May McAvoy

May McAvoy

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia May McAvoy (September 8, 1899 – April 26, 1984) was an American actress who worked mainly during the silent film era. Some of her major roles are Laura Pennington in The Enchanted Cottage, Esther in Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ, and Mary Dale in The Jazz Singer. McAvoy appeared in her first film, entitled Hate, in 1917. After appearing in more than three dozen films, she co-starred with Ramón Novarro and Francis X. Bushman in director Fred Niblo's 1925 production of Ben-Hur, released by MGM. The feature-length film was one of the most lavish and spectacular productions of the silent movie era. Although her voice was not heard in The Jazz Singer, McAvoy did speak in several other films, including the second "all-talkie" released by Warner Brothers, The Terror, which was directed by Roy Del Ruth and co-starred Conrad Nagel. For years a rumor circulated that McAvoy retired from the screen at the transition to sound films because of a lisp or speech impediment. In truth, she married the treasurer of United Artists, who asked her not to work. Later, she returned to films and played small roles during the 1940s and 1950s, making her final film appearance in a small part in the 1959 version of Ben-Hur.

  • Title: May McAvoy
  • Popularity: 2.352
  • Known For: Acting
  • Birthday: 1899-09-06
  • Place of Birth: New York City, New York, USA
  • Homepage:
  • Also Known As:
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May McAvoy Movies

  • 1927
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    The Jazz Singer

    The Jazz Singer

    6.1 1927 HD

    A young Jewish man is torn between tradition and individuality when his old-fashioned family objects to his career as a jazz singer. This is the...

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  • 1941
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    Love Crazy

    Love Crazy

    7.1 1941 HD

    Circumstance, an old flame and a mother-in-law drive a happily married couple to the verge of divorce and insanity.

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  • 1925
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    Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ

    Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ

    7.3 1925 HD

    Erstwhile childhood friends, Judah Ben-Hur and Messala meet again as adults, this time with Roman officer Messala as conqueror and Judah as a...

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  • 1940
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    Third Finger, Left Hand

    Third Finger, Left Hand

    6.8 1940 HD

    Magazine editor Margot Merrick pretends to be married in order to avoid advances from male colleagues. Unfortunately, things don't go to plan when...

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  • 1944
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    Two Girls and a Sailor

    Two Girls and a Sailor

    5.7 1944 HD

    A sailor helps two sisters start up a service canteen. The sailor soon becomes taken with gorgeous sister Jean, unaware that her sibling Patsy is...

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  • 1922
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    A Homespun Vamp

    A Homespun Vamp

    1 1922 HD

    The story of Meg Mackenzie, the orphaned niece of two stingy Scotsmen, Donald and Duncan Craig. She's kept busy taking care of their home in the...

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  • 1922
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    Clarence

    Clarence

    1 1922 HD

    Clarence Smith is an ex-soldier who is hired for odd jobs by Mr. Wheeler primarily because he has overheard a family argument. And the Wheeler...

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  • 1923
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    Hollywood

    Hollywood

    7 1923 HD

    Angela comes to Hollywood with only two things: Her dream to become a movie star, and Grandpa. She leaves an Aunt, a brother, Grandma, and her...

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  • 1925
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    Lady Windermere's Fan

    Lady Windermere's Fan

    6.7 1925 HD

    A society woman believes her husband is having an affair, a misconception which may have dire personal consequences for all involved.

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  • 1924
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    The Bedroom Window

    The Bedroom Window

    1 1924 HD

    William C. DeMille, Cecil B. DeMille's talented director brother, teamed with his favorite collaborator, scenarist Clara Beranger, for the 7-reel...

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  • 1926
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    The Fire Brigade

    The Fire Brigade

    3.5 1926 HD

    Terry O'Neill is the youngest of a family of Irish firefighters. He falls in love with Helen Corwin, but complications ensue when Terry learns that...

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  • 1927
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    Irish Hearts

    Irish Hearts

    1 1927 HD

    Sheila, a feisty Irish girl, loves Emmett, a somewhat shady Irish boy. When Emmett goes to America, Sheila and her father follow and join him....

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  • 1924
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    Three Women

    Three Women

    3.5 1924 HD

    A frivolous middle aged socialite is suddenly put upon to have her daughter live with her. Her conniving paramour dumps her for the daughter, leaving...

