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May McAvoy

May McAvoy

Actor

Born September 6, 1899 in New York City, New York, USA

Died April 26, 1984

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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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The Jazz Singer (1927) - Trailer

Ben Hur (1926) - Trailer

Filmography

Actor

113

Type

Year

These Amazing Shadows Poster

These Amazing Shadows Documentary2011Lady Windermere )

Sex at 24 Frames Per Second Poster

Sex at 24 Frames Per Second Documentary2003Self

Gareth Hughes Documentary2000Self

Classified X Poster

Classified X Documentary1998Self

Almonds and Raisins Poster

Almonds and Raisins Documentary1984Self

Historia del cine: Epoca muda Poster

Historia del cine: Epoca muda Documentary1983Lady Windermere

Ben-Hur Feature Film1959Woman In Crowd

Designing Woman Poster

Designing Woman Feature Film1957Boston Wardrobe Woman

Gun Glory Poster

Gun Glory Feature Film1957Woman

Jailhouse Rock Poster

Jailhouse Rock Feature Film1957Minor Role

The Wings of Eagles Poster

The Wings of Eagles Feature Film1957Nurse

Ransom! Feature Film1956Miss May

The Glass Slipper Poster

The Glass Slipper Feature Film1955Ball Guest

The Tender Trap Poster

The Tender Trap Feature Film1955Visitor to Home Show

Executive Suite Poster

Executive Suite Feature Film1954Grimm's Secretary

The Bad and the Beautiful Poster

The Bad and the Beautiful Feature Film1952Pebbel's Secretary

Lux Video Theatre Poster

Lux Video Theatre TV Series1950Member of the jury

Mystery Street Poster

Mystery Street Feature Film1950Nurse

The Yellow Cab Man Poster

The Yellow Cab Man Feature Film1950Minor Role

Watch the Birdie Poster

Watch the Birdie Feature Film1950Minor Role

A Date with Judy Poster

A Date with Judy Feature Film1948Dance Attendee

Luxury Liner Poster

Luxury Liner Feature Film1948Ship Passenger

The Romance of Rosy Ridge Poster

The Romance of Rosy Ridge Feature Film1947Wife

The Unfinished Dance Poster

The Unfinished Dance Feature Film1947Ronsell's Secretary

Till the Clouds Roll By Poster

Till the Clouds Roll By Feature Film1946Well-Wisher after 'Roberta'

