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Fay Wray
1907-2004
Updated 3/18/2008 with more photos and films available on DVD.
biography
Born Vina Fay Wray in Alberta, Canada, on September 15, 1907, Fay Wray's family moved to the US in 1910, eventually settling in Utah. Ill for much of her youth, her health improved into her teens when her mother, now divorced, relocated to southern California in the early 1920s. While a teenager Wray started in films, beginning in 1923. She acted in a number of shorts at Hal Roach Studios and initially acted in comedies that usually starred James Finlayson and were often directed by Stan Laurel; Wray also appeared in at least one Our Gang comedy short and also acted in westerns. By the time Wray was 20 years old, she was the star of Erich von Stroheim's The Wedding March (1928; with Zasu Pitts) and was under contract to Paramount. Fortunate enough to make the transition to talkies in the late 1920s, she developed a scream-queen reputation in the early 1930s starring in the early (2-strip) Technicolor horror films Doctor X (1932; with Lionel Atwill and Preston Foster) and Mystery of the Wax Museum (1933; with Lionel Atwill and Glenda Farrell). This horror rep was cemented with the release of The Vampire Bat (1933; with Lionel Atwill and Melvyn Douglas) and King Kong (1933; with Robert Armstrong and Bruce Cabot). Although she's best remembered for her horror films, in reality Wray acted in far more comedies and dramas. However, she shied away from horror films, fearing typecasting. Her career suffered as a result and began to fade in the mid 1930s, around the time she signed with Columbia, at the time a fledgling, struggling studio. Starring in a number of second-feature B movies, Wray acted in such films as They Met in a Taxi (1936; with Chester Morris), Smashing the Spy Ring (1939; with Ralph Bellamy), and Not a Ladies' Man (1942; with Paul Kelly).
LEFT: Late 1920s or early 1930s Paramount publicity photo of Fay Wray. CENTER: Intriguing early 1930s photo, possibly by Warner Bros. RIGHT: Glamorous Columbia promotional photo
Wray married screenwriter John Monk Saunders in 1928, but the marriage later soured due to Saunders' alcoholism. She gave birth to her first child, a daughter, in 1938, but the couple separated soon afterward, divorcing in 1939. Saunders committed suicide shortly thereafter. Wray remarried in 1942, this time to screenwriter Robert Riskin, and she retired from the screen to raise her growing family, as Wray eventually had a son and another daughter with Riskin.
the films of fay wray
The Wedding March (1928)
From Erich von Stroheim's masterpiece The Wedding March, released by Paramount. LEFT: Wray as the tragic heroine Mitzi Schrammell.
The Conquering Horde (1931)
With frequent costar Richard Arlen in the Paramount western The Conquering Horde
The Most Dangerous Game (1932)
With Joel McCrea in RKO's thriller The Most Dangerous Game
Ann Carver's Profession (1933)
As lawyer Ann Carver, Fay Wray defends husband Gene Raymond in a murder charge in the Columbia drama Ann Carver's Profession. Also pictured are Arthur Pierson and Claude Gillingwater
The Bowery (1933)
With George Raft in the United Artists release The Bowery
King Kong (1933)
RKO's King Kong saved the studio from bankruptcy in the early 1930s. LEFT: Wray as the beautiful actress Ann Darrow. RIGHT: Bruce Cabot was Wray's love interest and Robert Armstrong portrays Wray's director in the film.
