May Boley
May Boley in Fighting Caravans (1931)
Born
May Blossom Boley

(1881-05-29)May 29, 1881
Washington, District of Columbia
DiedJanuary 7, 1963(1963-01-07) (aged 81)
Hollywood, California
OccupationActress
SpouseLt. Frederick Lindsley Nicholson (1901–?)

May Blossom Boley[1] (May 29, 1881 – January 7, 1963) was an American actress known for her role as Whale Oil Rosie in Moby Dick (1930).[2]

Stage

Besides being an actress, Boley was a dancer. An article in an 1898 issue of a newspaper commented on "the grace with which she accomplished a difficult solo dance".[3] In 1900, she was a member of the Alice Nielsen Opera Company.[4] Her last stage appearance in New York was in the musical Jubilee.[5] As a singer in the musical Hit the Deck (1927), Boley introduced the popular song "Hallelujah".[6]

Film

Boley starred in The Great Pie Mystery (1931) with Harry Gribbon, Alma Bennett, Harry Myers, Dick Stewart, George Gray and Julia Griffith;[7] Hail, the Princess (1930) with Monte Collins and Alma Bennett;[7] Beneath the Law (1929) with Bobby Clark and Paul McCullough;[8] and Richard Carle in The Warrior (1928) with James Sullivan.[9] She also starred in The Women (1939),[10] and Dangerous Curves (1929) as Mrs Spinelli.[11]

Ethan Mordden, in his book Sing for Your Supper: The Broadway Musical in the 1930s, wrote that Boley resembled Elsa Maxwell.[12]

Personal life

On August 2, 1901, in New York City, Boley married Lieutenant Frederick Lindsley Nicholson, a British Army officer from Putney Hill, London, England.[1]

Death

On January 7, 1963, Boley died in Hollywood Presbyterian Hospital following a long illness. She was 81.[13]

Filmography

References

  1. ^ a b "English Army Officer Weds Pretty May Boley". The Evening World. New York, New York City. August 3, 1901. p. 3. Retrieved August 2, 2018 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  2. ^ Ellenberger, Allan R. (1 May 2001). Celebrities in Los Angeles Cemeteries: A Directory. McFarland Publishing. p. 37. ISBN 9780786450190.
  3. ^ "Friends of Last Week". The Washington Times. D.C., Washington. November 27, 1898. p. 16. Retrieved August 2, 2018 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  4. ^ "Aside". Evening Star. District of Columbia, Washington. February 3, 1900. p. 21. Retrieved August 2, 2018 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  5. ^ "May Boley Dies". The Bridgeport Telegram. Connecticut, Bridgeport. Associated Press. January 9, 1963. p. 29.
  6. ^ "Ex-Musical, Film Star May Boley Dies at 81". The Los Angeles Times. California, Los Angeles. January 8, 1963. p. 27. Retrieved August 3, 2018 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  7. ^ a b Bradley 2009, p. 163.
  8. ^ Bradley 2009, p. 191.
  9. ^ Bradley 2009, p. 427.
  10. ^ Reid, John (2005). Movies Magnificent: 150 Must-See Cinema Classics. Lulu.com. p. 238. ISBN 9781411650671.
  11. ^ Reid, John Howard (1 August 2011). Silent Movies & Early Sound Films on DVD: New Expanded Edition. Lulu.com. p. 397. ISBN 9780557433353.
  12. ^ Mordden, Ethan (7 April 2015). Sing for Your Supper: The Broadway Musical in the 1930s. St. Martin's Press. p. 85. ISBN 9781466893474.
  13. ^ "Ex-Actress Dies". The Daily Chronicle. Washington, Centralia. Associated Press. January 10, 1963. p. 3. Retrieved August 2, 2018 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon

Bibliography

External links

Authority control databases
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