May Boley
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]
May Boley | |
|---|---|
 May Boley in Fighting Caravans (1931) | |
| Born | May Blossom Boley May 29, 1881 |
| Died | January 7, 1963 (aged 81) Hollywood, California |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Spouse | Lt. Frederick Lindsley Nicholson (1901–?) |
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
- Skylark (1941) as Fat Woman in Subway Car
- Kitty Foyle (1940) as Fainting Customer
- Lady with Red Hair (1940) as Mrs. Peabody
- Henry Goes Arizona (1939) as Henry's Landlady
- The Women (1939) as Mud Mask
- Death of a Champion (1939) as Ma Sloane
- Undercover Doctor (1939)
- Persons in Hiding (1939) as Mme. Thompson
- Letter of Introduction (1938) as Mrs. Meggs, the Landlady
- Cowboy from Brooklyn (1938) as Mrs. Krinkenheim
- Prison Farm (1938) as 'Shifty' Sue
- Women Are Like That (1938) as Hotel Maid
- Reckless Living (1938) as Mother Ryan
- Tovarich (1937) as Louise
- Ready, Willing and Able (1937) as Mrs. Beadle
- Without Orders (1936) as Mrs. Maddy Overhose
- The Informer (1935) as Madame Betty
- The Mighty Barnum (1934) as Bearded Lady
- Advice to the Lovelorn (1933) as Miss Lonelyhearts
- The Kiss Before the Mirror (1933) as Busybody in Courtroom
- The Expert (1932) as Mrs. Smallbridge
- A Woman Commands (1932) as Mascha
- The Great Pie Mystery (1931) as Bertha, Homer's Sweetheart
- Fighting Caravans (1931) as Jane
- Going Wild (1930) as May Bunch
- Moby Dick (1930) as Whale Oil Rosie
- Hail the Princess (1930)
- Children of Pleasure (1930) as Fanny Kaye
- Lilies of the Field (1930) as Maizie
- The Dance of Life (1929) as Gussie
- Dangerous Curves (1929) as Ma Spinelli
- The Woman from Hell (1929) as Mother Price
- Beneath the Law (1929)
- The Wagon Show (1928) as The Strong Woman
References
- "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.
- Ellenberger, Allan R. (1 May 2001). Celebrities in Los Angeles Cemeteries: A Directory. McFarland Publishing. p. 37. ISBN 9780786450190.
- "Friends of Last Week". The Washington Times. D.C., Washington. November 27, 1898. p. 16. Retrieved August 2, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
- "Aside". Evening Star. District of Columbia, Washington. February 3, 1900. p. 21. Retrieved August 2, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
- "May Boley Dies". The Bridgeport Telegram. Connecticut, Bridgeport. Associated Press. January 9, 1963. p. 29.
- "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.
- Bradley 2009, p. 163.
- Bradley 2009, p. 191.
- Bradley 2009, p. 427.
- Reid, John (2005). Movies Magnificent: 150 Must-See Cinema Classics. Lulu.com. p. 238. ISBN 9781411650671.
- Reid, John Howard (1 August 2011). Silent Movies & Early Sound Films on DVD: New Expanded Edition. Lulu.com. p. 397. ISBN 9780557433353.
- Mordden, Ethan (7 April 2015). Sing for Your Supper: The Broadway Musical in the 1930s. St. Martin's Press. p. 85. ISBN 9781466893474.
- "Ex-Actress Dies". The Daily Chronicle. Washington, Centralia. Associated Press. January 10, 1963. p. 3. Retrieved August 2, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
Bibliography
- Bradley, Edwin M. (27 April 2009). The First Hollywood Sound Shorts, 1926–1931. McFarland Publishing. p. 560. ISBN 9781476606842.