Filmography
-
Known For
Bringing Up Baby Aunt Elizabeth (1938) -
A Star Is Born Grandmother Lettie Blodgett (1937) -
Lady for a Day Apple Annie (1933) -
Known For
Strange Interlude Mrs. Evans (1932) -
Actress
Joan of Paris Mlle. Rosay (1942) -
Playmates Grandma Kyser (1941) -
Million Dollar Baby Cornelia Wheelwright (1941) -
Four Mothers Aunt Etta (1941) -
Texas Rangers Ride Again Cecilia Dangerfield (1940) -
Irene Granny O'Dare (1940) -
Granny Get Your Gun Minerva Hatton (1940) -
Breakdowns of 1939 (1940) -
Four Wives Aunt Etta (1939) -
That's Right - You're Wrong Grandma (1939) -
![Nurse Edith Cavell]( "Nurse Edith Cavell")
Nurse Edith Cavell Mme. Rappard (1939) -
![Daughters Courageous]( "Daughters Courageous")
Daughters Courageous Penny, the Housekeeper (1939) -
![The Kid from Kokomo]( "The Kid from Kokomo")
The Kid from Kokomo Margaret 'Maggie' / 'Ma' Manell (1939) -
![Yes, My Darling Daughter]( "Yes, My Darling Daughter")
Yes, My Darling Daughter 'Granny' Whitman (1939) -
![They Made Me a Criminal]( "They Made Me a Criminal")
They Made Me a Criminal Grandma (1939) -
![The Texans]( "The Texans")
The Texans Granna (1938) -
![Four Daughters]( "Four Daughters")
Four Daughters Aunt Etta (1938) -
![Bringing Up Baby]( "Bringing Up Baby")
Bringing Up Baby Aunt Elizabeth (1938) -
![The Adventures of Tom Sawyer]( "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer")
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer Aunt Polly (1938) -
![The Perfect Specimen]( "The Perfect Specimen")
The Perfect Specimen Mrs. Leona Wicks (1937) -
![A Star Is Born]( "A Star Is Born")
A Star Is Born Grandmother Lettie Blodgett (1937) -
![Woman in Distress]( "Woman in Distress")
Woman in Distress Phoebe Tuttle (1937) -
![Rainbow on the River]( "Rainbow on the River")
Rainbow on the River Mrs. Harriet Ainsworth (1936) -
![The Captain's Kid]( "The Captain's Kid")
The Captain's Kid Aunt Marcia Prentiss (1936) -
![Wife vs. Secretary]( "Wife vs. Secretary")
Wife vs. Secretary Mimi Stanhope (1936) -
![3 Kids and a Queen]( "3 Kids and a Queen")
3 Kids and a Queen Mary Jane 'Queenie' Baxter (1935) -
![Anna Karenina]( "Anna Karenina")
Anna Karenina Countess Vronsky (1935) -
![Age of Indiscretion]( "Age of Indiscretion")
Age of Indiscretion Emma Shaw (1935) -
![Strangers All]( "Strangers All")
Strangers All Anna Carter (1935) -
![Reckless]( "Reckless")
Reckless Granny (1935) -
![Vanessa, Her Love Story]( "Vanessa, Her Love Story")
Vanessa, Her Love Story Madame Judith Paris (1935) -
![Grand Old Girl]( "Grand Old Girl")
Grand Old Girl Laura Bayles (1935) -
![Mills of the Gods]( "Mills of the Gods")
Mills of the Gods Mary Hastings (1934) -
![Lady by Choice]( "Lady by Choice")
Lady by Choice Patricia Patterson (1934) -
![Straight Is the Way]( "Straight Is the Way")
Straight Is the Way Mrs. Horowitz (1934) -
![You Can't Buy Everything]( "You Can't Buy Everything")
You Can't Buy Everything Mrs. Hannah Bell (1934) -
![Alice in Wonderland]( "Alice in Wonderland")
Alice in Wonderland Queen of Hearts (1933) -
![Dancing Lady]( "Dancing Lady")
Dancing Lady Dolly Todhunter - Tod's Grandmother (1933) -
![The Solitaire Man]( "The Solitaire Man")
The Solitaire Man Mrs. Vail (1933) -
![Lady for a Day]( "Lady for a Day")
Lady for a Day Apple Annie (1933) -
![Broadway to Hollywood]( "Broadway to Hollywood")
Broadway to Hollywood Veteran Actress (1933) -
