Yvonne De Carlo, 84, Played Lily in ‘The Munsters’
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Yvonne De Carlo, who played Moses’ wife in “The Ten Commandments” but achieved her greatest popularity on TV’s “The Munsters,” died Monday at 84 in Los Angeles.
De Carlo, whose shapely figure helped launch her career in B-movie adventures and Westerns, rose to bigger roles in the 1950s.
But for TV viewers, she will always be known as Lily Munster in the 1964-1966 slapstick horror-movie spoof “The Munsters.” While it lasted only two years, the series had a long life in syndication and resulted in two feature movie sequels.
De Carlo was able to sustain a long career by repeatedly reinventing herself. A longtime student of voice, she sang opera at the Hollywood Bowl. When movie roles became scarce, she ventured into stage musicals.
Her greatest stage triumph came on Broadway in 1971 with “Follies,” which won the 1972 Tony award for best original musical score. She belted out Sondheim’s number, “I’m Still Here,” a former star’s defiant recounting of the highs and lows of her life and career.
