May McAvoy
- Teen actor
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.
Acted in
Gareth Hughes
2000
as Self (archive footage)
Ben-Hur
1959
as Woman in crowd (uncredited)
The Bad and the Beautiful
1952
as Pebbel's Secretary (uncredited)
Mystery Street
1950
as Nurse (uncredited)
The Yellow Cab Man
1950
as (uncredited)
Luxury Liner
1948
as Woman (uncredited)
Movie Pests
1944
as Woman Whose Vision Gets Blocked (uncredited)
Two Girls and a Sailor
1944
as Dowager (uncredited)
Mr. Blabbermouth!
1942
Rio Rita
1942
as Hotel Guest (uncredited)
Born to Sing
1942
as (uncredited)
Main Street on the March!
1941
as Window Shopper (uncredited)
Ringside Maisie
1941
as 1st Nurse (uncredited)
Sucker List
1941
as Secretary (uncredited)
Love Crazy
1941
as Sanity Hearing Secretary (uncredited)
1-2-3-Go!
1941
as Nurse
Whispers
1941
as Gossip (uncredited)
Third Finger, Left Hand
1940
as Telephone Operator (uncredited)
Dulcy
1940
as Miss Murphy - Van Dyke's Secretary (uncredited)
Phantom Raiders
1940
as Middle Telephone Operator
Hollywood: Style Center of the World
1940
as Saleslady
Two Girls on Broadway
1940
as Chatworth's Secretary (uncredited)
No Defense
1929
as Ruth Harper
Stolen Kisses
1929
as May Lambert
The Terror
1928
as Olga Redmayne
Caught in the Fog
1928
as The Girl
The Lion and the Mouse
1928
as Shirley Ross
The Little Snob
1928
as May Banks
If I Were Single
1927
as May Howard
A Reno Divorce
1927
as Carla
The Jazz Singer
1927
as Mary Dale
Slightly Used
1927
as Cynthia Martin
Irish Hearts
1927
as Sheila
The Fire Brigade
1926
as Helen Corwin
The Savage
1926
as Ysabel Atwater
The Passionate Quest
1926
My Old Dutch
1926
as Sal Gratton
The Road to Glory
1926
as Judith Allen
Lady Windermere's Fan
1925
as Lady Windermere
Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ
1925
as Esther
The Mad Whirl
1925
as Cathleen Gillis
Three Women
1924
as Jeannie Wilton
Tarnish
1924
as Letitia Tevis
The Bedroom Window
1924
as Ruth Martin
The Enchanted Cottage
1924
as Laura Pennington
West of the Water Tower
1924
as Bee Chew
Her Reputation
1923
as Jacqueline Lanier
Hollywood
1923
as May McAvoy
Only 38
1923
as Lucy Stanley
Kick In
1922
as Myrtle
Clarence
1922
as Cora Wheeler
A Trip to Paramountown
1922
as Self
The Top of New York
1922
as Hilda O'Shaunnessey
A Homespun Vamp
1922
as Meg Mackenzie
Morals
1921
as Carlotta Carlotta
A Private Scandal
1921
as Jeanne Millett
Sentimental Tommy
1921
as Grizel
The Truth About Husbands
1920
as Leslie Brownell
The Devil's Garden
1920
as Norah
The Way of a Woman
1919
as Grace Lee
The Woman Under Oath
1919
as Edith Norton
Mrs. Wiggs of the Cabbage Patch
1919
as Australy Wiggs
I'll Say So
1918
A Perfect Lady
1918
as Claire Higgins