Irene Ware

Irene Ahlberg was born November 6, 1910 in Pelham, NY. Several references state she was crowned Miss America of 1926. Not so, she was named Miss Greater NY in 1929, and then Miss United States for the Miss Universe competition. However, this is not the Miss Universe you have come to know and love/hate. This "Miss Universe" was the Galveston, Tex., International Beauty Contest. Virtually ignored by the U. S. press, the Galveston tournament was big news elsewhere in the world. In Paris, Madrid, Vienna, Rio de Janeiro, editors reported on just what Miss France, Miss Spain, Miss Austria, Miss Brazil were doing, wearing, saying at each instant of the final ceremony. For the record, Austria won and Irene took second, and it was reported as "Irene Ahlberg, a Manhattan stenographer, 18 and blond, won $1,000 and second honors".

I'm guessing she took that $1000 to help the move to show business. From late 1929 through early 1932 Irene appeared in several of Earl Carroll's Vanities broadway productions. Hollywood and a name change to Irene Ware came in 1932 when she signed a contract with Fox. Her first credited film was as the mysterious Princess Nadji, in Chandu the Magician(1932). In the film she was menaced by Bela Lugosi and would find herself in similar circumstances in 1935's The Raven, also starring Lugosi. Irene never reached true stardom, though she worked in a few films featuring leading actors of the day. Most of the 29 films she appeared in from 1932 to 1940 were what we would call "programmers or B-movies". A
side note - In Federal Agent (1936), she starred with William Boyd in his final non-Hopalong Cassidy vehicle.

Irene was married to film writer John Meehan. She died on March 11, 1993 in Santa Ana, California.

Click on the images for a larger view.

Screen Shots from Chandu The Magician

Publicity still from The Raven

Screen shots from Murder At Glen Athol (1936)

Publicity still from Whispering Smith Speaks (1935)

Publicity still

Irene Ware - What do you think - Allure?