---
name: "May McAvoy"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/may-mcavoy"
fi1m_id: "may-mcavoy"
imdb_id: "nm0564219"
tmdb_id: 14287
wikidata_id: "Q460262"
roles: ["Actor"]
born: "6 September 1899"
died: "26 April 1984"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 2
average_as: "actor"
average_over: 1
updated: "2026-09-25T06:25:23.932723+00:00"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# May McAvoy

## Identity

May McAvoy

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/may-mcavoy
- **Type:** Person
- **Fi1m ID:** may-mcavoy
- **IMDb ID:** nm0564219
- **TMDB ID:** 14287
- **Wikidata ID:** Q460262
- **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/May_McAvoy, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q460262, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0564219/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/14287

Actor. Born 6 September 1899 in New York City, New York, USA. Died 26 April 1984.

## Details

- **Work:** Actor
- **Born:** 6 September 1899, New York City, New York, USA
- **Died:** 26 April 1984
- **Titles on Fi1m:** 2: 1 acting, 1 other
- **Fi1m score by decade:** 1920s 65 (1), 1950s 76 (1)
- **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/May_McAvoy, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q460262, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0564219/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/14287

## Streaming the US now

- **Tubi:** [*The Jazz Singer*](https://film.one/film/the-jazz-singer.md) (65)

For United States; add `?region=XX` for another country.

## Fi1m on May McAvoy

> May McAvoy's gentle, expressive silent acting deserves more attention than her limited part in *The Jazz Singer* allows. We value her warmth, but her work also shows how easily a sympathetic heroine can be left with too little to do.

May McAvoy's Mary Dale encourages Al Jolson's character in *The Jazz Singer* (1927), and is given little opportunity to do anything more difficult. She is sympathetic, but the relationship never acquires much force of its own. Alan Crosland's film comes alive when Jolson sings, leaving McAvoy in the less rewarding business of keeping its stiff melodrama going. To understand her appeal, we need to look beyond this accommodating woman and towards the vulnerable leads of her silent work.

Her expressive face and body language suited the innocent young women she was often asked to play. After buying out her Paramount contract in 1923, she appeared in *The Enchanted Cottage* (1924), whose romantic vulnerability offers a better introduction to her strengths. The following year brought *Lady Windermere's Fan* (1925), directed by Ernst Lubitsch, and the role of Esther in Fred Niblo's *Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ* (1925).

Her lack of spoken dialogue in *The Jazz Singer* matters when judging what followed. Mary is a silent performance within a film whose main attraction is Jolson's voice, and McAvoy has little chance to compete with that excitement. We grew impatient with the drama because the family scenes kept repeating their grievances; the singing brought the film back to life. That frustration belongs largely to the writing, rather than to an actor asked mainly to offer encouragement.

*The Terror* (1928), in which she played Olga Redmayne, did give her a leading sound role. Contemporary responses to her voice were mixed, a useful warning against assuming that skill in silent performance would transfer without difficulty. She withdrew from leading roles in 1929 and returned in the 1940s for uncredited MGM bit parts. For McAvoy herself, begin with *The Enchanted Cottage*; choose *The Jazz Singer* chiefly if Jolson and the arrival of sound are what interest you.

## Biography

May McAvoy was an American actress who worked primarily during the silent film era. She made her screen debut in the 1917 film *Hate* and appeared in more than three dozen films over the following decade.

Among her notable roles were Esther in *Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ* (1925) and Lady Windermere in *Lady Windermere's Fan* (1925). She played Mary Dale opposite Al Jolson in *The Jazz Singer* (1927). Although her voice was not heard in that film, she spoke in other early sound pictures such as *The Terror* (1928).

McAvoy married Maurice Cleary, treasurer of United Artists, in 1929 and retired from acting at his request. She later returned to films in small, often uncredited roles during the 1940s and 1950s, with her final appearance in the 1959 version of *Ben-Hur*.

