Eunice Fay McKenzie (February 19, 1918 – April 16, 2019) was an American actress and singer. She starred in

silent film A silent film is a film with no synchronized Sound recording and reproduction, recorded sound (or more generally, no audible dialogue). Though silent films convey narrative and emotion visually, various plot elements (such as a setting or era) ...

s as a child, and then sound films as an adult, but perhaps she is best known for her leading roles opposite Gene Autry in the early 1940s in five

horse opera A horse opera, hoss opera, oat opera or oater is a Western movie or television series that is clichéd or formulaic, in the manner of a soap opera. The term, which was originally coined by silent film-era Western star William S. Hart, is used v ...

features. She was also known for her collaborations with director

Blake Edwards Blake Edwards (born William Blake Crump; July 26, 1922 – December 15, 2010) was an American film director, producer, screenwriter and actor. Edwards began his career in the 1940s as an actor, but he soon began writing screenplays and radio s ...

on five occasions. She also appeared on Broadway, radio, and television, having appeared on screen at ten weeks old in 1918. She was still appearing on screen at the time of her death, with her latest project opposite her son Tom Waldman Jr. in the comedy ''Kill a Better Mousetrap'', based on a play by Scott K. Ratner, filmed in the summer of 2018 and not yet released at the time of her death. She was briefly billed as Fay Shannon.

Biography

Early life and silent film

McKenzie was born on February 19, 1918, in

Hollywood, California Hollywood is a neighborhood in the central region of Los Angeles, California. Its name has come to be a shorthand reference for the U.S. film industry and the people associated with it. Many notable film studios, such as Columbia Pictures, ...

, to show business parents, film actor

Eva Eva or EVA may refer to: * Eva (name), a feminine given name Arts, entertainment, and media Fictional characters * Eva (Dynamite Entertainment), a comic book character by Dynamite Entertainment * Eva (''Devil May Cry''), Dante's mother in t ...

(''née'' Heazlitt) and Irish American actor/director Robert McKenzie.Mike Fitzgerald
"An Interview with ... Fay McKenzie"
Western Clippings. Her father had a stock company called the McKenzie Merry Makers, and was both an actor and director in stage productions and films. His company included such actors as

Broncho Billy Anderson Gilbert M. "Broncho Billy" Anderson (born Maxwell Henry Aronson; March 21, 1880 – January 20, 1971) was an American actor, writer, film director, and film producer, who was the first star of the Western film genre. He was a founder and star ...

Ben Turpin Bernard "Ben" Turpin (September 19, 1869 – July 1, 1940) was an American comedian and actor, best remembered for his work in silent films. His trademarks were his cross-eyed appearance and adeptness at vigorous physical comedy. Turpin wo ...

, and

Victor Potel Victor Potel (October 12, 1889 – March 8, 1947) was an American film character actor who began in the silent era and appeared in more than 430 films in his 38-year career. Career Victor Potel was born in Lafayette, Indiana in 1889, and hi ...

. When she was ten weeks old, she appeared in an uncredited part in the film '' Station Content'' (1918) as Kitty's baby (played by

Gloria Swanson Gloria May Josephine Swanson (March 27, 1899April 4, 1983) was an American actress and producer. She first achieved fame acting in dozens of silent films in the 1920s and was nominated three times for the Academy Award for Best Actress, most f ...

). She appeared in four other silent films as a child: ''A Knight of the West'' (1921) as Fray Murten, ''When Love Comes'' (1922) as Ruth, ''The Judgment of the Storm'' (1924) as a Heath Twin, and ''

The Dramatic Life of Abraham Lincoln ''The Dramatic Life of Abraham Lincoln'' is a 1924 American feature film directed by Phil Rosen and written by Frances Marion. By the date of release, the film's title was shortened to ''Abraham Lincoln'', since the previous title was regarded ...

