May McAvoy
- Known for
- Acting
- Born
- September 6, 1899
- Died
- April 26, 1984
- Birthplace
- New York City, New York, USA
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.
Filmography
- Gareth Hughes
Gareth Hughes 2000
as Self (archive footage)
Ben-Hur 1959
as Woman in crowd (uncredited)
The Wings of Eagles 1957
as Nurse (uncredited)
Executive Suite 1954
as Grimm's Secretary (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)
The Romance of Rosy Ridge 1947
as Wife (uncredited)
Movie Pests 1944
as Woman Whose Vision Gets Blocked (uncredited)
Two Girls and a Sailor 1944
as Dowager (uncredited)
Mr. Blabbermouth! 1942
Actor
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
Matinee Ladies 1927
as Sallie Smith
The Fire Brigade 1926
as Helen Corwin
The Savage 1926
as Ysabel Atwater
- The Passionate Quest
The Passionate Quest 1926
Actor
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
- Tessie
Tessie 1925
as Tessie
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
Grumpy 1923
as Virginia Bullivant
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
Through a Glass Window 1922
as Jenny Martin
A Homespun Vamp 1922
as Meg Mackenzie
A Virginia Courtship 1921
as Prudence Fairfax
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 Forbidden Valley 1920
as Morning Glory
The House of the Tolling Bell 1920
as Lucy Atheron
The Sporting Duchess 1920
as Mary Aylmer
My Husband's Other Wife 1920
as Nettie Bryson
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
Actor
A Perfect Lady 1918
as Claire Higgins
To Hell with the Kaiser! 1918
as Wounded Girl
Credits from TMDB.