Name | Fay Wray |
---|---|
Caption | Studio publicity photo |
Birth name | Vina Fay Wray |
Birth date | September 15, 1907 |
Birth place | Cardston, Alberta, Canada |
Death date | August 08, 2004 |
Death place | New York City, New York, U.S. |
Occupation | Actress |
Years active | 1919–1980 |
Spouse | John Monk Saunders (1928–39, div.)Robert Riskin (1942–55, until his death. Interment Inglewood Park Cemetery, Inglewood California.)Sanford Rothenberg (1971–91, his death) |
After appearing in minor film roles, Wray gained media attention being selected as one of the "WAMPAS Baby Stars". This led to Wray being signed to Paramount Pictures as a teenager, where she made more than a dozen films. After leaving Paramount, she signed deals with various film companies, being cast in her first horror film roles among many other types of roles, including in The Bowery (1933) and Viva Villa (1934), both huge productions starring Wallace Beery. For RKO Radio Pictures, Inc., she starred in the film with which she is most identified, King Kong (1933). After the success of King Kong, Wray appeared in many major film roles and on television, finishing her acting career in 1980.
In 1926, American film association the Western Association of Motion Picture Advertisers selected Wray as one of the "WAMPAS Baby Stars", a group of women who they believed to be on the threshold of movie stardom. She was currently under contract to Universal Studios, mostly co-starring in low budget westerns opposite Buck Jones.
The following year in 1927, Wray was signed to a contract with Paramount Pictures In 1928, director Erich von Stroheim cast Wray as the main female lead in his film The Wedding March, released under Paramount, a film noted for its high budget and production values. It was a financial failure, but it gave Wray her first lead role. Wray stayed with Paramount to make more than a dozen more films, staying there to make the transition from silent films to "talkie" films.
The Most Dangerous Game was followed by Wray's most memorable film, King Kong. According to Wray, Jean Harlow had been RKO's original choice, but because MGM put Harlow under exclusive contract during the pre-production phase of the film, she became unavailable and Wray was approached by director Merian C. Cooper to play the role of Ann Darrow, the blonde captive of King Kong. Wray was paid $10,000 dollars to play the role. Wray wore a blonde wig over her naturally dark hair. The film was a commercial success. Wray was reportedly proud that the film saved RKO from bankruptcy. Wray's role would become the one with which she would be most associated. For her appearances in various horror films, many have considered Wray the first "scream queen".
Wray appeared in three episodes of CBS's courtroom drama Perry Mason, the first of which was "The Case Of The Prodigal Parent" (Episode 1-36) aired June 7, 1958.
In 1959, she played Tula Marsh in the episode "The Second Happiest Day" of the CBS anthology Playhouse 90. In 1960, she appeared as Clara in the episode "Who Killed Cock Robin?" of the ABC detective series 77 Sunset Strip. And in 1963, she played as Mrs. Brubaker in the episode "You're So Smart, Why Can't You Be Good?" episode of the NBC medical drama about psychiatry, The Eleventh Hour. She ended her acting career in the made-for TV movie Gideon's Trumpet (1980).
In 1988, her autobiography, On the Other Hand, was published. In her later years, Wray continued to make public appearances. She was a special guest at the 70th Academy Awards, where the show's host, Billy Crystal, introduced her as the "Beauty who charmed the Beast". She was the only 1920s Hollywood actress in attendance that evening. In January 2003, a 95-year old Wray appeared at the 2003 Palm Beach International Film Festival to celebrate the Rick McKay documentary film , where she was also honored with a "Legend in Film" award. In her later years, she also visited the Empire State Building frequently, once visiting in 1991 as a guest of honor at the building's 60th anniversary, and also in May 2004, which was among her last public appearances. Her final public appearance was at an after-party at the Sardi's restaurant in New York City, following the premiere of the documentary film .
She had three children: Susan Saunders, Victoria Riskin, and Robert Riskin Jr. She became a naturalized citizen of the United States in 1933.
In her autobiography On The Other Hand: A Life Story she stated that she was a Republican.
Two days after her death, the lights of the Empire State Building were extinguished for 15 minutes in her memory.
Category:1907 births Category:2004 deaths Category:Actors from Alberta Category:American film actors Category:American memoirists Category:American people of English descent Category:American people of Canadian descent Category:American silent film actors Category:Burials at Hollywood Forever Cemetery Category:Canadian film actors Category:Canadian immigrants to the United States Category:Canadian people of English descent Category:Disease-related deaths in New York Category:Hollywood High School alumni Category:New York Republicans Category:Naturalized citizens of the United States Category:People from Cardston County, Alberta
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