One Sunday Afternoon (1933)
Lobby card from Paramount's romantic comedy One Sunday Afternoon with Neil Hamilton, Frances Fuller, Fay Wray, and Gary Cooper
The Vampire Bat (1933)
From Majestic's low-budget horror flick The Vampire Bat with Lionel Atwill and Melvyn Douglas
Once to Every Woman (1934)
With George Raft in the United Artists release The Bowery
Park Avenue Dame (1937)
Wray as the glamorous Lucky Cabot in the Columbia mystery Park Avenue Dame
Melody for Three (1941)
With Andrew Tombes and Walter Woolf King in the RKO second-feature drama Melody for Three
The Pride of the Family (1953-1955 ABC TV Series)
Wray starred as mom Catherine Morrison in the ABC-TV comedy series The Pride of the Family. Also pictured are Bobby Hyatt, Paul Hartman, and Natalie Wood
Summer Love (1958)
From the Universal-International musical comedy Summer Love with John Saxon and Edward Platt
The Eleventh Hour (1962-1964 NBC TV Series)
With Fabian and Philip Ober in a January 1964 episode of the TV drama The Eleventh Hour
later years
Some ten years after Fay Wray retired from the screen, her husband suffered a debilitating stroke; to support her family and seriously ill husband, Wray went back to work in films and in the then-new medium of television, taking supporting roles in such films as Treasure of the Golden Condor (1953; with Cornel Wilde), Rock, Pretty Baby (1956; with John Saxon) and Dragstrip Riot (1958; with Gary Clarke). She also accepted a role in ABC's early situation comedy The Pride of the Family, which lasted for two seasons. And she guest-starred on a number of popular television programs, including Perry Mason, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, and Hawaiian Eye until her second retirement in the mid 1960s. In recent years she was an interview subject for countless documentaries about Hollywood's golden age. Sadly, Fay Wray passed away in August 2004 at the age of 96; she was survived by two daughters and a son.
Hollywood Legends Of Horror Collection [DVD] DVD
"Doctor X" (1932) is an early shock classic with Lionel Atwill as a Long Island scientist suspected to be behind a series of gruesome slayings. Fay Wray co-stars. Humphrey Bogart's first--and last--horror role was in the in-name-only sequel "The Return of Doctor X" (1939), as a reporter tries to link a medical researcher to a succession of corpses that have been drained of blood. With Wayne Morris, Rosemary Lane. "The Mask of Fu Manchu" (1932) finds the infamous Asian mastermind (Boris Karloff) and his diabolical daughter (Myrna Loy) raiding the tomb of Genghis Khan. "Mad Love" (1935) stars Peter Lorre as a deranged surgeon obsessed with an actress in Paris' gory Grand Guignol theatre. Director Tod Browning's chiller "Mark of the Vampire" (1935) stars Lionel Barrymore as a vampire hunter who goes up against an undead family led by Bela Lugosi. And Browning's classic "The Devil Doll" (1936) stars Barrymore as a prison escapee who sends unique assassins after the men who wronged him...human beings shrunken to 12 inches high! With Maureen O'Sullivan. 7 hrs. total on three discs. Standard; Soundtrack: English.
The Charley Chase Collection 2 [DVD] DVD
Five more hilarious silent shorts featuring the one and only Charley Chase are included in this compilation. Charley finds out his bride-to-be has an artificial leg, in "His Wooden Wedding" (1925). Then, "Isn't Life Terrible?" (1925) for Charley when he wins a cruise in a pen-selling contest but the boat turns out to a floating shipwreck; he has a hard time explaining to his already jealous wife why there's a woman passed out in his bedroom, in "Innocent Husbands" (1925). Next, a cynophobic Chase is trapped inside a phone booth by a persistent pooch, in "Dog Shy" (1926). And, Oliver Hardy co-stars as a cab driver who interrupts Charley's fundraising play to collect his fare, in "Bromo and Juliet" (1926). 112 min. total. Standard; Soundtrack: music score; bonus shorts "Shine 'Em Up" (1922), "A Charley Chase Biography" (2004). Silent with music score.
Early Silent Classics Of Stan Laurel And Oliver Hardy, Vol. 2 [DVD] DVD
See the duo before they were team in the silent ribticklers "The Hobo" (1917), "The Show" (1922), "The Soilers" (1923), "White Wings" (1923), "Should Sailors Marry?" (1925), and "Thundering Fleas" (1926), with Hardy and the "Our Gang" kids. 106 min. total. Standard; Soundtrack: English. Plays All Regions.
Vintage Thrillers (Special Edition) (Six-DVD Set) [DVD] DVD
Packaged in a black leatherette case, this four-disc set includes "The Most Dangerous Game" (1932), "The Sphinx" (1933), "Murder by Television," and "Torture Ship."
