May McAvoy
| May McAvoy | |
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| Born | 1901 New York City, New York, U.S. |
| Died | April 1984 (aged 82–83) Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Years active | 1917–1957 |
| Spouse | Maurice Cleary (1929–1940) |
May McAvoy (1901 – April 26, 1984)[1] was an American actress, who worked mainly during the silent film era. She starred in Hollywood's revolutionary part talking film, The Jazz Singer.
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[edit] Career
Having dropped out of high school to pursue acting, McAvoy made her film debut in 1917 with the film Hate.[2] 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. She later starred with Al Jolson in the first sound film, The Jazz Singer. Although her voice was not heard in that film, she did speak in several other films, including the second "all-talkie" released by Warner Brothers, The Terror, directed by Roy Del Ruth and co-starring Conrad Nagel.
For years, a false rumor circulated that she retired from the screen at the transition to sound films due to a lisp or speech impediment.[3] In truth, she married the treasurer of United Artists, who asked her not to work.[3] Later, she returned to films and played small roles during the 1940s and 1950s, making her final film appearance in 1957.
[edit] Personal life
McAvoy married banker Maurice Cleary on June 26, 1929[4], with whom she had a son named Patrick,[1] and divorced him in 1940.[5]
McAvoy died at the age of 82[1] in 1984 from the side effects of a heart attack suffered the previous year,[2] and is interred in the Holy Cross Cemetery in Culver City, California.[1]
For her contribution to the motion picture industry, May McAvoy has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 1731 Vine Street.[6]
[edit] Selected filmography
- Hate (1917)
- Mrs. Wiggs of the Cabbage Patch (1919)
- Love Wins (1920)
- Clarence (1922)
- West of the Water Tower (1923)
- Hollywood (1923)
- Three Women (1924)
- The Enchanted Cottage (1924)
- Ben-Hur (1925)
- The Fire Brigade (1926)
- The Jazz Singer (1927)
- A Reno Divorce (1927)
- The Lion and the Mouse (1928)
- Caught in the Fog (1928)
- The Terror (1928)
- Stolen Kisses (1929)
- Washington Road (1930) MGM serial
- The New Pupil (1940)
[edit] References
- ^ a b c d "Original Jazz Singer' Star May Mcavoy Dies At 82 . ". Gainesville Sun. May 3, 1984. http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=5EQRAAAAIBAJ&sjid=l-kDAAAAIBAJ&pg=7081,597140&dq=may-mcavoy&hl=en. Retrieved December 30, 2011.
- ^ a b "May Mcavoy Dies; Jolson's Leading Lady". Schenectady Gazette. May 4, 1984. http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=GRRGAAAAIBAJ&sjid=PukMAAAAIBAJ&pg=1207,799740&dq=may-mcavoy&hl=en. Retrieved December 30, 2011.
- ^ a b Lamparski, Richard (1982). Whatever Became Of ...? Eighth Series. New York: Crown Publishers. pp. 190–1. ISBN 0-517-54855-0.
- ^ "May Mcavoy Is Married". San Jose News. June 27, 1929. http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=_1IiAAAAIBAJ&sjid=Q6QFAAAAIBAJ&pg=5447,8817587&dq=may-mcavoy&hl=en. Retrieved December 30, 2011.
- ^ "May McAvoy Wins Divorce and Discloses Her Poverty". Los Angeles Times: p. 9. November 20, 1940. http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/latimes/access/410547891.html?dids=410547891:410547891&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:AI&type=historic&date=Nov+20%2C+1940&author=&pub=Los+Angeles+Times&desc=May+McAvoy+Wins+Divorce+and+Discloses+Her+Poverty&pqatl=google. Retrieved December 30, 2011. "Once one of the highest salaried actresses in the motionpicture industry. May McAvoy disclosed yesterday in divorcing Maurice G. Cleary. former banker, that of late she was forced to seek financial aid from the Motion Picture Relief Fund."
- ^ "Walk Of Fame Uses Plenty Of Celebrity Footprints". Record-Journal. August 13, 1989. http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=jDxIAAAAIBAJ&sjid=HQENAAAAIBAJ&pg=1329,2931414&dq=may-mcavoy+walk+of+fame&hl=en. Retrieved December 30, 2011.
[edit] External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: May McAvoy |
- May McAvoy at the Internet Movie Database
- Photography and bibliography
- May McAvoy portrait gallery NY Public Library (Billy Rose collection)
- May McAvoy at Find a Grave
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