![Beauty for Sale]( "Beauty for Sale")
Beauty for Sale Mrs. Merrick (1933) -
![One Man's Journey]( "One Man's Journey")
One Man's Journey Sarah (1933) -
![Dinner at Eight]( "Dinner at Eight")
Dinner at Eight Mrs. Wendel (1933) -
![Reunion in Vienna]( "Reunion in Vienna")
Reunion in Vienna Frau Lucher (1933) -
![The White Sister]( "The White Sister")
The White Sister Mother Superior (1933) -
![Men Must Fight]( "Men Must Fight")
Men Must Fight Maman Seward (1933) -
![If I Had a Million]( "If I Had a Million")
If I Had a Million Mrs. Mary Walker (1932) -
![Little Orphan Annie]( "Little Orphan Annie")
Little Orphan Annie Mrs. Stewart (1932) -
![Strange Interlude]( "Strange Interlude")
Strange Interlude Mrs. Evans (1932) -
The Engineer's Daughter; or, Iron Minnie's Revenge The Widow James (1932)
-
![Red-Headed Woman]( "Red-Headed Woman")
Red-Headed Woman Aunt Jane (1932) -
![Letty Lynton]( "Letty Lynton")
Letty Lynton Mrs. Lynton, Letty's Mothers (1932) -
![The She-Wolf]( "The She-Wolf")
The She-Wolf Harriet Breen (1931) -
![The Blue Danube]( "The Blue Danube")
The Blue Danube (1928) -
![Chicago]( "Chicago")
Chicago Mrs. Morton - Matron (1927) -
Turkish Delight Tsakran (1927)
-
![A Harp in Hock]( "A Harp in Hock")
A Harp in Hock Mrs. Banks (1927) -
![The Angel of Broadway]( "The Angel of Broadway")
The Angel of Broadway Big Bertha (1927) -
![The Rejuvenation of Aunt Mary]( "The Rejuvenation of Aunt Mary")
The Rejuvenation of Aunt Mary Aunt Mary Watkins (1927) -
![The King of Kings]( "The King of Kings")
The King of Kings Mother of Gestas (1927) -
![Rubber Tires]( "Rubber Tires")
Rubber Tires Mrs. Stack (1927) -
![Pals in Paradise]( "Pals in Paradise")
Pals in Paradise Esther Lezinsky (1926) -
![Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde]( "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde")
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde Prostitute at Clinic (1920) -
![A Night Out]( "A Night Out")
A Night Out Granmum (1916) -
Actress
-
Soundtrack
![Yes, My Darling Daughter]( "Yes, My Darling Daughter")
Yes, My Darling Daughter (1939) -
![The Captain's Kid]( "The Captain's Kid")
The Captain's Kid (1936) -
![Lady by Choice]( "Lady by Choice")
Lady by Choice (1934) -
Soundtrack
![One Man's Journey]( "One Man's Journey")
One Man's Journey (1933) -
Writer
![A Night Out]( "A Night Out")
A Night Out (1916) -
Archive footage
![Hollywood Out-takes and Rare Footage]( "Hollywood Out-takes and Rare Footage")
-
Archive footageFilm Time (1955)
-
All Filmography
Videos
Awards
Nominated for 1 Oscar.
Did You Know
Trivia
May moved to Hollywood in 1927 at the age of sixty-nine. She shared her home with her dog and her longtime female partner Lillian Harmer.
Quotes
"Both professions are so irregular that each always would feel sorry for the other, and then there would be perfect harmony." [1935, explaining her advice that actresses should marry doctors]
Nickname
The Grand Old Lady of the American Stage
Star Sign
Aries
Personal Details
Born
Mary Jeannette Robison
Moama, New South Wales, Australia
Died
(age 84)
Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, California, USA
Height:
5' 2" (1.57 m)Contribute to this page
User Polls
Before they were famous, these stars brought their movies to the Sundance Film Festival. Here are some well-known faces from the history of the fest.