beautiful women in the world. She was one of Hollywood’s great glamour queens, and one of the last of her kind.”
Yvonne De Carlo is just pure legendary! She is what acting is all about and managed to reinvent herself all the time.
No matter her role, she was always on top of her game and portrayed her character in the most elegant and believable fashion. Rest in Peace!