*Sources: en.wikipedia.org, imdb.com.*

## On Fi1m (2)

### Performed in (1) — the average rests on these

- *The Jazz Singer* (1927), Fi1m 65, as Mary Dale — [page](https://film.one/film/the-jazz-singer.md)

### Also credited (1) — thanks, archive footage, uncredited

- *Ben-Hur* (1959), Fi1m 76, as Woman in crowd (uncredited) — [page](https://film.one/film/ben-hur.md)

## Complete filmography (75)

Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page.

- *Ben-Hur* (1959), as Woman in crowd (uncredited) — Fi1m 76, [page](https://film.one/film/ben-hur.md)
- *The Wings of Eagles* (1957), as Nurse (uncredited)
- *Executive Suite* (1954), as Grimm's Secretary (uncredited)
- *The Bad and the Beautiful* (1952), as Pebbel's Secretary (uncredited) — Fi1m 84, [page](https://film.one/film/the-bad-and-the-beautiful.md)
- *Mystery Street* (1950), as Nurse (uncredited)
- *The Yellow Cab Man* (1950), as (uncredited)
- *Luxury Liner* (1948), as Woman (uncredited)
- *The Romance of Rosy Ridge* (1947), as Wife (uncredited)
- *Movie Pests* (1944), as Woman Whose Vision Gets Blocked (uncredited)
- *Two Girls and a Sailor* (1944), as Dowager (uncredited)
- *Mr. Blabbermouth!* (1942), Actor
- *Rio Rita* (1942), as Hotel Guest (uncredited)
- *Born to Sing* (1942), as (uncredited)
- *Main Street on the March!* (1941), as Window Shopper (uncredited)
- *Ringside Maisie* (1941), as 1st Nurse (uncredited)
- *Sucker List* (1941), as Secretary (uncredited)
- *Love Crazy* (1941), as Sanity Hearing Secretary (uncredited)
- *1-2-3-Go!* (1941), as Nurse
- *Whispers* (1941), as Gossip (uncredited)
- *Third Finger, Left Hand* (1940), as Telephone Operator (uncredited)
- *Dulcy* (1940), as Miss Murphy - Van Dyke's Secretary (uncredited)
- *Phantom Raiders* (1940), as Middle Telephone Operator
- *Hollywood: Style Center of the World* (1940), as Saleslady
- *Two Girls on Broadway* (1940), as Chatworth's Secretary (uncredited)
- *No Defense* (1929), as Ruth Harper
- *Stolen Kisses* (1929), as May Lambert
- *The Terror* (1928), as Olga Redmayne
- *Caught in the Fog* (1928), as The Girl
- *The Lion and the Mouse* (1928), as Shirley Ross
- *The Little Snob* (1928), as May Banks
- *If I Were Single* (1927), as May Howard
- *A Reno Divorce* (1927), as Carla
- *The Jazz Singer* (1927), as Mary Dale — Fi1m 65, [page](https://film.one/film/the-jazz-singer.md)
- *Slightly Used* (1927), as Cynthia Martin
- *Irish Hearts* (1927), as Sheila
- *Matinee Ladies* (1927), as Sallie Smith
- *The Fire Brigade* (1926), as Helen Corwin
- *The Savage* (1926), as Ysabel Atwater
- *The Passionate Quest* (1926), Actor
- *My Old Dutch* (1926), as Sal Gratton
- *The Road to Glory* (1926), as Judith Allen
- *Lady Windermere's Fan* (1925), as Lady Windermere
- *Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ* (1925), as Esther
- *Tessie* (1925), as Tessie
- *The Mad Whirl* (1925), as Cathleen Gillis
- *Three Women* (1924), as Jeannie Wilton
- *Tarnish* (1924), as Letitia Tevis
- *The Bedroom Window* (1924), as Ruth Martin
- *The Enchanted Cottage* (1924), as Laura Pennington
- *West of the Water Tower* (1924), as Bee Chew
- *Her Reputation* (1923), as Jacqueline Lanier
- *Hollywood* (1923), as May McAvoy
- *Only 38* (1923), as Lucy Stanley
- *Grumpy* (1923), as Virginia Bullivant
- *Kick In* (1922), as Myrtle
- *Clarence* (1922), as Cora Wheeler
- *The Top of New York* (1922), as Hilda O'Shaunnessey
- *Through a Glass Window* (1922), as Jenny Martin
- *A Homespun Vamp* (1922), as Meg Mackenzie
- *A Virginia Courtship* (1921), as Prudence Fairfax
- *Morals* (1921), as Carlotta 	Carlotta
- *A Private Scandal* (1921), as Jeanne Millett
- *Sentimental Tommy* (1921), as Grizel
- *The Truth About Husbands* (1920), as Leslie Brownell
- *The Devil's Garden* (1920), as Norah
- *The Forbidden Valley* (1920), as Morning Glory
- *The House of the Tolling Bell* (1920), as Lucy Atheron
- *The Sporting Duchess* (1920), as Mary Aylmer
- *My Husband's Other Wife* (1920), as Nettie Bryson
- *The Way of a Woman* (1919), as Grace Lee
- *The Woman Under Oath* (1919), as Edith Norton
- *Mrs. Wiggs of the Cabbage Patch* (1919), as Australy Wiggs
- *I'll Say So* (1918), Actor
- *A Perfect Lady* (1918), as Claire Higgins
- *To Hell with the Kaiser!* (1918), as Wounded Girl

## Gallery

- ![May McAvoy as Esther in Ben-Hur (1925). (1926)](https://film.one/media/person/449782/gallery-333bbd3082e7.jpg) May McAvoy as Esther in Ben-Hur (1925). (1926) — Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/45/May_McAvoy_as_Esther_in_Ben-Hur.jpg/1280px-May_McAvoy_as_Esther_in_Ben-Hur.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Description: Warner Bros. publicity photo for the film The Jazz Singer (1927), featuring stars May McAvoy and Al Jolson.](https://film.one/media/person/449782/gallery-c15564f281c0.jpg) Description: Warner Bros. publicity photo for the film The Jazz Singer (1927), featuring stars May McAvoy and Al Jolson. — Warner Bros., Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/8f/McAvoyJolsonJazzSinger.jpg/1280px-McAvoyJolsonJazzSinger.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Still from the American drama film The Enchanted Cottage (1924) with Richard Barthelmess and May McAvoy. Subjects: motion pictures, actresses, actors](https://film.one/media/person/449782/gallery-f9d6bfc20e12.jpg) Still from the American drama film The Enchanted Cottage (1924) with Richard Barthelmess and May McAvoy. Subjects: motion pictures, actresses, actors — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/5e/The_Enchanted_Cottage_%28SAYRE_14812%29.jpg/1280px-The_Enchanted_Cottage_%28SAYRE_14812%29.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Actresses Bebe Daniels and May McAvoy with Fliver the dog, on page 30 of the June 3, 1922 Exhibitors Herald.](https://film.one/media/person/449782/gallery-acbed99d1030.jpg) Actresses Bebe Daniels and May McAvoy with Fliver the dog, on page 30 of the June 3, 1922 Exhibitors Herald. — Paramount Pictures, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d5/Bebe_Daniels_%26_May_McAvoy_-_May_1922_EH.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled)
- ![May McAvoy](https://film.one/media/person/449782/gallery-3fefdc432f59.jpg) May McAvoy — Image via TMDB
- ![May McAvoy and Richard Barthelmess in The Enchanted Cottage (1924).](https://film.one/media/person/449782/gallery-03b5d9a0fe6b.jpg) May McAvoy and Richard Barthelmess in The Enchanted Cottage (1924). — Uncredited, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a5/The_Enchanted_Cottage_-_Motion_Picture_News%2C_April_12%2C_1924.jpg/1280px-The_Enchanted_Cottage_-_Motion_Picture_News%2C_April_12%2C_1924.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/person/may-mcavoy