May McAvoy
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May Irene McAvoy (September 8, 1899 – April 26, 1984) was an American actress who worked mainly during the
silent-film 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 ...
era. Some of her major roles are Laura Pennington in '' The Enchanted Cottage'', Esther in '' Ben-Hur'', and Mary Dale in ''
The Jazz Singer ''The Jazz Singer'' is a 1927 American musical drama film directed by Alan Crosland. It is the first feature-length motion picture with both synchronized recorded music score as well as lip-synchronous singing and speech (in several isolated ...
''.


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 Sussex is a borough in Sussex County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, the borough's population was 2,024, an increase of 94 from the 2010 census count of 2,130, After appearing in more than three dozen films, she co-starred with
Ramón Novarro José Ramón Gil Samaniego (February 6, 1899 – October 30, 1968), known professionally as Ramon Novarro, was a Mexican-American actor. He began his career in silent films in 1917 and eventually became a leading man and one of the top box ...
and Francis X. Bushman in director
Fred Niblo Fred Niblo (born Frederick Liedtke; January 6, 1874 – November 11, 1948) was an American pioneer film actor, director and producer. Biography He was born Frederick Liedtke (several sources give "Frederico Nobile", apparently erroneously) in Yo ...
's 1925 production of '' Ben-Hur'' released by
MGM Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc., also known as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures and abbreviated as MGM, is an American film, television production, distribution and media company owned by Amazon through MGM Holdings, founded on April 17, 1924 a ...
. She also portrayed Lady Windermere in
Ernst Lubitsch Ernst Lubitsch (; January 29, 1892November 30, 1947) was a German-born American film director, producer, writer, and actor. His urbane comedies of manners gave him the reputation of being Hollywood's most elegant and sophisticated director; as ...
's ''
Lady Windermere's Fan ''Lady Windermere's Fan, A Play About a Good Woman'' is a four-act comedy by Oscar Wilde, first performed on Saturday, 20 February 1892, at the St James's Theatre in London. The story concerns Lady Windermere, who suspects that her husband i ...
'' (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 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (commonly known as Warner Bros. or abbreviated as WB) is an American Film studio, film and entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios, Burbank, Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, Califo ...
, ''
The Terror The Reign of Terror (french: link=no, la Terreur) was a period of the French Revolution when, following the creation of the First Republic, a series of massacres and numerous public executions took place in response to revolutionary fervour, ...
'', which was directed by
Roy Del Ruth Roy Del Ruth (October 18, 1893, Delaware – April 27, 1961) was an American filmmaker. Early career Beginning his Hollywood career as a writer for Mack Sennett in 1915, Del Ruth later directed his first short film ''Hungry Lions'' (1919) ...
and co-starred
Conrad Nagel John Conrad Nagel (March 16, 1897 – February 24, 1970) was an American film, stage, television and radio actor. He was considered a famous matinée idol and leading man of the 1920s and 1930s. He was given an Academy Honorary Award in 1940 and ...
. 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 United Artists Corporation (UA), currently doing business as United Artists Digital Studios, is an American digital production company. Founded in 1919 by D. W. Griffith, Charlie Chaplin, Mary Pickford, and Douglas Fairbanks, the studi ...
, 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 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc., also known as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures and abbreviated as MGM, is an American film, television production, distribution and media company owned by Amazon through MGM Holdings, founded on April 17, 1924 a ...
. McAvoy was the Rose Queen in the
Rose Parade The Rose Parade, also known as the Tournament of Roses Parade (or simply the Tournament of Roses), is an annual parade held mostly along Colorado Boulevard in Pasadena, California, United States, on New Year's Day (or on Monday, January 2 if N ...
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. She was a registered
Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...
. McAvoy was a lifelong
Roman Catholic Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...
.


Death

On April 26, 1984, McAvoy died at the age of 84 from the after effects of a
heart attack A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when blood flow decreases or stops to the coronary artery of the heart, causing damage to the heart muscle. The most common symptom is chest pain or discomfort which may tr ...
suffered the previous year. She is interred in the Holy Cross Cemetery in
Culver City, California Culver City is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 40,779. Founded in 1917 as a "whites only" sundown town, it is now an ethnically diverse city with what was called the "third-most d ...
