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)

1957

The Wings of Eagles as Nurse (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

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

1940

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

1929

No Defense as Ruth Harper
Stolen Kisses as May Lambert

1928

Caught in the Fog as The Girl
The Terror as Olga Redmayne
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

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

1925

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

1924

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

1923

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

1922

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

1921

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