Wanda McKay | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Mckay in The Black Raven (1943) | |
| Born | Dorothy Quackenbush June 22, 1915 Portland, Oregon, U.S. |
| Died | April 11, 1996 (aged 80) Rancho Mirage, California, U.S. |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 1939–1957 |
| Spouse | |
Wanda McKay (born Dorothy Quackenbush; June 22, 1915 – April 11, 1996) was an American actress and model.
McKay was born as Dorothy Quackenbush in Portland, Oregon,[note 1][1] but her family later moved to Fort Worth in Texas. After moving to New York she became a model and her image was used to promote Chesterfield cigarettes.[2]
In 1938, McKay represented Trans World Airlines, for which she worked as a hostess, in a beauty competition at the Birmingham Air Show.[1] She won, being voted "Miss American Aviation".[2]
By 1939 McKay had moved into films after being given a contract by Paramount Pictures. Initially she made small uncredited appearances before going on to starring roles as a leading lady in many B Movies during the 1940s, working in particular at studios such as PRC and Monogram Pictures.[2]: 135–137 Film worked dried up for her in the 1950s, and she appeared on television and in a minor role in The Merry Widow (1952). Her last film appearance was a small uncredited part in Ten Thousand Bedrooms (1957).
In 1977 she married Hoagy Carmichael, a marriage that lasted until his death in 1981.
On April 11, 1996, McKay died of cancer in Los Angeles. She was 80.[1]