The Most Dangerous Game [DVD](1932) DVD
Deranged big game hunter Count Zaroff (Leslie Banks) forces the reluctant guests on his remote island to become the quarry in his latest hunt, in this classic thriller directed by "King Kong" co-creator Ernest B. Schoedsack (and featuring many of that film's jungle sets). Joel McCrea, Fay Wray and Robert Armstrong also star. 63 min. Standard; Soundtrack: English mono; Subtitles: English; audio commentary.
The Most Dangerous Game (B&W/Color Versions)(1932) DVD
Deranged big game hunter Count Zaroff (Leslie Banks) forces the reluctant guests on his remote island to become the quarry in his latest hunt, in this classic thriller directed by "King Kong" co-creator Ernest B. Schoedsack (and featuring many of that film's jungle sets). Joel McCrea, Fay Wray and Robert Armstrong also star. Includes both the original black-and-white and newly colorized versions. 63 min. Standard; Soundtrack: English Dolby Digital mono; featurette; interviews; theatrical trailers.
The Vampire Bat [DVD](1933) DVD
Top-notch cast, featuring Lionel Atwill, Dwight Frye, Melvyn Douglas and Fay Wray, in a spooky tale of a mad doctor murdering townspeople to find a substitute for blood. If you like "Famous Monsters of Filmland," you'll cherish this horror classic. 63 min. Standard; Soundtrack: English. Plays All Regions.
King Kong Collection [DVD] DVD
Four-disc boxed set includes "King Kong" (1933) (Two-Disc Collector's Tin Edition), "The Son of Kong" and "Mighty Joe Young" (1949).
King Kong (Two-Disc Special Edition) [DVD](1933) DVD
Beauty meets beast atop the Empire State Building in one of fantasy cinema's most beloved classics. A film crew's excursion to a remote island where prehistoric monsters still roam leads to the discovery of a 50-foot gorilla who takes a shine to the production's leading lady. Fay Wray, Robert Armstrong, Bruce Cabot, and "Kong, The Eighth Wonder of the World" star; special effects by Willis H. O'Brien. 100 min. Standard; Soundtrack: English; Subtitles: English, French, Spanish; audio commentary; seven-part "making of" documentary by director Peter Jackson; featurettes; more. Two-disc set.
House Of Wax/Mystery of the Wax Musuem [DVD](1953) DVD
Originally shown in 3-D, this horror favorite stars Vincent Price as the operator of a wax museum in 1850s Baltimore who is crippled after being caught in a fire set by his greedy partner for the insurance money. With help from mute aide Charles Bronson (billed as Charles Buchinsky), a vengeful Price opens a new venue...one whose subjects look a little too realistic. Phyllis Kirk, Frank Lovejoy and Carolyn Jones also star. 88 min. Standard; Soundtracks: English Dolby Digital Surround stereo, French Dolby Digital mono, Spanish Dolby Digital mono; Subtitles: English, Bahasa, Chinese, French, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Spanish, Thai; bonus feature "Mystery of the Wax Museum" (1933) starring Lionel Atwill and Fay Wray; newsreel footage; theatrical trailer.
The Evil Mind [DVD](1934) DVD
Unusual British fantasy/drama stars Claude Rains as a phony mentalist who doesn't know what to do when he suddenly gains the ability to actually predict the future and is put on trial for causing a mine accident he foresaw. Will his powers ultimately foretell his doom? With Fay Wray, Jane Baxter. AKA: "The Clairvoyant." 67 min. Standard; Soundtrack: English.
Navy Secrets [DVD](1939) DVD
Federal agents Fay Wray and Grant Withers investigate a case of stolen government secrets, but neither knows that the other one is on the case. Suspecting each other of the crime, they find a traitorous seaman who may lead them to a spy ring. Craig Reynolds also stars.
Melody For Three [DVD](1941) DVD
Jean Hersholt stars as the kindly Dr. Christian, who here must help a young violin prodigy and bring the boy's feuding parents back together. Fay Wray, Walter Woolf King co-star. 66 min. Standard; Soundtrack: English. Plays All Regions.
Queen Bee [DVD](1955) DVD
Expert tale of deceit and manipulation, Southern style, with Joan Crawford as the rotten Georgia peach married to mill tycoon Barry Sullivan. When a pretty cousin from New York arrives at their home, back-stabbing, illicit love and jealousy follow, with Joan's controlling ways getting the better of everyone--and herself. John Ireland, Betsy Palmer and Lucy Marlow co-star. 95 min. Widescreen; Soundtrack: English Dolby Digital mono; Subtitles: English, Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese, Korean, Thai; theatrical trailers.
