May McAvoy

Born: 1899-09-06 in New York City, New York, USA

Died: 1984-04-26

Known For: Acting

Biography

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia May McAvoy (September 8, 1899 – April 26, 1984) was an American actress who worked mainly during the silent film era. Some of her major roles are Laura Pennington in The Enchanted Cottage, Esther in Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ, and Mary Dale in The Jazz Singer. McAvoy appeared in her first film, entitled Hate, in 1917. After appearing in more than three dozen films, she co-starred with Ramón Novarro and Francis X. Bushman in director Fred Niblo's 1925 production of Ben-Hur, released by MGM. The feature-length film was one of the most lavish and spectacular productions of the silent movie era. Although her voice was not heard in The Jazz Singer, McAvoy did speak in several other films, including the second "all-talkie" released by Warner Brothers, The Terror, which was directed by Roy Del Ruth and co-starred Conrad Nagel. For years a rumor circulated that McAvoy retired from the screen at the transition to sound films because of a lisp or speech impediment. In truth, she married the treasurer of United Artists, who asked her not to work. Later, she returned to films and played small roles during the 1940s and 1950s, making her final film appearance in a small part in the 1959 version of Ben-Hur.

Filmography

2000

Gareth Hughes as Self (archive footage)

1959

Ben-Hur as Woman in crowd (uncredited)

1954

Executive Suite as Grimm's Secretary (uncredited)

1952

The Bad and the Beautiful as Pebbel's Secretary (uncredited)

1950

Mystery Street as Nurse (uncredited)
The Yellow Cab Man as (uncredited)

1948

Luxury Liner as Woman (uncredited)

1944

Two Girls and a Sailor as Dowager (uncredited)
Movie Pests as Woman Whose Vision Gets Blocked (uncredited)

1942

Rio Rita as Hotel Guest (uncredited)
Born to Sing as (uncredited)
Mr. Blabbermouth!

1941

Whispers as Gossip (uncredited)
Ringside Maisie as 1st Nurse (uncredited)
Sucker List as Secretary (uncredited)
Main Street on the March! as Window Shopper (uncredited)
1-2-3-Go! as Nurse
Love Crazy as Sanity Hearing Secretary (uncredited)

1940

Dulcy as Miss Murphy - Van Dyke's Secretary (uncredited)
Phantom Raiders as Middle Telephone Operator
Hollywood: Style Center of the World as Saleslady
Third Finger, Left Hand as Telephone Operator (uncredited)
Two Girls on Broadway as Chatworth's Secretary (uncredited)

1929

Stolen Kisses as May Lambert
No Defense as Ruth Harper

1928

The Terror as Olga Redmayne
The Lion and the Mouse as Shirley Ross
The Little Snob as May Banks
Caught in the Fog as The Girl

1927

Slightly Used as Cynthia Martin
The Jazz Singer as Mary Dale
Matinee Ladies as Sallie Smith
A Reno Divorce as Carla
If I Were Single as May Howard
Irish Hearts as Sheila

1926

The Savage as Ysabel Atwater
The Fire Brigade as Helen Corwin
The Passionate Quest
The Road to Glory as Judith Allen
My Old Dutch as Sal Gratton

1925

Lady Windermere's Fan as Lady Windermere
Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ as Esther
Tessie as Tessie
The Mad Whirl as Cathleen Gillis

1924

Three Women as Jeannie Wilton
West of the Water Tower as Bee Chew
The Enchanted Cottage as Laura Pennington
Tarnish as Letitia Tevis
The Bedroom Window as Ruth Martin

1923

Hollywood as May McAvoy
Only 38 as Lucy Stanley
Her Reputation as Jacqueline Lanier

1922

Clarence as Cora Wheeler
A Homespun Vamp as Meg Mackenzie
A Trip to Paramountown as Self
The Top of New York as Hilda O'Shaunnessey
Kick In as Myrtle

1921

Sentimental Tommy as Grizel
A Virginia Courtship as Prudence Fairfax
A Private Scandal as Jeanne Millett
Morals as Carlotta Carlotta