Week-End at the Waldorf Poster

Week-End at the Waldorf Feature Film1945Minor Role

Movie Pests Poster

Movie Pests Short Film1944Woman Whose Vision Gets Blocked

Nothing But Trouble Poster

Nothing But Trouble Feature Film1944Servant Seeker

Two Girls and a Sailor Poster

Two Girls and a Sailor Feature Film1944Dowager

Air Raid Wardens Poster

Air Raid Wardens Feature Film1943Townswoman at Meeting

Assignment in Brittany Poster

Assignment in Brittany Feature Film1943Nurse

My Tomato Poster

My Tomato Short Film1943Gidge's Customer

Born to Sing Poster

Born to Sing Feature Film1942

Mr. Blabbermouth! Poster

Mr. Blabbermouth! Short Film1942Wife

Rio Rita Poster

Rio Rita Feature Film1942Hotel Guest

1-2-3-Go! Poster

1-2-3-Go! Short Film1941Miss Jones, nurse

Love Crazy Poster

Love Crazy Feature Film1941Sanity Hearing Secretary

Main Street on the March! Poster

Main Street on the March! Short Film1941Window Shopper

Ringside Maisie Poster

Ringside Maisie Feature Film19411st Nurse

Sucker List Poster

Sucker List Short Film1941Secretary

The Getaway Poster

The Getaway Feature Film1941Duff's Secretary

Whispers Poster

Whispers Short Film1941Gossip

Dulcy Feature Film1940Miss Murphy - Van Dyke's Secretary

Hollywood: Style Center of the World Poster

Hollywood: Style Center of the World Short Film1940Saleslady

Phantom Raiders Poster

Phantom Raiders Feature Film1940Middle Telephone Operator

The New Pupil Poster

The New Pupil Short Film1940Sally's Mother

Third Finger, Left Hand Poster

Third Finger, Left Hand Feature Film1940Telephone operator

Two Girls on Broadway Poster

Two Girls on Broadway Feature Film1940Chatworth's Secretary

Personality Parade Poster

Personality Parade Short Film1938Self

The House That Shadows Built Poster

The House That Shadows Built Documentary1931

No Defense Poster

No Defense Feature Film1929Ruth Harper

Stolen Kisses Poster

Stolen Kisses Feature Film1929May Lambert

Caught in the Fog Poster

Caught in the Fog Feature Film1928The Girl

Sunny California Short Film1928

The Lion and the Mouse Poster

The Lion and the Mouse Feature Film1928Shirley Ross

The Little Snob Poster

The Little Snob Feature Film1928May Banks

The Terror Poster

The Terror Feature Film1928Olga Redmayne

A Reno Divorce Poster

A Reno Divorce Feature Film1927Carla

If I Were Single Poster

If I Were Single Feature Film1927May Howard

Irish Hearts Poster

Irish Hearts Feature Film1927Sheila

Matinee Ladies Poster

Matinee Ladies Feature Film1927Sallie Smith

Slightly Used Poster

Slightly Used Feature Film1927Cynthia Martin

The Jazz Singer Poster

The Jazz Singer Feature Film1927Mary Dale

My Old Dutch Poster

My Old Dutch Feature Film1926Sal Gratton

The Fire Brigade Poster

The Fire Brigade Feature Film1926Helen Corwin

The Passionate Quest Poster

The Passionate Quest Feature Film1926Rosina Vonet

The Road to Glory Poster

The Road to Glory Feature Film1926Judith Allen

The Savage Poster

The Savage Feature Film1926Ysabel Atwater

Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ Poster

Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ Feature Film1925Esther

Lady Windermere's Fan Poster

Lady Windermere's Fan Feature Film1925Lady Windermere

Tessie Feature Film1925Tessie

The Mad Whirl Poster

The Mad Whirl Feature Film1925Cathleen Gillis

Married Flirts Poster

Married Flirts Feature Film1924May McAvoy

Tarnish Feature Film1924Letitia Tevis

The Bedroom Window Poster

The Bedroom Window Feature Film1924Ruth Martin

The City of Stars Short Film1924Self

The Enchanted Cottage Poster

The Enchanted Cottage Feature Film1924Laura Pennington

Three Women Poster

Three Women Feature Film1924Jeannie Wilton

Grumpy Feature Film1923Virginia Bullivant

Her Reputation Poster

Her Reputation Feature Film1923Jacqueline Lanier

Hollywood Poster

Hollywood Feature Film1923May McAvoy

Only 38 Feature Film1923Lucy Stanley

Screen Snapshots, Series 3, No. 24 Documentary1923Self

West of the Water Tower Poster

West of the Water Tower Feature Film1923Bee Chew

A Homespun Vamp Poster

A Homespun Vamp Feature Film1922Meg MacKenzie

A Trip to Paramountown Poster

A Trip to Paramountown Documentary1922Self

Clarence Poster

Clarence Feature Film1922Cora Wheeler

Kick In Feature Film1922Myrtle

Screen Snapshots, Series 3, No. 12 Poster

Screen Snapshots, Series 3, No. 12 Documentary1922Self

The Top of New York Poster

The Top of New York Feature Film1922Hilda O'Shaunnessey

Through a Glass Window Poster

Through a Glass Window Feature Film1922Jenny Martin

A Private Scandal Poster

A Private Scandal Feature Film1921Jeanne Millett

A Virginia Courtship Poster

A Virginia Courtship Feature Film1921Prudence Fairfax

Everything for Sale Poster

Everything for Sale Feature Film1921Helen Wainwright

Morals Feature Film1921Carlotta

Screen Snapshots, Series 1, No. 25 Short Film1921Self

Screen Snapshots, Series 2, No. 17-F Short Film1921Self

Sentimental Tommy Poster

Sentimental Tommy Feature Film1921Grizel - His Sweetheart

Man and His Woman Feature Film1920Eve Cartier

My Husband's Other Wife Poster

My Husband's Other Wife Feature Film1920Nettie Bryson

The Devil's Garden Poster

The Devil's Garden Feature Film1920Nórah

The Forbidden Valley Poster

The Forbidden Valley Feature Film1920Morning Glory

The House of the Tolling Bell Feature Film1920Lucy Atheron

The Sporting Duchess Poster

The Sporting Duchess Feature Film1920Mary Aylmer

The Truth About Husbands Poster

The Truth About Husbands Feature Film1920Leslie Brownell

Love Wins Feature Film1919

Mrs. Wiggs of the Cabbage Patch Poster

Mrs. Wiggs of the Cabbage Patch Feature Film1919Australy Wiggs

The Way of a Woman Poster

The Way of a Woman Feature Film1919Grace Lee

The Woman Under Oath Poster

The Woman Under Oath Feature Film1919Edith Norton

A Perfect Lady Poster

A Perfect Lady Feature Film1918Claire Higgins

I'll Say So Poster

I'll Say So Feature Film1918Undetermined Role

To Hell with the Kaiser! Poster

To Hell with the Kaiser! Feature Film1918Wounded Girl

Hate Feature Film1917May Garvan

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