Crime Of Passion [DVD](1957) DVD
Overambition leads to murder in this film noir spotlighting Barbara Stanwyck as a former newspaper columnist who uses seduction and deception to help policeman husband Sterling Hayden become a top cop. When a superior reneges on a promise to promote hubby, Stanwyck takes matters into her own hands. Fay Wray, Raymond Burr also star. 84 min. Widescreen; Soundtrack: English Dolby Digital mono; Subtitles: English, Spanish, French.
Tammy And The Bachelor (1957)/Tammy Tell Me True (1961)/Tammy And The Doctor (1963) [DVD] DVD
"Tammy and the Bachelor" is the first entry in the "Tammy" series and stars Debbie Reynolds as the ever-cute and perky country gal, here falling in love with the wealthy pilot she nurses back to health after his plane crashes. Leslie Nielsen, Walter Brennan, Fay Wray co-star. Next, Sandra Dee takes over the role in "Tammy Tell Me True," which finds Tammy enrolling in college before getting into trouble with the law thanks to a misunderstanding with a borrowed necklace. With John Gavin, Charles Drake. Finally, in "Tammy and the Doctor," Tammy (Dee) is off to L.A. to become a nurse, and she turns the hospital upside-down with laughter! Peter Fonda (in his film debut), Beulah Bondi also star. 4 1/2 hrs. total on two discs. Widescreen (Enhanced); Soundtrack: English Dolby Digital mono; Subtitles: English (SDH), French.
Alfred Hitchcock Presents: Season Three [DVD](1957) DVD
All 39 episodes from the series's third season--including "The Glass Eye" (with Jessica Tandy and William Shatner), "Together" (with Joseph Cotten), "Foghorn" (with Michael Rennie), "A Dip in the Poole" (with Fay Wray), and "Little White Frock" (with Julie Adams)--are collected in a five-disc set. 17 2/3 hrs. total. Standard; Soundtrack: English Dolby Digital mono; Subtitles: English (SDH).
Perry Mason: Season 1, Vol. 2 (1958) [DVD] DVD
The remaining 20 episodes from the series's debut season--including "The Case of the Lonely Heiress," "The Case of the One-Eyed Witness," "The Case of the Daring Decoy," "The Case of the Lazy Lover," "The Case of the Prodigal Parent" with Fay Wray, and "The Case of the Rolling Bones"--are featured in a five-disc set. 17 1/3 hrs. total. Standard; Soundtrack: English Dolby Digital mono.
Perry Mason: Season 1, Vols. 1 & 2 (1957) [DVD] DVD
All 39 episodes from the series's debut season--including "The Case of the Restless Redhead," "The Case of the Angry Mourner," "The Case of the Crimson Kiss," "The Case of the One-Eyed Witness," and "The Case of the Rolling Bones"--are featured in a 10-disc set. 33 1/3 hrs. total. Standard; Soundtrack: English Dolby Digital mono.
Gideon's Trumpet [DVD](1980) DVD
Henry Fonda stars in the true story of Clarence Gideon, a drifter arrested in Florida in 1961 and convicted without benefit of counsel. While in prison, Gideon studies law and eventually takes his landmark appeal to the Supreme Court. Jose Ferrer, John Houseman, and Fay Wray (in her final screen appearance) also star in this highly acclaimed drama originally broadcast on the "Hallmark Hall of Fame" series. 104 min. Standard; Soundtrack: English Dolby Digital stereo; filmographies.
Off The Menu: The Last Days Of Chasen's [DVD](1998) DVD
A funny and surprisingly revealing look at Chasen's, the long-standing Hollywood eatery famous for its chili, its star-studded clientele and its "Flame of Love" drink, invented for Dean Martin. The restaurant's fascinating history is celebrated, along with its crew of colorful, hard-working workers. 90 min. Standard; Soundtrack: English Dolby Digital stereo; audio commentary; biographies; recipes.