. For her contribution to the motion picture industry, May McAvoy has a star on the
Hollywood Walk of Fame The Hollywood Walk of Fame is a historic landmark which consists of more than 2,700 five-pointed terrazzo and brass stars embedded in the sidewalks along 15 blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street in Hollywood, Californ ...
at 1731 Vine Street.


Filmography

;Silent * ''Hate'' (1917) as May Garvan * ''
To Hell with the Kaiser! ''To Hell with the Kaiser!'' is a lost 1918 American silent Great War propaganda comedy film produced by Screen Classics Productions and distributed by Metro Pictures. It was directed by George Irving and starred Lawrence Grant as the Kaiser. Ma ...
'' (1918) (*lost) as Wounded Girl * ''A Perfect Lady'' (1918) as Claire Higgins * ''I'll Say So'' (1918) as Minor Role (uncredited) * '' Mrs. Wiggs of the Cabbage Patch'' (1919) (*extant) as Australy Wiggs * ''
The Woman Under Oath ''The Woman Under Oath'' is a 1919 American silent mystery film directed by John M. Stahl and starring stage star Florence Reed. As with the previous Stahl and Reed film, ''Her Code of Honor'', it was produced by Tribune Productions and released ...
'' (1919) (*extant) as Edith Norton * ''Love Wins'' (1919) * ''
The Way of a Woman ''The Way of a Woman'' is a 1919 silent film drama directed by Robert Z. Leonard and starring Norma Talmadge. Talmadge produced and the film was distributed by Select Pictures. Cast *Norma Talmadge - Nancy Lee *Conway Tearle - Anthony Weir *Gert ...
'' (1919) (*extant) as Grace Lee * ''
My Husband's Other Wife ''My Husband's Other Wife'' is a 1920 American silent drama film directed by J. Stuart Blackton and starring Sylvia Breamer, Robert Gordon and May McAvoy. There are no known archival holdings of the film, so it is presumably a lost film. Cas ...
'' (1920) as Nettie Bryson * '' The Sporting Duchess'' (1920) (*lost) as Mary Aylmer * ''
Man and His Woman ''Man and His Woman'' is a 1920 American silent drama film directed by J. Stuart Blackton and starring Herbert Rawlinson, Eulalie Jensen and May McAvoy.Connelly p.161 Cast * Herbert Rawlinson as Dr. John Worthing * Eulalie Jensen as Claire Eaton ...
'' (1920) as Eve Cartier * ''
The House of the Tolling Bell ''The House of the Tolling Bell'' is a 1920 American silent mystery film directed by J. Stuart Blackton and starring May McAvoy, Bruce Gordon, and Morgan Thorpe.Goble p. 467 It is based on a novel written by Edith Sessions Tupper. Cast * May ...
'' (1920) as Lucy Atheron * ''
The Forbidden Valley ''The Forbidden Valley'' is a 1920 American silent film, silent drama romance film directed by J. Stuart Blackton and starring May McAvoy, Bruce Gordon (actor/director), Bruce Gordon and William R. Dunn (actor), William R. Dunn.Connelly p.350 Cas ...
'' (1920) as Morning Glory * ''
The Devil's Garden ''The Devil's Garden'' is a lost 1920 American silent drama film produced by Whitman Bennett, directed by Kenneth Webb, and released through First National Exhibitor's Circuit, which was later known as First National Pictures. The film starre ...
'' (1920) (*lost) as Norah * ''
The Truth About Husbands ''The Truth About Husbands'' is a 1920 American silent drama film directed by Kenneth Webb and starring Anna Lehr, Holmes Herbert, and Elizabeth Garrison. It was released in December 1920. Cast list * Anna Lehr as Janet Preece * Holmes Herbert ...
'' (1920) (*extant; Library of Congress) * ''
Sentimental Tommy ''Sentimental Tommy'' is a 1921 American silent drama film directed by John S. Robertson. It featured Mary Astor in one of her earliest roles, although her scenes were deleted before release. The story is based on James M. Barrie's novel. Th ...
'' (1921, Paramount) (*lost) as Grizel * '' A Private Scandal'' (1921) as Jeanne Millett * '' Everything for Sale'' (1921) as Helen Wainwright * ''
Morals Morality () is the differentiation of intentions, decisions and actions between those that are distinguished as proper (right) and those that are improper (wrong). Morality can be a body of standards or principles derived from a code of cond ...
'' (1921) (*extant) as Carlotta * '' A Virginia Courtship'' (1921) (*lost) as Prudence Fairfax * ''
A Homespun Vamp ''A Homespun Vamp'' is a 1922 American silent drama film directed by Frank O'Connor and written by Harvey F. Thew and Hector Turnbull. The film stars May McAvoy, Darrell Foss, Lincoln Stedman, Josephine Crowell, Charles Stanton Ogle, Guy Ol ...
'' (1922) (*lost) as Meg Mackenzie * ''
Through a Glass Window ''Through a Glass Window'' is a 1922 American drama silent film directed by Maurice Campbell, written by Olga Printzlau, and starring May McAvoy, Fanny Midgley, Burwell Hamrick, Raymond McKee, F. A. Turner, and Carrie Clark Ward. It was releas ...
'' (1922) as Jenny Martin * ''
The Top of New York ''The Top of New York'' is a lost 1922 American silent drama film directed by William Desmond Taylor and written by George James Hopkins, Julia Crawford Ivers and Sonya Levien. The film stars May McAvoy, Walter McGrail, Pat Moore, Edward Cecil, ...
'' (1922) (*lost) as Hilda O'Shaunnessey * ''
A Trip to Paramountown ''A Trip to Paramountown'' is a 1922 American short silent documentary film produced by Famous Players-Lasky and released through Paramount Pictures, to celebrate 10 years of Paramount's founding. The film runs about 20 minutes and features m ...
'' (1922, Short) (*extant) as Herself * ''
Clarence Clarence may refer to: Places Australia * Clarence County, New South Wales, a Cadastral division * Clarence, New South Wales, a place near Lithgow * Clarence River (New South Wales) * Clarence Strait (Northern Territory) * City of Clarence, a l ...
'' (1922, Paramount) (*lost) as Cora Wheeler * '' Kick In'' (1922, Paramount) (*extant) as Myrtle * '' Grumpy'' (1923, Paramount) (*extant) as Virginia Bullivant * ''
Only 38 ''Only 38'' is a lost 1923 American drama silent film directed by William C. deMille and written by Clara Beranger, Walter Prichard Eaton and A.E. Thomas. The film stars May McAvoy, Lois Wilson, Elliott Dexter, George Fawcett, Robert Agnew and ...
'' (1923 Paramount) (*lost) as Lucy Stanley * '' Her Reputation'' (1923, Ince / Associated First National) (*lost) as Jacqueline Lanier * ''
Hollywood Hollywood usually refers to: * Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California * Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States Hollywood may also refer to: Places United States * Hollywood District (disambiguation) * Hollywood, ...
'' (1923, Paramount) as Herself (*lost) * ''
West of the Water Tower ''West of the Water Tower'' is a 1923 American silent comedy drama film produced by Famous Players-Lasky and distributed by Paramount Pictures. It was directed by Rollin S. Sturgeon and is based on the novel of the same name by Homer Croy. Gl ...
'' (1923, Paramount) (*lost) as Bee Chew * '' The Enchanted Cottage'' (1924, Asso.FirstNational) (*extant; Library of Congress) as Laura Pennington * '' The Bedroom Window'' (1924, Paramount) (*extant; Library of Congress) as Ruth Martin * ''
Tarnish Tarnish is a thin layer of corrosion that forms over copper, brass, aluminum, magnesium, neodymium and other similar metals as their outermost layer undergoes a chemical reaction. Tarnish does not always result from the sole effects of oxygen in ...
