May Allison facts for kids

Quick facts for kids May Allison
Allison in 1925
Born	(1890-06-14)June 14, 1890 Rising Fawn, Georgia, U.S.
Died	March 27, 1989(1989-03-27) (aged 98) Bratenahl, Ohio, U.S.
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1911–1927
Spouse(s)	Colonel J.L. Stephenson ​ ​ (m. 1919; annulled 1920)​ Robert Ellis ​ ​ (m. 1920; div. 1923)​ James R. Quirk ​ ​ (m. 1926; died 1932)​ Carl Norton Osborne ​ ​ (m. 1934; died 1982)​

May Allison (born June 14, 1890 – died March 27, 1989) was an American actress. She became very popular in the early 1900s, especially in silent films. She also performed on stage in plays.

Life and Career

May Allison was born in Rising Fawn, Georgia. She was the youngest of five children. Her parents were John Samuel Allison and Nannie Virginia Allison.

Early Acting Days

In 1911, May Allison started her acting career on Broadway. This is a famous theater district in New York City. She played the role of "Beauty" in a play called Everywoman.

Later, she moved to Hollywood, California. This was when movies were just starting to become popular. Her first movie role was in 1915. She played a young, innocent character in the film A Fool There Was.

May Allison in an early portrait.

Becoming a Star

In the same year, 1915, May Allison starred with actor Harold Lockwood. They were in a romantic film called David Harum. People really loved watching them together on screen.

May and Harold became one of the first famous romantic duos in movies. They made about 25 successful films together. This was during the time of World War I.

Challenges and Later Life

Their popular movie partnership ended in 1918. Harold Lockwood sadly died at age 31. He caught the Spanish influenza, a serious sickness that spread around the world.

After Harold's death, May Allison's career was not as successful. She continued to act in movies during the 1920s. However, she never gained the same level of fame as when she starred with Harold Lockwood. Her last movie was The Telephone Girl in 1927.

Allison (left) with Helen Taft Manning in 1921.

Still of Harold Lockwood and Allison in the 1916 silent drama Big Tremaine.

May Allison was married several times. Her last marriage was to Carl Norton Osborne, a businessman from Cleveland. They married in 1934 and stayed together until his death in 1982. In her later years, May Allison spent a lot of time at her vacation home in Bermuda. She also supported the Cleveland Orchestra.

Death

May Allison passed away in Bratenahl, Ohio, in 1989. She was 98 years old. She died from breathing problems. She was buried in Gates Mills South Cemetery in Gates Mills, Ohio.

Selected Filmography

Here are some of the movies May Allison appeared in: