Extremely popular silent star of the 1920s. Her popularity was enhanced
when she co-starred with
Rudolph Valentino in
Der Scheich (1921) and
Der Sohn des Scheich (1926).
She made her screen debut at Essanay Studios in 1915. While she was
popular in the 1920s (thanks to the patronage of her lover, Jesse
Lasky), her popularity had slipped by the time she briefly retired from
the screen in 1927. Divorces, lawsuits and mental health battles all
took their toll on her. Ayres returned to the movies almost immediately
after but had difficulty re-establishing herself. She hoped that a bit
part in Schiffbruch der Seelen (1937) would
lead to a comeback but it did not. She died three years later of a
cerebral hemorrhage.
