Doris May (born Helen Garrett; October 15, 1902 – May 12, 1984), was an American actress of the

silent era A silent film is a film with no synchronized recorded sound (or more generally, no audible dialogue). Though silent films convey narrative and emotion visually, various plot elements (such as a setting or era) or key lines of dialogue may, wh ...

. She appeared in 29 films between 1917 and 1927, generally as a

leading lady A leading actor, leading actress, or simply lead (), plays the role of the protagonist of a film, television show or play. The word ''lead'' may also refer to the largest role in the piece, and ''leading actor'' may refer to a person who typica ...

. Most of her roles were in

western Western may refer to: Places *Western, Nebraska, a village in the US *Western, New York, a town in the US *Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western world, countries that id ...

s and

comedies Comedy is a genre of fiction that consists of discourses or works intended to be humorous or amusing by inducing laughter, especially in theatre, film, stand-up comedy, television, radio, books, or any other entertainment medium. The term o ...

, although she also starred in some

melodramas A modern melodrama is a dramatic work in which the plot, typically sensationalized and for a strong emotional appeal, takes precedence over detailed characterization. Melodramas typically concentrate on dialogue that is often bombastic or exces ...

. May married actor and producer

Wallace MacDonald Wallace Archibald MacDonald (5 May 1891 – 30 October 1978) was a Canadian silent film actor and film producer. Biography MacDonald was born in Mulgrave, Nova Scotia, Canada, and attended school in Sydney, Nova Scotia. He started as a mess ...

in 1921, and they remained wed until his death in 1978.

Partial filmography

* '' His Mother's Boy'' (1917) * ''

The Hired Man ''The Hired Man'' is a novel by Melvyn Bragg, first published in 1969 by Secker and Warburg. It is the first part of Bragg's Cumbrian Trilogy. The story is set predominantly in the rural area around Thurston (Bragg's name for Wigton, his home ...

'' (1918) * '' Playing the Game'' (1918) * '' Green Eyes'' (1918) * ''

The Law of the North ''The Law of the North'' is a 1918 American silent drama film directed by Irvin Willat, and written by Ella Stuart Carson, John Lynch, and R. Cecil Smith. The film stars Charles Ray, Doris May, Robert McKim, Gloria Hope, Charles K. French, an ...

'' (1918) * '' The Girl Dodger'' (1919) * ''

Hay Foot, Straw Foot ''Hay Foot, Straw Foot'' is a 1919 American silent comedy film directed by Jerome Storm and written by Julien Josephson. The film stars Charles Ray, Doris May, William Conklin, Spottiswoode Aitken and J. P. Lockney. The film was released on Jun ...

'' (1919) * ''

23 1/2 Hours' Leave ''23 1/2 Hours' Leave'' is a lost 1919 American silent comedy film directed by Henry King and written by Mary Roberts Rinehart and Agnes Christine Johnston. The film stars Douglas MacLean, Doris May, Tom Guise, Maxfield Stanley, Wade Boteler an ...

'' (1919) * ''

What's Your Husband Doing? ''What's Your Husband Doing?'' is a 1920 American silent comedy film directed by Lloyd Ingraham and written by R. Cecil Smith based upon the play of the same name by George V. Hobart. The film stars Douglas MacLean, Doris May, Walter Hiers, Wil ...

'' (1920) * ''

Mary's Ankle ''Mary's Ankle'' is a 1920 American silent comedy film directed by Lloyd Ingraham and written by Luther Reed based upon the play of the same name by May Tully. The film stars Douglas MacLean, Doris May, Victor Potel, Neal Burns, James Gordon, ...

'' (1920) * ''

Let's Be Fashionable ''Let's Be Fashionable'' is a lost 1920 American silent comedy film directed by Lloyd Ingraham and written by Mildred Considine and Luther Reed. The film stars Douglas MacLean, Doris May, Wade Boteler, Grace Morse, George Webb, and Wilbur Higb ...

'' (1920) * ''

The Jailbird ''The Jailbird'' is a 1920 American silent comedy film directed by Lloyd Ingraham and written by Julien Josephson. The film stars Douglas MacLean, Doris May, Louis Morrison, William Courtright, Wilbur Higby, and Otto Hoffman. The film was relea ...

