Agnes Ayres
Born	Agnes Eyre Henkel April 4, 1898(1898-04-04) Carbondale, Illinois
Died	December 25, 1940 (aged 42) Los Angeles, California
Other name(s)	Agnes Eyre
Spouse(s)	Captain Frank P. Schuker (? - 1921) S. Manuel Reachi (July 13, 1924 - June 10, 1927)

Agnes Ayres (April 4, 1898 – December 25, 1940) was an American actress who rose to fame during the silent film era.

Contents 1 Early life and career 2 Later years and death 3 Selected filmography 4 References 5 External links

[edit] Early life and career

Born as Agnes Eyre Henkel in Carbondale, Illinois, 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.^[1] 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 Paramount executive Jesse Lasky.^[2]

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. Aryes would later reprise her role as Lady Diana in the 1926 sequel Son of the Sheik. Following the release of The Shiek, 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.^[3] 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 parts and finally retired from acting for good in 1937.^[3]

[edit] Later years and death

After her retirement, Ayres became despondent and was eventually committed to a sanatorium. She also lost custody of her daughter to her ex-husband, S. Manuel Reachi, in 1939.^[3]

She died from a cerebral hemorrhage on December 25, 1940 at her home at the age of 42.^[4]

For her contribution to motion pictures, Agnes Ayres has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6504 Hollywood Boulevard.

[edit] Selected filmography

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
	Mrs. Balfame	Alys Crumley	Credited as Agnes Eyre
	Hedda Gabler		Credited as Agnes Eyre
	The Defeat of the City	Alicia Van Der Pool	Credited as Agnes Eyre
1918	The Purple Dress	Maida
	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
	The Gamblers	Isabel Merson
1920	A Modern Salome	Helen Torrence
	The Inner Voice	Barbara
	Go and Get It	Helen Allen
	Held by the Enemy	Rachel Hayne
1921	The Love Special	Laura Gage
	Too Much Speed	Virginia MacMurran
	Cappy Ricks	Florrie Ricks
1922	The Lane That Had No Turning	Madelinette
	Bought and Paid For	Virginia Blaine
	The Ordeal	Sybil Bruce
	A Daughter of Luxury	Mary Fenton
1923	The Heart Raider	Muriel Gray (a speed girl)
	Racing Hearts	Virginia Kent
	The Marriage Maker	Alexandra Vancy
	Don't Call It Love	Alice Meldrum
1924	When a Girl Loves	Sasha Boroff
	Bluff	Betty Hallowell
	The Guilty One	Irene Short
	Detained
1925	Tomorrow's Love	Judith Stanley
	Her Market Value	Nancy Dumont
	The Awful Truth	Lucy Satterlee
	Morals for Men	Bessie Hayes
1927	Eve's Love Letters	The Wife
1928	Into the Night	Billie Mardon
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

[edit] References

[edit] External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Agnes Ayres

• Agnes Ayres at the Internet Movie Database
• Agnes Ayres at Allmovie
• Agnes Ayres at Find a Grave
• Photographs and literature

Persondata
NAME	Ayres, Agnes
ALTERNATIVE NAMES	Hinkle, Agnes Eyre
SHORT DESCRIPTION	Actress
DATE OF BIRTH	April 4, 1898
PLACE OF BIRTH	Carbondale, Illinois, U.S.
DATE OF DEATH	December 25, 1940
PLACE OF DEATH	Los Angeles, California, U.S.