Acting · New York City, New York, USA · Born September 6, 1899
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.
Gareth Hughes
2000
as Self (archive footage)
MovieBen-Hur
1959
as Woman in crowd (uncredited)
MovieThe Wings of Eagles
1957
as Nurse (uncredited)
MovieExecutive Suite
1954
as Grimm's Secretary (uncredited)
MovieThe Bad and the Beautiful
1952
as Pebbel's Secretary (uncredited)
MovieMystery Street
1950
as Nurse (uncredited)
MovieThe Yellow Cab Man
1950
as (uncredited)
MovieLuxury Liner
1948
as Woman (uncredited)
MovieThe Romance of Rosy Ridge
1947
as Wife (uncredited)
MovieMovie Pests
1944
as Woman Whose Vision Gets Blocked (uncredited)
MovieTwo Girls and a Sailor
1944
as Dowager (uncredited)
MovieMr. Blabbermouth!
1942
MovieRio Rita
1942
as Hotel Guest (uncredited)
MovieBorn to Sing
1942
as (uncredited)
MovieMain Street on the March!
1941
as Window Shopper (uncredited)
MovieRingside Maisie
1941
as 1st Nurse (uncredited)
MovieSucker List
1941
as Secretary (uncredited)
MovieLove Crazy
1941
as Sanity Hearing Secretary (uncredited)
Movie1-2-3-Go!
1941
as Nurse
MovieWhispers
1941
as Gossip (uncredited)
MovieThird Finger, Left Hand
1940
as Telephone Operator (uncredited)
MovieDulcy
1940
as Miss Murphy - Van Dyke's Secretary (uncredited)
MoviePhantom Raiders
1940
as Middle Telephone Operator
MovieHollywood: Style Center of the World
1940
as Saleslady
MovieTwo Girls on Broadway
1940
as Chatworth's Secretary (uncredited)
MovieNo Defense
1929
as Ruth Harper
MovieStolen Kisses
1929
as May Lambert
MovieThe Terror
1928
as Olga Redmayne
MovieCaught in the Fog
1928
as The Girl
MovieThe Lion and the Mouse
1928
as Shirley Ross
MovieThe Little Snob
1928
as May Banks
MovieIf I Were Single
1927
as May Howard
MovieA Reno Divorce
1927
as Carla
MovieThe Jazz Singer
1927
as Mary Dale
MovieSlightly Used
1927
as Cynthia Martin
MovieIrish Hearts
1927
as Sheila
MovieMatinee Ladies
1927
as Sallie Smith
MovieThe Fire Brigade
1926
as Helen Corwin
MovieThe Savage
1926
as Ysabel Atwater
The Passionate Quest
1926
MovieMy Old Dutch
1926
as Sal Gratton
MovieThe Road to Glory
1926
as Judith Allen
MovieLady Windermere's Fan
1925
as Lady Windermere
MovieBen-Hur: A Tale of the Christ
1925
as Esther
Tessie
1925
as Tessie
MovieThe Mad Whirl
1925
as Cathleen Gillis
MovieThree Women
1924
as Jeannie Wilton
MovieTarnish
1924
as Letitia Tevis
MovieThe Bedroom Window
1924
as Ruth Martin
MovieThe Enchanted Cottage
1924
as Laura Pennington
MovieWest of the Water Tower
1924
as Bee Chew
MovieHer Reputation
1923
as Jacqueline Lanier
MovieHollywood
1923
as May McAvoy
MovieOnly 38
1923
as Lucy Stanley
MovieGrumpy
1923
as Virginia Bullivant
MovieKick In
1922
as Myrtle
MovieClarence
1922
as Cora Wheeler
MovieA Trip to Paramountown
1922
as Self
MovieThe Top of New York
1922
as Hilda O'Shaunnessey
MovieThrough a Glass Window
1922
as Jenny Martin
MovieA Homespun Vamp
1922
as Meg Mackenzie
MovieA Virginia Courtship
1921
as Prudence Fairfax
MovieMorals
1921
as Carlotta Carlotta
MovieA Private Scandal
1921
as Jeanne Millett
MovieSentimental Tommy
1921
as Grizel
MovieThe Truth About Husbands
1920
as Leslie Brownell
MovieThe Devil's Garden
1920
as Norah
MovieThe Forbidden Valley
1920
as Morning Glory
MovieThe House of the Tolling Bell
1920
as Lucy Atheron
MovieThe Sporting Duchess
1920
as Mary Aylmer
MovieMy Husband's Other Wife
1920
as Nettie Bryson
MovieThe Way of a Woman
1919
as Grace Lee
MovieThe Woman Under Oath
1919
as Edith Norton
MovieMrs. Wiggs of the Cabbage Patch
1919
as Australy Wiggs
MovieI'll Say So
1918
MovieA Perfect Lady
1918
as Claire Higgins
MovieTo Hell with the Kaiser!
1918
as Wounded Girl
