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Known as "The Girl with the Bee Stung Lips" and "The Gardenia of the Screen," silent film star Mae Murray was born Marie Adrienne Koenig in New York City on May 10, 1885. The middle child of three to French and German immigrant parents, she began dance training early in life.
Mae's career took off when she teamed with ballroom legend Vernon Castle in the 1906 Broadway production "About Town." She stayed active in the chorus for several New York shows including "The Great Decide" (1906), "Fascinating Flora" (1907), "The Hoyden" (1907), and "The Merry-Go-Round" (1908). In 1908, she joined the chorus line of the "Ziegfeld Follies." Climbing the ranks, Mae secured featured and co-star roles in Broadway hits such as "The Young Turk" (1910), "The Broadway Belles" (1910), "The Little Highness" (1913), and "The Daisy" (1914), eventually becoming a Ziegfeld headliner in 1915. She performed at premier clubs in Paris and America, showcasing her exceptional dancing skills with partners like Clifton Webb, Rudolph Valentino, and John Gilbert.
In 1916, the strikingly exotic Mae, known for her frizzy blonde hair, transitioned to film, debuting as Lady Joselyn opposite Wallace Reid’s Captain Ralph Percy in "To Have and to Hold" (1916), produced by pioneer Jesse L. Lasky. The film’s success propelled her career forward, leading to starring roles in romantic comedies and dramas including the title role in "Sweet Kitty Bellairs" (1916), as well as "The Dream Girl" (1916), "The Plow Girl" (1916), "A Mormon Maid" (1917), and "The Primrose Ring" (1917).
Mae became Universal Pictures' leading lady in films like "Princess Virtue" (1917), "On Record" (1917), "The Bride's Awakening" (1918), "Her Body in Bond" (1918), "Modern Love" (1918), "Big Little Person" (1919), and "The Scarlet Shadow" (1919). Many of these films, featuring dance sequences crafted for her talents, were written and produced by her third husband, Robert Z. Leonard, whom she married in 1918 and divorced in 1925. Remaining a top star, she worked with various studios and leading men, including Lowell Sherman in "The Gilded Lily" (1921); Monte Blue in "Peacock Alley" (1922) and "Broadway Rose" (1922); Rod La Rocque in "Jazzmania" (1923) and "The French Doll" (1923); and most notably Rudolph Valentino in "The Delicious Little Devil" (1919) and "Big Little Person" (1919).
After joining MGM, Mae starred in her most celebrated film, "The Merry Widow" (1925), opposite matinee idol John Gilbert, directed and written by Erich von Stroheim. She also appeared in the romantic drama "The Masked Bride" (1925), the title role in "Valencia" (1926), and "Altars of Desire" (1927). Her final silent film was "Altars of Desire" (1927), starring alongside Conway Tearle.
With the arrival of sound films, Mae's career declined. Her first talkie, "Peacock Alley" (1930), was poorly received and flopped at the box office. Now over 40, her voice and mannerisms did not translate well to sound cinema. Though she might have stayed longer with MGM, her fourth husband, Prince David Mdivani, who managed her business affairs, persuaded her to leave the studio. Mae made only two more films: third billing behind Lowell Sherman and Irene Dunne in the romantic dramedy "Bachelor Apartment" (1931), and a co-starring role with Sherman again in the crime caper "High Stakes" (1931). After divorcing Mdivani in 1934, Mae lost custody of her son following a bitter legal battle.
In later years, the former star became increasingly eccentric and was eventually forced into bankruptcy, living in poverty for much of her remaining life. At age 74, she co-authored her autobiography, "The Self-Enchanted," published in 1959. Mae spent her final days at the Motion Picture Country Home in Woodland Hills, California, passing away from a heart condition on March 23, 1965. Though largely forgotten today, Mae Murray was once a major box-office draw and one of the few Ziegfeld dancers to achieve significant success on the silver screen.
