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May McAvoy
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, McAv…
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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.
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BODY OF WORK
May McAvoy's Filmography
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No Poster
Gareth Hughes
as Self (archive footage)
Ben-Hur
as Woman in crowd (uncredited)
The Wings of Eagles
as Nurse (uncredited)
Executive Suite
as Grimm's Secretary (uncredited)
The Bad and the Beautiful
as Pebbel's Secretary (uncredited)
Mystery Street
as Nurse (uncredited)
The Yellow Cab Man
as (uncredited)
Luxury Liner
as Woman (uncredited)
The Romance of Rosy Ridge
as Wife (uncredited)
Movie Pests
as Woman Whose Vision Gets Blocked (uncredited)
Two Girls and a Sailor
as Dowager (uncredited)
Mr. Blabbermouth!
Rio Rita
as Hotel Guest (uncredited)
Born to Sing
as (uncredited)
Main Street on the March!
as Window Shopper (uncredited)
Ringside Maisie
as 1st Nurse (uncredited)
Sucker List
as Secretary (uncredited)
Love Crazy
as Sanity Hearing Secretary (uncredited)
1-2-3-Go!
as Nurse
Whispers
as Gossip (uncredited)
Third Finger, Left Hand
as Telephone Operator (uncredited)
Dulcy
as Miss Murphy - Van Dyke's Secretary (uncredited)
Phantom Raiders
as Middle Telephone Operator
Hollywood: Style Center of the World
as Saleslady
Two Girls on Broadway
as Chatworth's Secretary (uncredited)
No Defense
as Ruth Harper
Stolen Kisses
as May Lambert
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
If I Were Single
as May Howard
A Reno Divorce
as Carla
The Jazz Singer
as Mary Dale
Slightly Used
as Cynthia Martin
Irish Hearts
as Sheila
Matinee Ladies
as Sallie Smith
The Fire Brigade
as Helen Corwin
The Savage
as Ysabel Atwater
No Poster
The Passionate Quest
My Old Dutch
as Sal Gratton
The Road to Glory
as Judith Allen
Lady Windermere's Fan
as Lady Windermere
Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ
as Esther
No Poster
Tessie
as Tessie
The Mad Whirl
as Cathleen Gillis
Three Women
as Jeannie Wilton
Tarnish
as Letitia Tevis
The Bedroom Window
as Ruth Martin
The Enchanted Cottage
as Laura Pennington
West of the Water Tower
as Bee Chew
Her Reputation
as Jacqueline Lanier
Hollywood
as May McAvoy
Only 38
as Lucy Stanley
Grumpy
as Virginia Bullivant
Kick In
as Myrtle
Clarence
as Cora Wheeler
A Trip to Paramountown
as Self
The Top of New York
as Hilda O'Shaunnessey
Through a Glass Window
as Jenny Martin
A Homespun Vamp
as Meg Mackenzie
A Virginia Courtship
as Prudence Fairfax
Morals
as Carlotta Carlotta
A Private Scandal
as Jeanne Millett
Sentimental Tommy
as Grizel
The Truth About Husbands
as Leslie Brownell
The Devil's Garden
as Norah
The Forbidden Valley
as Morning Glory
The House of the Tolling Bell
as Lucy Atheron
The Sporting Duchess
as Mary Aylmer
My Husband's Other Wife
as Nettie Bryson
The Way of a Woman
as Grace Lee
The Woman Under Oath
as Edith Norton
Mrs. Wiggs of the Cabbage Patch
as Australy Wiggs
I'll Say So
A Perfect Lady
as Claire Higgins
To Hell with the Kaiser!
as Wounded Girl