May Irene 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, and Mary Dale in The Jazz Singer.
Life and career May Irene McAvoy was born on September 8, 1899, in New York City to Julia Agnes McAvoy (née Reilly) and James Patrick McAvoy, who were both first generation Irish-Americans. The 1910 census lists her as living with her maternal grandparents in Sussex, New Jersey.
McAvoy debuted as an extra in the film 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. She also portrayed Lady Windermere in Ernst Lubitsch's Lady Windermere's Fan (1925).
In addition to acting in The Jazz Singer, McAvoy coached Al Jolson as he made his film debut. Although her voice was not heard in The Jazz Singer, she spoke in several other films, including the second sound film 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, uncredited roles during the 1940s and 1950s, making her final film appearance in a small part of the 1959 version of Ben-Hur. Most of her later uncredited work was performed for MGM.Slide, Anthony. Hollywood Unknowns: A History of the Extras, Bit Players, and Stand-Ins. Jackson: University of Missouri Press. p 167.
McAvoy was the Rose Queen in the Rose Parade in 1923.
Personal life McAvoy married banker Maurice Cleary on June 26, 1929, with whom she had a son named Patrick, and divorced him in 1940. They remarried on December 10, 1971.
Death On April 26, 1984, McAvoy died at the age of 84 from the after effects of a heart attack suffered the previous year. She 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.
Filmography 1917-1929
Year Title Role Studio(s) / Distributor(s) Notes1917 Hate May Garvan 1918 To Hell with the Kaiser! Wounded Girl Metro Pictures Lost film A Perfect Lady Claire Higgins I'll Say So Minor Role uncredited1919 Mrs. Wiggs of the Cabbage Patch Australy Wiggs Famous Players Lasky Preserved at the Library of Congress The Woman Under Oath Edith Norton United Picture Theatres of America A copy is held at the BFI National Archive Love Wins The Way of a Woman Grace Lee Select Pictures A copy is held at the BFI National Archive1920 My Husband's Other Wife Nettie Bryson Pathé Exchange Lost film The Sporting Duchess Mary Aylmer Vitagraph Studios Lost film Man and His Woman Eve Cartier Pathé Exchange Lost film The House of the Tolling Bell Lucy Atheron Pathé Exchange Lost film The Forbidden Valley Morning Glory Pathé Exchange Lost film The Devil's Garden Norah First National Lost film The Truth About Husbands Leslie Brownell First National Lost film1921 Sentimental Tommy Grizel Paramount Pictures Lost film A Private Scandal Jeanne Millett Realart Pictures Corporation Lost film Everything for Sale Helen Wainwright Paramount Pictures Lost film Morals Carlotta Paramount Pictures A copy is preserved at the Library of Congress A Virginia Courtship Prudence Fairfax Paramount Pictures Lost film1922 A Homespun Vamp Meg Mackenzie Paramount Pictures Lost film Through a Glass Window Jenny Martin Paramount Pictures Lost film The Top of New York Hilda O'Shaunnessey Paramount Pictures Lost film A Trip to Paramountown Herself Paramount Pictures Short subject Clarence Cora Wheeler Paramount Pictures Lost film Kick In Myrtle Paramount Pictures A copy is held at the Library of Congress1923 Grumpy Virginia Bullivant Paramount Pictures A copy is held at the Gosfilmofond archive Only 38 Lucy Stanley Paramount Pictures Lost film Her Reputation Jacqueline Lanier First National Lost film Hollywood Herself Paramount Pictures Lost film West of the Water Tower Bee Chew Paramount Pictures Lost film1924 The Enchanted Cottage Laura Pennington First National Preserved at the Library of Congress The Bedroom Window Ruth Martin Paramount Pictures Copies are held at the Library of Congress and the UCLA Film and Television Archive Tarnish Letitia Tevis First