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)

1947

The Romance of Rosy Ridge as Wife (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

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

1940

Hollywood: Style Center of the World as Saleslady
Dulcy as Miss Murphy - Van Dyke's Secretary (uncredited)
Third Finger, Left Hand as Telephone Operator (uncredited)
Phantom Raiders as Middle Telephone Operator
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
Caught in the Fog as The Girl
The Lion and the Mouse as Shirley Ross
The Little Snob as May Banks

1927

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

1926

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

1925

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

1924

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

1923

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

1922

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

1921

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