Fay Wray facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Fay Wray
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1942 studio publicity portrait
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| Born |
Vina Fay Wray
September 15, 1907 Cardston, Alberta, Canada
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| Died | August 8, 2004 (aged 96) New York City, U.S.
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| Resting place | Hollywood Forever Cemetery in Los Angeles, California |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1923–1980 |
| Spouse(s) |
John Monk Saunders
(m. 1928; div. 1939)Robert Riskin
(m. 1942; died 1955)Sanford Rothenberg
(m. 1971; died 1991) |
| Children | 3, including Victoria Riskin |
Fay Wray was a famous Canadian-American actress. She was born on September 15, 1907, and passed away on August 8, 2004. Fay Wray is most famous for her role as Ann Darrow in the 1933 movie King Kong.
She had a long acting career that lasted almost 60 years. During this time, she became known around the world, especially for her roles in scary movies. People even called her one of the first "scream queens" because of her famous screams in films.
Fay Wray started with small movie parts. In 1926, she was chosen as one of the "WAMPAS Baby Stars." This award was given to young women who were expected to become big movie stars. After this, she signed a contract with Paramount Pictures. She made many movies as a teenager. Later, she worked with other film companies. She appeared in her first horror films, but also in other types of movies. These included The Bowery (1933) and Viva Villa (1934). For RKO Radio Pictures, Inc., Fay Wray starred in King Kong (1933), the movie she is most remembered for. After King Kong was a huge hit, she continued to act in many films and TV shows. She stopped acting in 1980.
Contents
Life and Career
Early Life
Fay Wray was born on a ranch near Cardston, Alberta, in Canada. Her parents were Elvina Marguerite Jones and Joseph Heber Wray. She was one of six children in her family. Her family moved back to the United States a few years after she was born. They lived in Salt Lake City, Utah, and then in Lark, Utah. In 1919, her family moved back to Salt Lake City. After that, they moved to Hollywood, where Fay went to Hollywood High School.
Starting Her Acting Career
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Fay Wray started acting in 1923 when she was 16 years old. Her first role was in a short film. In the 1920s, she got a bigger part in a silent movie called The Coast Patrol (1925). She also had small, uncredited roles at Hal Roach Studios.
In 1926, Fay Wray was named one of the "WAMPAS Baby Stars." This meant people thought she would become a big movie star. At that time, she was working for Universal Studios. She often starred in low-budget Western movies with Buck Jones.
The next year, she signed a contract with Paramount Pictures. In 1926, director Erich von Stroheim chose her for the main female role in his film The Wedding March. This movie was known for being very expensive to make. Fay Wray stayed with Paramount and made over a dozen films. She successfully moved from acting in silent movies to "talkies" (movies with sound).
Horror Films and King Kong
After leaving Paramount, Fay Wray worked with other film studios. She was cast in several horror movies, like Doctor X (1932) and Mystery of the Wax Museum (1933). However, her most famous films were made with RKO Radio Pictures. Her first movie with RKO was The Most Dangerous Game (1932). This movie was filmed at night on the same jungle sets that were used for King Kong during the day. Fay Wray and Robert Armstrong starred in both movies.
After The Most Dangerous Game, her most famous film, King Kong, was released. Director Merian C. Cooper asked Fay Wray to play Ann Darrow, the blonde woman captured by King Kong. She was paid $10,000 for the role. The movie was a huge success and helped save RKO from going out of business.
Later Career
Fay Wray continued to star in movies, including The Richest Girl in the World. By the early 1940s, she appeared in fewer films. She stopped acting in 1942 after her second marriage. However, she soon returned to acting because she needed money. For the next 30 years, Fay Wray appeared in several movies and often on television. She played Catherine Morrison in the TV show The Pride of the Family (1953–54), where Natalie Wood played her daughter. Fay Wray also appeared in Queen Bee in 1955.
She was in three episodes of Perry Mason. She also appeared in episodes of Playhouse 90, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, 77 Sunset Strip, and The Islanders. Her acting career ended with the TV movie Gideon's Trumpet in 1980.
In 1988, she wrote her autobiography called On the Other Hand. In her later years, Fay Wray continued to make public appearances. She was asked by director James Cameron to play an older character in his movie Titanic (1997), but she turned down the role. The part was then played by Gloria Stuart. Fay Wray was a special guest at the 70th Academy Awards. The host, Billy Crystal, introduced her as the "Beauty who charmed the Beast," referring to her role in King Kong.
In January 2003, Fay Wray, at 95 years old, attended the Palm Beach International Film Festival. She was honored with a "Legend in Film" award. In her later years, she often visited the Empire State Building. In 1991, she was a special guest for the building's 60th anniversary. In May 2004, she made one of her last public appearances there. Her very last public appearance was in June 2004 at a documentary film premiere.
Personal Life
Fay Wray was married three times. Her husbands were writers John Monk Saunders and Robert Riskin, and neurosurgeon Sanford Rothenberg. She had three children: Susan Saunders, Victoria Riskin, and Robert Riskin Jr. She became a citizen of the United States in May 1935.
Death
Fay Wray passed away peacefully in her sleep on August 8, 2004, in her apartment in New York City. She is buried at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery in Hollywood, California. Two days after she died, the lights of the Empire State Building were dimmed for 15 minutes in her memory. This was a special tribute to her famous role in King Kong, where the giant ape climbed the building.
Honors
In 1989, Fay Wray received the Women in Film Crystal Award. She was also honored with a Legend in Film award in 2003. For her work in movies, Fay Wray has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6349 Hollywood Blvd. She also received a star on Canada's Walk of Fame in Toronto in 2005, after she passed away.
A small park in her birthplace, Cardston, Alberta, was named Fay Wray Park in her honor. The sign at the park has a picture of King Kong on it, reminding everyone of her famous role. A large painting of Fay Wray is displayed in the Empress Theatre in Fort Macleod, Alberta. In May 2006, Fay Wray was one of the first four entertainers to be featured on a postage stamp by Canada Post.
See also
In Spanish: Fay Wray para niños
