Sunday’s ad is for “Rheingold Beer,” from 1964. This ad was made for the Rheingold Brewery, which was founded by the Liebmann family in 1883 in New York, New York. At its peak, it sold 35% of all the beer in New York state. In 1963, the family sold the brewery and in was shut down in 1976. In 1940, Philip Liebmann, great-grandson of the founder, Samuel Liebmann, started the “Miss Rheingold” pageant as the centerpiece of its marketing campaign. Beer drinkers voted each year on the young lady who would be featured as Miss Rheingold in advertisements. In the 1940s and 1950s in New York, “the selection of Miss Rheingold was as highly anticipated as the race for the White House.” The winning model was then featured in at least twelve monthly advertisements for the brewery, beginning in 1940 and ending in 1965. Beginning in 1941, the selection of next year’s Miss Rheingold was instituted and became wildly popular in the New York Area and beyond. Miss Rheingold 1964 was Celeste Yarnall. She was born July 26, 1944 in Long Beach, California, and began acting when she was discovered by Ozzie Nelson and his son Ricky, first appearing on the Adventures of Ozzie & Harriet in 1962, while working as a model and auditioning for commercials. Her first film was Jerry Lewis’ “The Nutty Professor” in 1963. Other films included Elvis Presley’s “Live a Little, Love a Little” (notable because fellow Miss Rheingold winner Emily Banks also appeared in the film), and “Eve.” But she did a lot of television, appearing on such shows as The Wild Wild West, Bewitched, Gidget, The Man from U.N.C.L.E., Captain Nice, Bonanza, Hogan’s Heroes, Love American Style, Mannix, Knots Landing, and Melrose Place. Though perhaps her best known role was on the Star Trek episode “The Apple,” in which she played “Yeoman Martha Landon.” She later became a successful commercial real estate broker, opening her own firm, got a PhD in nutrition, teaching it at Pacific Western University, and was a breeder of Tonkinese cats. She was also married three times, and had one daughter with her first husband, producer Sheldon Silverstein. She died in 2018 in Westlake Village, California, at age 74. Even before she was chosen as Miss Rheingold 1964, Celese Yarnall had hew SAG card, having done some television in small roles, and had her film debut in 1963s The Nutty Professor, starring Jerry Lewis. But after taking a year off to be Miss Rheingold, she returned to Hollywood and did quite a lof television through 1998 (when she appeared on “Melrose Place”), and appeared in films at least until 2017. Here’s a sample from her career.
Star Trek: The Original Series — The Apple (1967)
One of her most memorable roles was as the popular Yeoman Martha Landon on the original Star Trek series, in the second season episode The Apple.
Eve (1968)
Her first starring role came in 1968, when she was spotted at the Cannes Film Festival the year before by a producer who cast here in the lead role of Eve.
Live a Little, Love a Little (1968)
That same year, she appeared opposite Elvis Presley in Live a Little, Love a Little, his 28th film. By coincidence, Emily Banks, who was Miss Rheingold 1960, also appeared in the movie, as an RKC&P Receptionist. But Yarnall had a larger part, and played one of Elvis’ several love interests.
Land of the Giants (1968)
Also in 1968, she was on the television series, Land of the Giants.
Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice (1969)
Yarnall was cast as “Susan” in Paul Mazursky’s 1969 comedy-drama film Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice, starring Natalie Wood, Robert Culp, Elliott Gould, and Dyan Cannon.
Miscellaneous Promotional and Autographed Photos