'' (1924, Goldwyn) (*lost) as Letitia Tevis * '' Three Women'' (1924, Warner Brothers) (*extant) as Jeannie Wilton * '' Married Flirts'' (1924, Goldwyn) (*lost) as Herself, Guest at party * ''
The Mad Whirl ''The Mad Whirl'' is a 1925 American jazz age black-and-white silent drama film about the "loosening of youth morals" that took place during the 1920s. Written by Edward T. Lowe Jr. and Lewis Milestone, and directed by William A. Seiter for U ...
'' (1925, Universal) (*extant; Library of Congress) as Cathleen Gillis * ''
Tessie "Tessie" is both the longtime anthem of the Boston Red Sox and a 2004 song by the punk rock group Dropkick Murphys. The original "Tessie" was from the 1902 Broadway musical ''The Silver Slipper''. The newer song, written in 2004, recounts how th ...
'' (1925, ArrowFilm) (*lost) as Tessie * '' Ben-Hur'' (1925, MGM) (*extant) as Esther * ''
Lady Windermere's Fan ''Lady Windermere's Fan, A Play About a Good Woman'' is a four-act comedy by Oscar Wilde, first performed on Saturday, 20 February 1892, at the St James's Theatre in London. The story concerns Lady Windermere, who suspects that her husband i ...
'' (1925, Warner Brothers) (*extant) as Lady Windermere * ''Calf-Love'' (1926, Short) * ''
The Road to Glory ''The Road to Glory'' is a 1936 dramatic film depiction of World War I trench warfare in France directed by Howard Hawks, starring Fredric March, Warner Baxter, Lionel Barrymore, and June Lang, and produced by 20th Century Fox. It is vaguely i ...
'' (1926, Fox) (*lost) as Judith Allen * '' My Old Dutch'' (1926, Universal) (*extant) as Sal Gratton * ''
The Passionate Quest ''The Passionate Quest'' is a 1926 American drama film directed by J. Stuart Blackton and written by Marian Constance Blackton. It is based on the 1924 novel '' The Passionate Quest'' by E. Phillips Oppenheim. The film stars May McAvoy, Willard ...
'' (1926, Warner Brothers) (*lost; fragment Library of Congress) as Rosina Vonet * '' The Savage'' (1926, First National) (*lost) as Ysabel Atwater * ''
The Fire Brigade ''The Fire Brigade'' (also known as ''Fire!'') is 1926 American silent drama film directed by William Nigh. The film stars May McAvoy and Charles Ray. ''The Fire Brigade'' originally contained sequences shot in two-color Technicolor. A print ...
'' (1926, MGM) (*extant) as Helen Corwin * ''
Matinee Ladies ''Matinee Ladies'' was a 1927 American silent comedy film produced and distributed by Warner Bros. Directed by Byron Haskin, the film starred May McAvoy and was Haskin's first directorial effort after having been a cinematographer. ''Matinee L ...
'' (1927, Warner Brothers) (*lost) as Sallie Smith * '' Irish Hearts'' (1927, Warner Brothers) (*lost) as Sheila ;Sound * ''Slightly Used'' (1927 Vitaphone / Warner Brothers) (*lost; first of McAvoy's films with Vitaphone track of effects and music) as Cynthia Martin * ''
The Jazz Singer ''The Jazz Singer'' is a 1927 American musical drama film directed by Alan Crosland. It is the first feature-length motion picture with both synchronized recorded music score as well as lip-synchronous singing and speech (in several isolated ...
'' (1927 Vitaphone / Warner Brothers) (*extant) as Mary Dale * '' A Reno Divorce'' (1927 Vitaphone / Warner Brothers) (*lost) as Carla * '' If I Were Single'' (1927 Vitaphone / Warner Brothers) as May Howard * '' The Little Snob'' (1928 Vitaphone / Warner Brothers) as May Banks * ''Sunny California'' (1928, Short) * ''
The Lion and the Mouse The Lion and the Mouse is one of Aesop's Fables, numbered 150 in the Perry Index. There are also Eastern variants of the story, all of which demonstrate mutual dependence regardless of size or status. In the Renaissance the fable was provided w ...
