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May McAvoy

May McAvoy

Acting September 6, 1899 (84 years old) April 26, 1984 New York City, New York, USA

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.

Movies 77

Ben-Hur 7.9

Ben-Hur

as Woman in crowd (uncredited)

1959
The Bad and the Beautiful 7.3

The Bad and the Beautiful

as Pebbel's Secretary (uncredited)

1952
The Jazz Singer 6.1

The Jazz Singer

as Mary Dale

1927
Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ 7.3

Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ

as Esther

1925
The Wings of Eagles 6.3

The Wings of Eagles

as Nurse (uncredited)

1957
Lady Windermere's Fan 6.9

Lady Windermere's Fan

as Lady Windermere

1925
Executive Suite 7.0

Executive Suite

as Grimm's Secretary (uncredited)

1954
Two Girls and a Sailor 5.8

Two Girls and a Sailor

as Dowager (uncredited)

1944
To Hell with the Kaiser!

To Hell with the Kaiser!

as Wounded Girl

1918
Rio Rita 6.0

Rio Rita

as Hotel Guest (uncredited)

1942
The Romance of Rosy Ridge 6.7

The Romance of Rosy Ridge

as Wife (uncredited)

1947
Two Girls on Broadway 7.0

Two Girls on Broadway

as Chatworth's Secretary (uncredited)

1940
Mystery Street 6.8

Mystery Street

as Nurse (uncredited)

1950
Hollywood: Style Center of the World 5.8

Hollywood: Style Center of the World

as Saleslady

1940
Born to Sing 5.4

Born to Sing

as (uncredited)

1942
The Yellow Cab Man 6.9

The Yellow Cab Man

as (uncredited)

1950
Love Crazy 6.8

Love Crazy

as Sanity Hearing Secretary (uncredited)

1941
Third Finger, Left Hand 7.0

Third Finger, Left Hand

as Telephone Operator (uncredited)

1940
1-2-3-Go! 6.6

1-2-3-Go!

as Nurse

1941
Sentimental Tommy 7.0

Sentimental Tommy

as Grizel

1921
Caught in the Fog 9.0

Caught in the Fog

as The Girl

1928
A Trip to Paramountown 7.8

A Trip to Paramountown

as Self

1922
I'll Say So

I'll Say So

1918
Luxury Liner 5.8

Luxury Liner

as Woman (uncredited)

1948
The Road to Glory 6.5

The Road to Glory

as Judith Allen

1926
Main Street on the March! 6.1

Main Street on the March!

as Window Shopper (uncredited)

1941
Ringside Maisie 5.6

Ringside Maisie

as 1st Nurse (uncredited)

1941
The Fire Brigade 5.0

The Fire Brigade

as Helen Corwin

1926
The Bedroom Window 9.0

The Bedroom Window

as Ruth Martin

1924
The Devil's Garden 7.0

The Devil's Garden

as Norah

1920
Grumpy 8.0

Grumpy

as Virginia Bullivant

1923
The Truth About Husbands 7.0

The Truth About Husbands

as Leslie Brownell

1920
Through a Glass Window 9.0

Through a Glass Window

as Jenny Martin

1922
My Husband's Other Wife 10.0

My Husband's Other Wife

as Nettie Bryson

1920
Hollywood 9.0

Hollywood

as May McAvoy

1923
The Woman Under Oath 6.5

The Woman Under Oath

as Edith Norton

1919
Three Women 4.5

Three Women

as Jeannie Wilton

1924
Stolen Kisses 6.3

Stolen Kisses

as May Lambert

1929
If I Were Single 9.0

If I Were Single

as May Howard

1927
Phantom Raiders 6.1

Phantom Raiders

as Middle Telephone Operator

1940
My Old Dutch 7.0

My Old Dutch

as Sal Gratton

1926
The Lion and the Mouse 9.0

The Lion and the Mouse

as Shirley Ross

1928
No Defense 10.0

No Defense

as Ruth Harper

1929
The Top of New York 10.0

The Top of New York

as Hilda O'Shaunnessey

1922
The Mad Whirl 6.6

The Mad Whirl

as Cathleen Gillis

1925
The Way of a Woman 8.0

The Way of a Woman

as Grace Lee

1919
Tessie 9.0

Tessie

as Tessie

1925
The Enchanted Cottage 7.2

The Enchanted Cottage

as Laura Pennington

1924
Dulcy 6.4

Dulcy

as Miss Murphy - Van Dyke's Secretary (uncredited)

1940
Mrs. Wiggs of the Cabbage Patch 6.3

Mrs. Wiggs of the Cabbage Patch

as Australy Wiggs

1919
The Sporting Duchess 8.0

The Sporting Duchess

as Mary Aylmer

1920
Only 38 9.0

Only 38

as Lucy Stanley

1923
The Terror 7.5

The Terror

as Olga Redmayne

1928
The Little Snob 8.0

The Little Snob

as May Banks

1928
The House of the Tolling Bell 9.0

The House of the Tolling Bell

as Lucy Atheron

1920
Whispers 8.0

Whispers

as Gossip (uncredited)

1941
West of the Water Tower 10.0

West of the Water Tower

as Bee Chew

1924
Gareth Hughes

Gareth Hughes

as Self (archive footage)

2000
Morals 10.0

Morals

as Carlotta Carlotta

1921
Irish Hearts 10.0

Irish Hearts

as Sheila

1927
Slightly Used 8.0

Slightly Used

as Cynthia Martin

1927
A Homespun Vamp 8.0

A Homespun Vamp

as Meg Mackenzie

1922
Sucker List 7.0

Sucker List

as Secretary (uncredited)

1941
A Perfect Lady

A Perfect Lady

as Claire Higgins

1918
Tarnish 8.0

Tarnish

as Letitia Tevis

1924
A Private Scandal 7.0

A Private Scandal

as Jeanne Millett

1921
Clarence 9.0

Clarence

as Cora Wheeler

1922
Her Reputation 9.0

Her Reputation

as Jacqueline Lanier

1923
Kick In 9.0

Kick In

as Myrtle

1922
Mr. Blabbermouth! 5.1

Mr. Blabbermouth!

1942
A Virginia Courtship 10.0

A Virginia Courtship

as Prudence Fairfax

1921
Movie Pests 6.1

Movie Pests

as Woman Whose Vision Gets Blocked (uncredited)

1944
The Passionate Quest 9.0

The Passionate Quest

1926
The Savage 9.0

The Savage

as Ysabel Atwater

1926
Matinee Ladies 9.0

Matinee Ladies

as Sallie Smith

1927
A Reno Divorce 9.0

A Reno Divorce

as Carla

1927
The Forbidden Valley 8.0

The Forbidden Valley

as Morning Glory

1920

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