May McAvoy
Born
September 6, 1899
Died
April 26, 1984 (84 years old)
Known For
Acting
Place of Birth
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.
Known For
Gareth Hughes
Self (archive footage)
2000
Ben-Hur
Woman in crowd (uncredited)
1959
The Bad and the Beautiful
Pebbel's Secretary (uncredited)
1952
Mystery Street
Nurse (uncredited)
1950
The Yellow Cab Man
(uncredited)
1950
Luxury Liner
Woman (uncredited)
1948
Movie Pests
Woman Whose Vision Gets Blocked (uncredited)
1944
Two Girls and a Sailor
Dowager (uncredited)
1944
Mr. Blabbermouth!
1942
Rio Rita
Hotel Guest (uncredited)
1942
Born to Sing
(uncredited)
1942
Main Street on the March!
Window Shopper (uncredited)
1941
Ringside Maisie
1st Nurse (uncredited)
1941
Sucker List
Secretary (uncredited)
1941
Love Crazy
Sanity Hearing Secretary (uncredited)
1941
1-2-3-Go!
Nurse
1941
Whispers
Gossip (uncredited)
1941
Third Finger, Left Hand
Telephone Operator (uncredited)
1940
Dulcy
Miss Murphy - Van Dyke's Secretary (uncredited)
1940
Phantom Raiders
Middle Telephone Operator
1940
Hollywood: Style Center of the World
Saleslady
1940
Two Girls on Broadway
Chatworth's Secretary (uncredited)
1940
No Defense
Ruth Harper
1929
Stolen Kisses
May Lambert
1929
The Terror
Olga Redmayne
1928
Caught in the Fog
The Girl
1928
The Lion and the Mouse
Shirley Ross
1928
The Little Snob
May Banks
1928
If I Were Single
May Howard
1927
A Reno Divorce
Carla
1927
The Jazz Singer
Mary Dale
1927
Slightly Used
Cynthia Martin
1927
Irish Hearts
Sheila
1927
Matinee Ladies
Sallie Smith
1927
The Fire Brigade
Helen Corwin
1926
The Savage
Ysabel Atwater
1926
The Passionate Quest
1926
My Old Dutch
Sal Gratton
1926
The Road to Glory
Judith Allen
1926
Lady Windermere's Fan
Lady Windermere
1925
Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ
Esther
1925
Tessie
Tessie
1925
The Mad Whirl
Cathleen Gillis
1925
Three Women
Jeannie Wilton
1924
Tarnish
Letitia Tevis
1924
The Bedroom Window
Ruth Martin
1924
The Enchanted Cottage
Laura Pennington
1924
West of the Water Tower
Bee Chew
1924
Her Reputation
Jacqueline Lanier
1923
Hollywood
May McAvoy
1923
Only 38
Lucy Stanley
1923
Kick In
Myrtle
1922
Clarence
Cora Wheeler
1922
A Trip to Paramountown
Self
1922
The Top of New York
Hilda O'Shaunnessey
1922
A Homespun Vamp
Meg Mackenzie
1922
Morals
Carlotta Carlotta
1921
A Private Scandal
Jeanne Millett
1921
Sentimental Tommy
Grizel
1921
The Truth About Husbands
Leslie Brownell
1920
The Devil's Garden
Norah
1920
The Way of a Woman
Grace Lee
1919
The Woman Under Oath
Edith Norton
1919
Mrs. Wiggs of the Cabbage Patch
Australy Wiggs
1919
I'll Say So
1918
A Perfect Lady
Claire Higgins
1918