'' (1928 Vitaphone / WarnerBrothers) (*extant) as Shirley Ross * '' Caught in the Fog'' (1928 Vitaphone / Warner Brothers) (*extant; 35mm British Film Institute) The Girl * ''
The Terror The Reign of Terror (french: link=no, la Terreur) was a period of the French Revolution when, following the creation of the First Republic, a series of massacres and numerous public executions took place in response to revolutionary fervour, ...
'' (1928 Vitaphone / Warner Brothers) (*extant) as Olga Redmayne * ''
Stolen Kisses ''Stolen Kisses'' (french: Baisers volés) is a 1968 French romantic comedy-drama film directed by François Truffaut, starring Jean-Pierre Léaud, Delphine Seyrig and Claude Jade. It continues the story of the character Antoine Doinel, whom Tr ...
'' (1929 Vitaphone / Warner Brothers) (*lost) as May Lambert * '' No Defense'' (1929 Vitaphone / Warner Brothers) (*lost) as Ruth Harper * ''
Two Girls on Broadway ''Two Girls on Broadway'' is a 1940 musical film directed by S. Sylvan Simon and starring Lana Turner and Joan Blondell. The film is a remake of ''The Broadway Melody'' (1929). Plot Molly Mahoney (Joan Blondell) forms a vaudeville act with her fi ...
'' (1940) as Chatworth's Secretary (uncredited) * '' The New Pupil'' (1940, Short) as Sally's mother * ''The Phantom Raiders'' (1940) as Middle Telephone Operator (uncredited) * ''Dulcy'' (1940) as Miss Murphy - Van Dyke's Secretary (uncredited) * '' Third Finger, Left Hand'' (1940) as Telephone Operator (uncredited) * ''Whispers'' (1941, Short) as Gossip (uncredited) * ''1-2-3 Go!'' (1941, Short) as Miss Jones, nurse * '' Love Crazy'' (1941) as Sanity Hearing Secretary (uncredited) * '' The Getaway'' (1941) as Duff's Secretary (uncredited) * ''
Ringside Maisie ''Ringside Maisie'' is a 1941 film directed by Edwin L. Marin. It stars Ann Sothern, Robert Sterling and George Murphy George Lloyd Murphy (July 4, 1902 – May 3, 1992) was an American dancer, actor, and politician. Murphy was a song-and-danc ...
'' (1941) as 1st Nurse (uncredited) * ''
Main Street on the March! ''Main Street on the March!'' is a 1941 American short historical film directed by Edward Cahn. It won an Academy Award at the 14th Academy Awards for Best Short Subject (Two-Reel). The 20-minute film gives a brief history of events in Europ ...
'' (1941, Short) as Window Shopper (uncredited) * ''Born to Sing'' (1942) (uncredited) * ''Mr. Blabbermouth!'' (1942, Short) as Wife (uncredited) * ''
Assignment in Brittany ''Assignment in Brittany'' is a 1943 war film directed by Jack Conway and starring French actor Jean-Pierre Aumont and Swedish actress Signe Hasso, both in their American film debuts. Also starring was American actress Susan Peters. The film w ...
'' (1943) as Nurse (uncredited) * ''My Tomato'' (1943, Short) as Gidge's Customer (uncredited) * ''
Two Girls and a Sailor ''Two Girls and a Sailor'' is a 1944 American musical film directed by Richard Thorpe and starring Van Johnson, June Allyson and Gloria DeHaven. Set on the American homefront during World War II, it's about two singing sisters who create a lavish ...
'' (1944) as Dowager (uncredited) * ''Movie Pests'' (1944, *short) as Woman Whose Vision Gets Blocked (uncredited) * ''
Barbary Coast Gent ''Barbary Coast Gent'' is a 1944 American Western comedy film set in 1880s San Francisco's Barbary Coast and Nevada starring Wallace Beery. The movie was directed by Roy Del Ruth and features Binnie Barnes, Beery's brother Noah Beery, Sr., Joh ...
'' (1944) (scenes deleted) * ''Week-End at the Waldorf'' (1945) (uncredited) * ''
Till the Clouds Roll By ''Till The Clouds Roll By'' is a 1946 American Technicolor musical film produced by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. A fictionalized biopic of composer Jerome Kern, portrayed by Robert Walker, Kern was originally involved with the production, but died before ...