Broadway: The Golden Age [DVD](2003) DVD
Filmmaker Rick McKay presents this astonishing documentary tribute to the Great White Way. Focusing on Broadway shows and superstars from the 1940s through the 1960s, McKay assembles an assortment of some of the greatest talents ever to grace the stage as they fondly remember the performances that have passed into legend. Includes rare archival footage and appearances by Jerry Orbach, Alec Baldwin, Carol Burnett, Marlon Brando, Elaine Stritch, Angela Lansbury, and many more. AKA: "Broadway: The Movie." 111 min. Standard; Soundtrack: English Dolby Digital 5.1; audio commentary; audio commentary; bonus footage.
filmography
FILM
Gideon's Trumpet (1980) with Henry Fonda, José Ferrer, John Houseman, Sam Jaffe, Dean Jagger, Nicholas Pryor, Dolph Sweet, and Ford Rainey
Dragstrip Riot (1958) with Yvonne Lime, Gary Clarke, and Connie Stevens
Summer Love (1958) with John Saxon, Rod McKuen, Jill St. John, Troy Donahue, Shelley Fabares, Edward Platt, and Beverly Washburn
Tammy and the Bachelor (1957) with Debbie Reynolds, Leslie Nielsen, Walter Brennan, Mala Powers, Sidney Blackmer, Mildred Natwick, Philip Ober, and Louise Beavers
Crime of Passion (1957) with Barbara Stanwyck, Sterling Hayden, Raymond Burr, Virginia Grey, Royal Dano, and Stuart Whitman
Rock, Pretty Baby (1956) with Sal Mineo, John Saxon, Luana Patten, Edward Platt, Rod McKuen, and Shelley Fabares
Queen Bee (1955) with Joan Crawford, Barry Sullivan, Betsy Palmer, John Ireland, and William Leslie
The Cobweb (1955) with Richard Widmark, Lauren Bacall, Charles Boyer, Gloria Grahame, Lillian Gish, Susan Strasberg, Oscar Levant, Tommy Rettig, and Adele Jergens
Hell on Frisco Bay (1955) with Alan Ladd, Edward G. Robinson, Joanne Dru, William Demarest, Nestor Paiva, and Willis Bouchey
Small Town Girl (1953) with Jane Powell, Farley Granger, Ann Miller, Bobby Van, Billie Burke, Nat 'King' Cole, and William Campbell
Treasure of the Golden Condor (1953) with Cornel Wilde, Anne Bancroft, George Macready, Leo G. Carroll, and Robert Blake
Not a Ladies' Man (1942) with Paul Kelly and Don Beddoe
Adam Had Four Sons (1941) with Ingrid Bergman, Warner Baxter, Susan Hayward, Richard Denning, and June Lockhart
Melody for Three (1941) with Jean Hersholt, Astrid Allwyn, and Irene Ryan
Wildcat Bus (1940) with Charles Lang
Navy Secrets (1939) with Grant Withers and Dewey Robinson
Smashing the Spy Ring (1939) with Ralph Bellamy, Regis Toomey, and Ann Doran
The Jury's Secret (1938) with Kent Taylor, Jane Darwell, and Nan Grey
Park Avenue Dame (1937) with Richard Arlen
It Happened in Hollywood (1937) with Richard Dix, Victor Kilian, and Franklin Pangborn
They Met in a Taxi (1936) with Chester Morris and Lionel Stander
Roaming Lady (1936) with Ralph Bellamy
When Knights Were Bold (1936) with Jack Buchanan
White Lies (1935) with Victor Jory, Irene Hervey, and William Demarest
Alias Bulldog Drummond (1935) with Jack Hulbert and Ralph Richardson
Come Out of the Pantry (1935) with Jack Buchanan
Woman in the Dark (1934) with Ralph Bellamy and Melvyn Douglas
Cheating Cheaters (1934) with Cesar Romero and Minna Gombell
The Richest Girl in the World (1934) with Miriam Hopkins, Joel McCrea, Reginald Denny, and George Meeker
Black Moon (1934) with Jack Holt
The Affairs of Cellini (1934) with Constance Bennett, Fredric March, and Frank Morgan
Viva Villa! (1934) with Wallace Beery, Leo Carrillo, Stu Erwin, and Katherine DeMille
Once to Every Woman (1934) with Ralph Bellamy and Jane Darwell
