May McAvoy

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.

Known For

Ben-Hur

The Bad and the Beautiful

Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ

The Jazz Singer

Mystery Street

Executive Suite

Love Crazy

Hollywood: Style Center of the World

All Movies (76)

• Gareth Hughes2000 · as Self (archive footage)
• Ben-Hur1959 · as Woman in crowd (uncredited)
• Executive Suite1954 · as Grimm's Secretary (uncredited)
• The Bad and the Beautiful1952 · as Pebbel's Secretary (uncredited)
• Mystery Street1950 · as Nurse (uncredited)
• The Yellow Cab Man1950 · as (uncredited)
• Luxury Liner1948 · as Woman (uncredited)
• The Romance of Rosy Ridge1947 · as Wife (uncredited)
• Movie Pests1944 · as Woman Whose Vision Gets Blocked (uncredited)
• Two Girls and a Sailor1944 · as Dowager (uncredited)
• Mr. Blabbermouth!1942
• Rio Rita1942 · as Hotel Guest (uncredited)
• Born to Sing1942 · as (uncredited)
• Main Street on the March!1941 · as Window Shopper (uncredited)
• Ringside Maisie1941 · as 1st Nurse (uncredited)
• Sucker List1941 · as Secretary (uncredited)
• Love Crazy1941 · as Sanity Hearing Secretary (uncredited)
• 1-2-3-Go!1941 · as Nurse
• Whispers1941 · as Gossip (uncredited)
• Third Finger, Left Hand1940 · as Telephone Operator (uncredited)
• Dulcy1940 · as Miss Murphy - Van Dyke's Secretary (uncredited)
• Phantom Raiders1940 · as Middle Telephone Operator
• Hollywood: Style Center of the World1940 · as Saleslady
• Two Girls on Broadway1940 · as Chatworth's Secretary (uncredited)
• No Defense1929 · as Ruth Harper
• Stolen Kisses1929 · as May Lambert
• The Terror1928 · as Olga Redmayne
• Caught in the Fog1928 · as The Girl
• The Lion and the Mouse1928 · as Shirley Ross
• The Little Snob1928 · as May Banks
• If I Were Single1927 · as May Howard
• A Reno Divorce1927 · as Carla
• The Jazz Singer1927 · as Mary Dale
• Slightly Used1927 · as Cynthia Martin
• Irish Hearts1927 · as Sheila
• Matinee Ladies1927 · as Sallie Smith
• The Fire Brigade1926 · as Helen Corwin
• The Savage1926 · as Ysabel Atwater
• The Passionate Quest1926
• My Old Dutch1926 · as Sal Gratton
• The Road to Glory1926 · as Judith Allen
• Lady Windermere's Fan1925 · as Lady Windermere
• Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ1925 · as Esther
• Tessie1925 · as Tessie
• The Mad Whirl1925 · as Cathleen Gillis
• Three Women1924 · as Jeannie Wilton
• Tarnish1924 · as Letitia Tevis
• The Bedroom Window1924 · as Ruth Martin
• The Enchanted Cottage1924 · as Laura Pennington
• West of the Water Tower1924 · as Bee Chew
• Her Reputation1923 · as Jacqueline Lanier
• Hollywood1923 · as May McAvoy
• Only 381923 · as Lucy Stanley
• Grumpy1923 · as Virginia Bullivant
• Kick In1922 · as Myrtle
• Clarence1922 · as Cora Wheeler
• A Trip to Paramountown1922 · as Self
• The Top of New York1922 · as Hilda O'Shaunnessey
• Through a Glass Window1922 · as Jenny Martin
• A Homespun Vamp1922 · as Meg Mackenzie
• A Virginia Courtship1921 · as Prudence Fairfax
• Morals1921 · as Carlotta Carlotta
• A Private Scandal1921 · as Jeanne Millett
• Sentimental Tommy1921 · as Grizel
• The Truth About Husbands1920 · as Leslie Brownell
• The Devil's Garden1920 · as Norah
• The Forbidden Valley1920 · as Morning Glory
• The House of the Tolling Bell1920 · as Lucy Atheron
• The Sporting Duchess1920 · as Mary Aylmer
• My Husband's Other Wife1920 · as Nettie Bryson
• The Way of a Woman1919 · as Grace Lee
• The Woman Under Oath1919 · as Edith Norton
• Mrs. Wiggs of the Cabbage Patch1919 · as Australy Wiggs
• I'll Say So1918
• A Perfect Lady1918 · as Claire Higgins
• To Hell with the Kaiser!1918 · as Wounded Girl