May McAvoy

May McAvoy
Born	September 8, 1899(1899-09-08) New York City, New York, U.S.
Died	April 26, 1984(1984-04-26) (aged 84) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Years active	1917–1957
Spouse	Maurice Cleary (1929–1973) (his death)

May McAvoy (September 8, 1899 – April 26, 1984) was an American actress, who worked mainly during the silent film era. She starred in Hollywood's revolutionary part talking film, The Jazz Singer.

Career

McAvoy made her film debut 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. 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.^[1] In truth, she married the treasurer of United Artists, who asked her not to work.^[1] Later, she returned to films and played small roles during the 1940s and 1950s, making her final film appearance in 1957.

Death

She died in of a heart attack in 1984, and is interred in the Holy Cross Cemetery in Culver City, California.

For her contribution to the motion picture industry, May McAvoy has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 1731 Vine Street.

Selected filmography

Publicity photo for the film The Jazz Singer (1927), featuring May McAvoy and Al Jolson

• 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)

References

1. ^ ^{a b} Lamparski, Richard (1982). Whatever Became Of ...? Eighth Series. New York: Crown Publishers. pp. 190–1. ISBN 0-517-54855-0. 

External links

• 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

Persondata
Name	McAvoy, May
Alternative names
Short description	Film actress
Date of birth	September 8, 1899
Place of birth	New York City, New York, U.S.
Date of death	April 26, 1984
Place of death	Los Angeles, California, U.S.