'' (1924) as a young Sarah Lincoln (

Abraham Lincoln Abraham Lincoln ( ; February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was an American lawyer, politician, and statesman who served as the 16th president of the United States from 1861 until his assassination in 1865. Lincoln led the nation thro ...

s stepmother). Fay's sister Ida Mae McKenzie, cousin Ella McKenzie, and brother-in-law Billy Gilbert, were also actors. Ida Mae also played the character of Sarah Lincoln in ''The Dramatic Life of Abraham Lincoln'', in the part of the film where she had become a teenager.

Schooling

In the mid-1920s, McKenzie took a ten-year break from acting in order to focus on her education. She attended the

Beverly Hills High School Beverly Hills High School (usually abbreviated as Beverly or as BHHS) is the only major public high school in Beverly Hills, California. The other public high school in Beverly Hills, Moreno High School, is a small alternative school located on B ...

. She returned to films in 1934 in ''Student Tour'' as Mary Lou. That year she made her first short Western film, ''Sundown Trail'', with Wally Wales. McKenzie later recalled,

Sound films

McKenzie appeared in numerous uncredited roles throughout the 1930s, with occasional credited roles in films such as ''The Boss Cowboy'' (1934) as Sally Nolan, and the anti-cannabis

propaganda film A propaganda film is a film that involves some form of propaganda. Propaganda films spread and promote certain ideas that are usually religious, political, or cultural in nature. A propaganda film is made with the intent that the viewer will ad ...

'' Assassin of Youth'' (1937) as Linda Clayton. In 1938, she began to appear mainly in Western films, such as ''Ghost Town Riders'' (1938) as Molly Taylor (credited as Fay Shannon), and ''

When the Daltons Rode ''When the Daltons Rode'' is a 1940 American Western film directed by George Marshall and starring Randolph Scott, Kay Francis and Brian Donlevy. Based on the 1931 book of the same name by Emmett Dalton, a member of the Dalton Gang, and Jack Ju ...

'' (1940) as Hannah. She had a small part in the 1939 film '' Gunga Din'', which was inducted by the United States

Library of Congress The Library of Congress (LOC) is the research library that officially serves the United States Congress and is the ''de facto'' national library of the United States. It is the oldest federal cultural institution in the country. The library ...

for preservation in the

National Film Registry The National Film Registry (NFR) is the United States National Film Preservation Board's (NFPB) collection of films selected for preservation, each selected for its historical, cultural and aesthetic contributions since the NFPB’s inception ...

in 1999 with the motivation of being "culturally significant". In 1940, McKenzie appeared in the stage show ''Meet the People'', which premiered in Los Angeles and ended up on Broadway.

Films with Gene Autry

In 1941, the president of Republic Pictures,

Herbert Yates Herbert John Yates (August 24, 1880 – February 3, 1966) was the founder and president of Republic Pictures, who had western stars John Wayne, Gene Autry, and Roy Rogers under contract. Between the years 1935 and 1959, Republic, under Yates' l ...

, met McKenzie through a mutual friend, and after a screen test he signed her to a contract to appear opposite the cowboy singer Gene Autry in ''

Down Mexico Way ''Down Mexico Way'' is a 1941 American Western film directed by Joseph Santley and starring Gene Autry, Smiley Burnette, and Fay McKenzie. Based on a story by Dorrell and Stuart E. McGowan, the film is about a singing cowboy who comes to the a ...

'' (1941) as Maria Elena Alvarado. The film was a major financial success, and she received a lot of fan mail as a result. McKenzie went on to appear in four additional Autry films as his leading lady: '' Sierra Sue'' (1941) as Sue Larrabee, '' Cowboy Serenade'' (1942) as Stephanie Lock, '' Heart of the Rio Grande'' (1942) as Alice Bennett, and '' Home in Wyomin''' (1942) as Clementine Benson. McKenzie sang duets with Autry in each of these films. She later remembered:

Theater and touring

During

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

, McKenzie left Republic Pictures to work in theater and pursue other projects. She appeared in '' A Midsummer Night's Dream'' and later appeared in Broadway in ''Burlesque'' with

Bert Lahr Irving Lahrheim (August 13, 1895 – December 4, 1967), known professionally as Bert Lahr, was an American actor. He was best known for his role as the Cowardly Lion, as well as his counterpart Kansas farmworker "Zeke", in the MGM adaptation of ...

