May McAvoy
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.
Ben-Hur
as Woman in crowd (uncredited)In 25 AD, Judah Ben-Hur, a Jew in ancient Judea, opposes the occupying Roman empire. Falsely...
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The Jazz Singer
as Mary DaleA young Jewish man is torn between tradition and individuality when his old-fashioned family...
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Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ
as EstherErstwhile childhood friends, Judah Ben-Hur and Messala meet again as adults, this time with...
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The Bad and the Beautiful
as Pebbel's Secretary (uncredited)Told in flashback form, the film traces the rise and fall of a tough, ambitious Hollywood...
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Mystery Street
as Nurse (uncredited)When a young woman's skeletal remains turn up on a Massachusetts beach, Barnstable cop Peter...
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Love Crazy
as Sanity Hearing Secretary (uncredited)Circumstance, an old flame and a mother-in-law drive a happily married couple to the verge of...
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Phantom Raiders
as Middle Telephone OperatorIn this second Carter mystery, a mysterious rash of cargo ships sinking in Panama leads insurers...
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Hollywood
as May McAvoyAngela comes to Hollywood with only two things: Her dream to become a movie star, and Grandpa....
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Rio Rita
as Hotel Guest (uncredited)Doc and Wishey run into some Nazi-agents, who want to smuggle bombs into the USA from a Mexican...
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Two Girls on Broadway
as Chatworth's Secretary (uncredited)Eddie Kerns sells his song to a Broadway producer and also lands a job dancing in the musical....
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Ringside Maisie
as 1st Nurse (uncredited)Young undefeated boxer Terry Dolan, who's been lying to his invalid mother about his career,...
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Hollywood: Style Center of the World
as SalesladyThis short promotes the premise that movies often create a demand for the fashions seen in them....
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Sucker List
as Secretary (uncredited)In this MGM Crime Does Not Pay series short, a man and his racketeer buddies devise a scheme to...
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Third Finger, Left Hand
as Telephone Operator (uncredited)Magazine editor Margot Merrick pretends to be married in order to avoid advances from male...
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Lady Windermere's Fan
as Lady WindermereA society woman believes her husband is having an affair, a misconception which may have dire...
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Main Street on the March!
as Window Shopper (uncredited)This Best Short Subject Academy Award winning film begins in the spring of 1940, just before the...
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Three Women
as Jeannie WiltonA frivolous middle aged socialite is suddenly put upon to have her daughter live with her. Her...
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The Savage
as Ysabel AtwaterRivalry between two behavioral scientists gets out of hand...
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The Yellow Cab Man
as (uncredited)Pirdy is accident prone. He has been denied insurance from every company in town because he is...
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A Trip to Paramountown
as SelfDocumentary short film depicting the filmmaking activity at the Paramount Studios in Hollywood,...
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Clarence
as Cora WheelerClarence Smith is an ex-soldier who is hired for odd jobs by Mr. Wheeler primarily because he...
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Irish Hearts
as SheilaSheila, a feisty Irish girl, loves Emmett, a somewhat shady Irish boy. When Emmett goes to...
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The Terror
as Olga RedmayneGuests at an old English manor house are stalked by a mysterious killer known only as "The Terror".
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Two Girls and a Sailor
as Dowager (uncredited)A sailor helps two sisters start up a service canteen. The sailor soon becomes taken with...
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Movie Pests
as Woman Whose Vision Gets Blocked (uncredited)This Pete Smith Specialty short takes a humorous look at the inconsiderate pests whose annoying...
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Mr. Blabbermouth!
as uncreditedFollowing Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor, America was rife with rumors about the size of Japan's...
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Kick In
as MyrtleAfter serving time in Sing Sing, Chic Hewes wants to go straight, but when he refuses to be a...
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Luxury Liner
as Woman (uncredited)Capt. Jeremy Bradford has a particularly exciting luxury liner cruise in store when he's charged...
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Dulcy
as Miss Murphy - Van Dyke's Secretary (uncredited)A dizzy young woman aranges to turn her inventor-boyfriend's vacation into a chance meeting with...
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The Mad Whirl
as Cathleen GillisA teenager with permissive parents gets too caught up in wild parties and the fast life.
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Born to Sing
as (uncredited)A group of children put on a show in order to prove that a down and out musician was the real...
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The Way of a Woman
as Grace LeeA 1919 film directed by Robert Z. Leonard.
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Caught in the Fog
as The GirlWealthy Bob visits his mother's Florida houseboat in order to remove her jewelry and stumbles...
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Sentimental Tommy
as GrizelGrizel is the daughter of the Painted Lady, who believes that her lover will one day return....
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Only 38
as Lucy StanleyThe death of her clergyman husband causes Mrs. Stanley, young mother of teenage twins, to change...
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Morals
as Carlotta CarlottaReared in a Turkish harem and threatened with marriage to a man she does not love, Carlotta...
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No Defense
as Ruth HarperNo Defense is a 1929 romantic drama directed by Lloyd Bacon and starring Monte Blue. It was a...
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The Enchanted Cottage
as Laura PenningtonThe Enchanted Cottage stars Richard Barthelmess as Oliver, a physically and emotionally wounded...
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The Bedroom Window
as Ruth MartinWilliam C. DeMille, Cecil B. DeMille's talented director brother, teamed with his favorite...
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Stolen Kisses
as May LambertA crotchety old coot wants his son and daughter-in-law to have kids so he can have...
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My Old Dutch
as Sal GrattonThe story that inspired Albert Chevalier to write his immortal Costermonger song, 'My Old...
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The Passionate Quest
as uncreditedThe Passionate Quest is a 1926 American drama film directed by J. Stuart Blackton and written by...
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A Homespun Vamp
as Meg MackenzieThe story of Meg Mackenzie, the orphaned niece of two stingy Scotsmen, Donald and Duncan Craig....
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The Fire Brigade
as Helen CorwinTerry O'Neill is the youngest of a family of Irish firefighters. He falls in love with Helen...
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The Road to Glory
as Judith AllenMay McAvoy is a woman who is blinded in an auto accident and relies on prayer to regain her sight.
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If I Were Single
as May HowardRich girl Joan Whitney does her flirtatious best to break up the marriage of May and Ted Howard...
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The Lion and the Mouse
as Shirley RossJudge Ross, on the Federal Bench, rules in favor of a large company in litigation before him,...
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A Perfect Lady
as Claire HigginsDancer Lucille Le Jambon (whose real name is Lucy Higgins) loses her job when the morals...
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A Private Scandal
as Jeanne MillettA French orphan girl is adopted into the home of wealthy Americans. There she becomes...
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I'll Say So
as uncreditedHearing that the United States has just declared war on Germany, Bill Durham hurries to a...
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Mrs. Wiggs of the Cabbage Patch
as Australy WiggsMrs. Wiggs, a loving mother whose husband has abandoned her, supports her many children and...
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The Devil's Garden
as NorahWilliam Dale, a servant for Lord Barradine, marries Mavis, a maid. Dale wants to move up in...
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The Top of New York
as Hilda O'ShaunnesseyHilda lives in a tenement apartment with her aunt, Mrs. Brady, and her crippled younger brother...
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The Woman Under Oath
as Edith NortonAfter a forward introduces the question of whether women are temperamentally suited for jury...
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