National Lost film Three Women Jeannie Wilton Warner Bros. Married Flirts Herself, Guest at party Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Lost film1925 The Mad Whirl Cathleen Gillis Universal Pictures Tessie Tessie Arrow Film Corporation Lost film Ben-Hur Esther Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Lady Windermere's Fan Lady Windermere Warner Bros. 1926 Calf-Love Short subject The Road to Glory Judith Allen Fox Film Corporation Lost film My Old Dutch Sal Gratton Universal Pictures A copy is held at Indiana University The Passionate Quest Rosina Vonet Warner Bros. Lost film The Savage Ysabel Atwater First National Lost film The Fire Brigade Helen Corwin Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer A copy is held at the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer/United Artists archives Originally contained two-color Technicolor sequences1927 Matinee Ladies Sallie Smith Warner Bros. Lost film Irish Hearts Sheila Warner Bros. Lost film Slightly Used Cynthia Martin Warner Bros. Lost film The Jazz Singer Mary Dale Warner Bros. A Reno Divorce Carla Warner Bros. Lost film Vitaphone discs survive If I Were Single May Howard Warner Bros. A copy is held at the BFI National Archive1928 The Little Snob May Banks Warner Bros. An incomplete copy is held at the UCLA Film and Television Archive Sunny California Short subject The Lion and the Mouse Shirley Ross Warner Bros. Copies are held at the Library of Congress and at the University of Wisconsin-Madison The Vitaphone soundtracks partially survive at the UCLA Film and Television Archive Caught in the Fog The Girl Warner Bros. An incomplete copy is held at the BFI National Archive The Terror Olga Redmayne Warner Bros. A silent and talking version were both released and both are now lost. Vitaphone soundtracks survive1929 Stolen Kisses May Lambert Warner Bros. Lost film No Defense Ruth Harper Warner Bros. Lost film
1940-1959 Year Title Role Notes1940 Hollywood: Style Center of the World Saleslady Short subject Two Girls on Broadway Chatworth's Secretary Uncredited The New Pupil Sally's mother Short subject The Phantom Raiders Middle Telephone Operator Uncredited Dulcy Miss Murphy - Van Dyke's Secretary Uncredited Third Finger, Left Hand Telephone Operator Uncredited1941 Whispers Gossip Short subject Uncredited 1-2-3 Go! Miss Jones, nurse Short subject Love Crazy Sanity Hearing Secretary Uncredited The Getaway Duff's Secretary Uncredited Ringside Maisie 1st Nurse Uncredited Main Street on the March! Window Shopper Short subject Uncredited1942 Born to Sing Bit role Uncredited Mr. Blabbermouth! Wife Short subject Uncredited1943 Assignment in Brittany Nurse Uncredited My Tomato Gidge's Customer Short subject Uncredited1944 Two Girls and a Sailor Dowager Uncredited Movie Pests Woman Whose Vision Gets Blocked Short subject Uncredited Barbary Coast Gent Bit role Scenes deleted 1945 Week-End at the Waldorf Bit role Uncredited 1946 Till the Clouds Roll By Well-Wisher after Roberta Uncredited1947The Romance of Rosy Ridge Wife Uncredited The Unfinished Dance Ronsell's Secretary Uncredited1948 A Date with Judy Dance Attendee Uncredited Luxury Liner Woman Uncredited1950 The Yellow Cab Man Bit role Uncredited Mystery Street Nurse Uncredited Watch the Birdie Bit role Uncredited 1952 The Bad and the Beautiful Pebbel's Secretary Uncredited 1954 Executive Suite Grimm's Secretary Uncredited 1955 The Tender Trap Visitor to Home Show Uncredited 1956 Ransom! Miss May Uncredited1957 The Wings of Eagles Nurse Uncredited Designing Woman Boston Wardrobe Woman Uncredited Gun Glory Woman Uncredited Jailhouse Rock Bit role Uncredited 1959 Ben-Hur Woman in Crowd Uncredited
References
External links
Photography and bibliography May McAvoy portrait gallery NY Public Library (Billy Rose collection)