. Much of her time during the war was devoted to shows and public appearances to support the war effort—working for the Hollywood Victory Committee. McKenzie also toured extensively entertaining the troops alongside

Bob Hope Leslie Townes "Bob" Hope (May 29, 1903 – July 27, 2003) was a British-American comedian, vaudevillian, actor, singer and dancer. With a career that spanned nearly 80 years, Hope appeared in Bob Hope filmography, more than 70 short and ...

, Bing Crosby,

Cary Grant Cary Grant (born Archibald Alec Leach; January 18, 1904November 29, 1986) was an English-American actor. He was known for his Mid-Atlantic accent, debonair demeanor, light-hearted approach to acting, and sense of comic timing. He was one o ...

, James Cagney, and old family friends Laurel and Hardy. She also entertained the troops with her former screen partner, Gene Autry.

Later career

After World War II, McKenzie retired from films to raise her two children. In the 1950s, she traveled to New York to study with

Lee Strasberg Lee Strasberg (born Israel Strassberg; November 17, 1901 – February 17, 1982) was an American theatre director, actor and acting teacher. He co-founded, with theatre directors Harold Clurman and Cheryl Crawford, the Group Theatre in 1931 ...

at the Actors Studio, appeared on radio shows with Groucho Marx, and toured with the songwriter Harry Ruby. She appeared in the television series '' The Millionaire'' (1959) as Ruth Spencer, '' Mr. Lucky'' (1960) as Sheila Wells, '' The Tom Ewell Show'' (1960) as Emma Franklin, and '' Bonanza'' (1961) as Victoria Gates. In the 1960s, McKenzie returned to film in '' Breakfast at Tiffany's'' (1961) in a minor role and '' The Party'' (1968) as Alice Clutterbuck. She made her final screen appearance in '' S.O.B.'' (1981) as a favor to her old family friend Blake Edwards. In 2018, McKenzie had a cameo appearance in the film "Kill A Better Mousetrap," which resulted in her film appearances spanning 100 years.

Personal life

McKenzie was married twice. Her first marriage to the American actor

Steve Cochran Steve Cochran (born Robert Alexander Cochran, May 25, 1917 – June 15, 1965) was an American film, television and stage actor. He attended the University of Wyoming. After a stint working as a cowboy, Cochran developed his acting skills in loca ...

in Acapulco, Mexico, in January 1946, ended in divorce in 1948, although they had separated nine months into the marriage. Her parents' disapproval of him was cited as one of the reasons. Her second marriage to the screenwriter Tom Waldman lasted from 1948 to his death on July 23, 1985. They had two children: the actor Tom Waldman Jr. and the writer Madora McKenzie. McKenzie was a

Christian Scientist Christian Science is a set of beliefs and practices associated with members of the Church of Christ, Scientist. Adherents are commonly known as Christian Scientists or students of Christian Science, and the church is sometimes informally known ...

. Her brother-in-law was the actor and comedian

Billy Gilbert William Gilbert Barron (September 12, 1894 – September 23, 1971), known professionally as Billy Gilbert, was an American actor and comedian. He was known for his comic sneeze routines. He appeared in over 200 feature films, short subjects ...

Death

McKenzie died peacefully of natural causes in her sleep in

Highland Park, Los Angeles Highland Park is a neighborhood in Los Angeles, California, located in the city's Northeast region. It was one of the first subdivisions of Los Angeles and is inhabited by a variety of ethnic and socioeconomic groups. History The area was set ...

on April 16, 2019. She was 101.

Filmography

References

External links

* *
Fay McKenzie
at the American Film Institute {{DEFAULTSORT:McKenzie, Fay 1918 births 2019 deaths American film actresses American silent film actresses American child actresses Actresses from Greater Los Angeles People from Hollywood, Los Angeles American centenarians 20th-century American actresses American Christian Scientists Women centenarians Western (genre) film actresses American stage actresses American people of Irish descent