The Countess of Monte Cristo (1934) with Paul Lukas, Reginald Owen, and Patsy Kelly
Madame Spy (1934)
The Clairvoyant (1934) with Claude Rains
Mills of the Gods (1934) with May Robson, Victor Jory, and Mayo Methot
Master of Men (1933) with Jack Holt
The Bowery (1933) with Wallace Beery, George Raft, and Jackie Cooper
One Sunday Afternoon (1933) with Gary Cooper, Roscoe Karns, Neil Hamilton, and Jane Darwell
The Big Brain (1933) with George E. Stone, Phillips Holmes, Minna Gombell, and Reginald Owen
Shanghai Madness (1933) with Spencer Tracy, Ralph Morgan, and Eugene Pallette
The Woman I Stole (1933) with Jack Holt, Donald Cook, Noah Beery, and Raquel Torres
Ann Carver's Profession (1933) with Gene Raymond
Below the Sea (1933) with Ralph Bellamy
King Kong (1933) with Robert Armstrong and Bruce Cabot
Mystery of the Wax Museum (1933) with Lionel Atwill, Glenda Farrell, and Frank McHugh
The Vampire Bat (1933) with Lionel Atwill, Melvyn Douglas, George E. Stone, and Dwight Frye
The Most Dangerous Game (1932) with Joel McCrea, Robert Armstrong, and Noble Johnson
Doctor X (1932) with Lionel Atwill, Lee Tracy, Preston Foster, and Mae Busch
Stowaway (1932) with Leon Ames and Roscoe Karns
The Unholy Garden (1931) with Ronald Colman
The Lawyer's Secret (1931) with Charles 'Buddy' Rogers, Richard Arlen, and Jean Arthur
The Finger Points (1931) with Richard Barthelmess, Regis Toomey, and Clark Gable
Dirigible (1931) with Jack Holt and Roscoe Karns
Three Rogues (1931) with Victor McLaglen and Joyce Compton
The Conquering Horde (1931) with Richard Arlen
Captain Thunder (1930)
The Sea God (1930) with Richard Arlen and Eugene Pallette
The Border Legion (1930) with Jack Holt, Richard Arlen, and Eugene Pallette
The Texan (1930) with Gary Cooper
Paramount on Parade (1930)
Behind the Make-Up (1930) with William Powell and Kay Francis
Pointed Heels (1929) with William Powell, Helen Kane, and Eugene Pallette
The Four Feathers (1929) with Richard Arlen, William Powell, and Noah Beery
Thunderbolt (1929) with George Bancroft and Richard Arlen
The Wedding March (1928) with Erich von Stroheim and Zasu Pitts
The First Kiss (1928) with Gary Cooper
Street of Sin (1928) with Emil Jannings
The Legion of the Condemned (1928) with Gary Cooper
The Honeymoon (1928) with Erich von Stroheim and Zasu Pitts
Spurs and Saddles (1927)
A One Man Game (1927)
Loco Luck (1927)
Lazy Lightning (1926)
The Wild Horse Stampede (1926)
The Man in the Saddle (1926) with Hoot Gibson and Boris Karloff
Moonlight and Noses (1925) with James Finlayson
Your Own Back Yard (1925)
Should Sailors Marry? (1925> with Oliver Hardy
Unfriendly Enemies (1925) with James Finlayson; directed by Stan Laurel
Madame Sans Jane (1925) with James Finlayson
Chasing the Chaser (1925) with James Finlayson
Thundering Landlords (1925) with James Finlayson
Isn't Life Terrible? (1925) with Charley Chase and Oliver Hardy
Sure-Mike (1925)
The Coast Patrol (1925)
No Father to Guide Him (1925) with Charley Chase
Just a Good Guy (1924)
Gasoline Love (1923)
TELEVISION SERIES
The Pride of the Family, 1953-1955 ABC TV series. Wray portrayed Catherine Morrison
Additionally, Fay Wray guest-starred on many popular television programs in the 1950s and 1960s, including Perry Mason, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Hawaiian Eye, and Wagon Train, among others.
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This page premiered January 20, 2006.
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