'' (1946) as Well-Wisher after Roberta (uncredited) * ''
The Romance of Rosy Ridge ''The Romance of Rosy Ridge'' is a 1947 American Western film directed by Roy Rowland, about a rural community bitterly divided during the aftermath of the American Civil War. It stars Van Johnson, Thomas Mitchell, and Janet Leigh in her film d ...
'' (1947) as Wife (uncredited) * ''The Unfinished Dance'' (1947) as Ronsell's Secretary (uncredited) * ''
A Date with Judy ''A Date with Judy'' is a comedy radio series aimed at a teenage audience which ran from 1941 to 1950. The series was co-created by Jerome Lawrence and Aleen Leslie, and based on Leslie's “One Girl Chorus” column in the Pittsburgh Press. La ...
'' (1948) as Dance Attendee (uncredited) * '' Luxury Liner'' (1948) as Woman (uncredited) * ''
The Yellow Cab Man ''The Yellow Cab Man'' is a 1950 comedy film directed by Jack Donohue and starring Red Skelton, Gloria DeHaven and Edward Arnold. The inventor of unbreakable glass ("Elastiglass") tries to sell it to a taxicab company, hoping that they will mak ...
'' (1950) as (uncredited) * ''
Mystery Street ''Mystery Street'' is a 1950 black-and-white film noir featuring Ricardo Montalbán, Sally Forrest, Bruce Bennett, Elsa Lanchester, and Marshall Thompson. Produced by MGM, it was directed by John Sturges with cinematography by John Alton. The f ...
'' (1950) as Nurse (uncredited) * '' Watch the Birdie'' (1950) (uncredited) * ''
The Bad and the Beautiful ''The Bad and the Beautiful'' is a 1952 American melodrama that tells the story of a film producer who alienates everyone around him. The film was directed by Vincente Minnelli, written by George Bradshaw (writer), George Bradshaw and Charles Sch ...
'' (1952) as Pebbel's Secretary (uncredited) * ''
Executive Suite An executive suite in its most general definition is a collection of offices or rooms—or suite—used by top managers of a business—or executives. Over the years, this general term has taken on a variety of specific meanings. Corporate off ...
'' (1954) as Grimm's Secretary (uncredited) * '' The Tender Trap'' (1955) as Visitor to Home Show (uncredited) * ''
Ransom! ''Ransom!'' is a 1956 American crime drama film examining the reactions of parents, police, and the public to a kidnapping. Written by Richard Maibaum and Cyril Hume, the film is based on a popular episode of ''The United States Steel Hour'' tit ...
'' (1956) as Miss May (uncredited) * ''
The Wings of Eagles ''The Wings of Eagles'' is a 1957 American Metrocolor film starring John Wayne, Dan Dailey and Maureen O'Hara, based on the life of Frank "Spig" Wead and the history of U.S. Naval aviation from its inception through World War II. The film is ...
'' (1957) as Nurse (uncredited) * ''
Designing Woman ''Designing Woman'' is a 1957 American Metrocolor romantic comedy film, in CinemaScope, about two young, whirlwind-romanced newlywed professionals and their misadventures in adjusting to each other's lifestyles. Vincente Minnelli directed the fi ...
'' (1957) as Boston Wardrobe Woman (uncredited) * ''
Gun Glory ''Gun Glory'' is a 1957 American Metrocolor Western film directed by Roy Rowland starring Stewart Granger and Rhonda Fleming. Plot Tom Early rides into a Wyoming town where he once lived with his wife and son. In the general store, owner Wainsc ...
'' (1957) as Woman (uncredited) * '' Jailhouse Rock'' (1957) (uncredited) * '' Ben-Hur'' (1959) as Woman in Crowd (uncredited) (final film role)


References


External links

* * *
Photography and bibliographyMay McAvoy
portrait gallery NY Public Library (Billy Rose collection) {{DEFAULTSORT:McAvoy, May 1899 births 1984 deaths Actresses from New York City American film actresses American silent film actresses Burials at Holy Cross Cemetery, Culver City 20th-century American actresses American Roman Catholics New York (state) Republicans California Republicans