'' (1920) * ''

The Rookie's Return ''The Rookie's Return'' is a 1920 American silent comedy film directed by Jack Nelson and written by Archer MacMackin. The film stars Douglas MacLean, Doris May, Frank Currier, Leo White, Kathleen Key, and Elinor Hancock. The film was released ...

'' (1920) * ''

Peck's Bad Boy Henry "Hennery" Peck, popularly known as Peck's Bad Boy, is a fictional character created by George Wilbur Peck (1840–1916). First appearing in the 1883 novel ''Peck's Bad Boy and His Pa'', the Bad Boy has appeared in numerous print, stage, and ...

'' (1921) * ''

The Foolish Matrons ''The Foolish Matrons'' is a 1921 American silent drama film directed by Clarence Brown and Maurice Tourneur and starring Hobart Bosworth, Doris May, and Mildred Manning. It is also known by the alternative title of ''Is Marriage a Failure?''. ...

'' (1921) * ''

Eden and Return ''Eden and Return'' is a 1921 American silent comedy film directed by William A. Seiter and starring Doris May, Emmett King and Margaret Livingston.Munden p.212 Cast * Doris May as Betty Baylock * Emmett King as Robert Baylock * Margaret Livings ...

'' (1921) * ''

The Bronze Bell ''The Bronze Bell'' is a 1921 American silent drama film directed by James W. Horne and written by Del Andrews and Louis Stevens based upon a novel by Louis Joseph Vance. The film stars Courtenay Foote, Doris May, John Davidson, Claire Du Br ...

'' (1921) * ''

The Foolish Age ''The Foolish Age'' is a 1921 American silent comedy film directed by William A. Seiter and starring Doris May, Hallam Cooley and Otis Harlan.Munden p.259 Cast * Doris May as Margie Carr * Hallam Cooley as Homer Dean Chadwick * Otis Harlan as ...

'' (1921) * ''

Up and at 'Em ''Up and at 'Em '' is a 1922 American comedy romance silent film directed by William A. Seiter, written by Eve Unsell with a story by Lewis Milestone and William A. Seiter, and starring Doris May, Hallam Cooley, and J. Herbert Frank. The film ...

'' (1922) * '' The Understudy'' (1922) * ''

Gay and Devilish ''Gay and Devilish'' is a 1922 American silent comedy film directed by William A. Seiter and starring Doris May, Cullen Landis and Otis Harlan.Munden p.283 Cast * Doris May as Fanchon Browne * Cullen Landis as Peter Armitage * Otis Harlan as Pet ...

'' (1922) * '' Boy Crazy'' (1922) * ''

The Gunfighter ''The Gunfighter'' is a 1950 American Western film directed by Henry King and starring Gregory Peck, Helen Westcott, Millard Mitchell and Karl Malden. It was written by screenwriters William Bowers and William Sellers, with an uncredited rewr ...

'' (1923) * '' The Common Law'' (1923) * ''

Conductor 1492 ''Conductor 1492'' is a 1924 American silent comedy film directed by Charles Hines and starring Johnny Hines. It was produced and distributed by Warner Bros. Plot As described in a review of the film in a film magazine, Terence O’Toole (Hin ...

'' (1924) * ''

The Deadwood Coach ''The Deadwood Coach'' is a 1924 American silent Western film written and directed by Lynn Reynolds. It is based on the 1908 novel ''The Orphan'' by Clarence E. Mulford. The film stars Tom Mix, George Bancroft, Doris May, Lucien Littlefield, ...

'' (1924) * '' Faithful Wives'' (1926)

References

Bibliography

* Ken Wlaschin. ''The Silent Cinema in Song, 1896-1929: An Illustrated History and Catalog of Songs Inspired by the Movies and Stars, with a List of Recordings''. McFarland & Company, 2009.

External links

* 1902 births 1984 deaths American film actresses Actresses from Seattle 20th-century American actresses Western (genre) film actresses {{US-film-actor-stub