May Boley

American actress (1881–1963)

May Boley
May Boley in Fighting Caravans (1931)
Born	May Blossom Boley (1881-05-29)May 29, 1881 Washington, District of Columbia
Died	January 7, 1963(1963-01-07) (aged 81) Hollywood, California
Occupation	Actress
Spouse	Lt. 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

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

^ ^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.
^ 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.
^ ^a ^b 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.