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  • 1950
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    The Yellow Cab Man

    The Yellow Cab Man

    6.3 1950 HD

    Pirdy is accident prone. He has been denied insurance from every company in town because he is always getting hit or hurt in some way. On the day...

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  • 1925
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    The Mad Whirl

    The Mad Whirl

    6.2 1925 HD

    A teenager with permissive parents gets too caught up in wild parties and the fast life.

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  • 1922
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    A Trip to Paramountown

    A Trip to Paramountown

    6 1922 HD

    Documentary short film depicting the filmmaking activity at the Paramount Studios in Hollywood, featuring dozens of stars captured candidly and at...

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  • 1918
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    I'll Say So

    I'll Say So

    1 1918 HD

    Hearing that the United States has just declared war on Germany, Bill Durham hurries to a recruiting station to enlist, but because he has flat feet,...

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  • 1921
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    Morals

    Morals

    1 1921 HD

    Reared in a Turkish harem and threatened with marriage to a man she does not love, Carlotta escapes to London with an English adventurer. When he is...

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  • 1923
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    Only 38

    Only 38

    1 1923 HD

    The death of her clergyman husband causes Mrs. Stanley, young mother of teenage twins, to change her style of life.

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  • 2000
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    Gareth Hughes

    Gareth Hughes

    1 2000 HD

    Documentary about the Welsh silent movie actor.

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  • 1918
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    A Perfect Lady

    A Perfect Lady

    1 1918 HD

    Dancer Lucille Le Jambon (whose real name is Lucy Higgins) loses her job when the morals committee of Sycamore, Kansas, headed by the self-righteous...

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  • 1952
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    The Bad and the Beautiful

    The Bad and the Beautiful

    7.3 1952 HD

    Told in flashback form, the film traces the rise and fall of a tough, ambitious Hollywood producer, Jonathan Shields, as seen through the eyes of...

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  • 1921
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    A Private Scandal

    A Private Scandal

    1 1921 HD

    A French orphan girl is adopted into the home of wealthy Americans. There she becomes romantically involved with a farm worker and at the same time...

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  • 1920
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    The Devil's Garden

    The Devil's Garden

    1 1920 HD

    William Dale, a servant for Lord Barradine, marries Mavis, a maid. Dale wants to move up in life, and with Lord Barradine's influence, becomes...

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  • 1940
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    Hollywood: Style Center of the World

    Hollywood: Style Center of the World

    5.5 1940 HD

    This short promotes the premise that movies often create a demand for the fashions seen in them. It starts with a vignette in rural America. A mother...

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  • 1923
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    Her Reputation

    Her Reputation

    1 1923 HD

    Discovering that he has only a brief time to live Louisiana plantation owner Andres Miro makes arrangements to marry his young ward, Jacqueline...

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  • 1940
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    Two Girls on Broadway

    Two Girls on Broadway

    6.8 1940 HD

    Eddie Kerns sells his song to a Broadway producer and also lands a job dancing in the musical. He sends for his dance partner-fiancée Molly...

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  • 1959
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    Ben-Hur

    Ben-Hur

    7.883 1959 HD

    In 25 AD, Judah Ben-Hur, a Jew in ancient Judea, opposes the occupying Roman empire. Falsely accused by a Roman childhood friend-turned-overlord of...

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  • 1926
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    My Old Dutch

    My Old Dutch

    1 1926 HD

    The story that inspired Albert Chevalier to write his immortal Costermonger song, 'My Old Dutch', is the story this picture tells of London's quaint...

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  • 1920
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    The Truth About Husbands

    The Truth About Husbands

    1 1920 HD

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  • 1926
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    The Savage

    The Savage

    1 1926 HD

    Rivalry between two behavioral scientists gets out of hand...

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  • 1927
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    A Reno Divorce

    A Reno Divorce

    1 1927 HD

    An attractive heiress, Carla (May McAvoy), and David (Ralph Graves), a successful artist, fall in love following an automobile accident. and are...

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  • 1928
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    The Little Snob

    The Little Snob

    1 1928 HD

    May Banks (May McAvoy) is a working-class girl who gets ideas above her station in life when her father, Colonel Banks (Aleck B. Francis), a Coney...

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  • 1940
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    Phantom Raiders

    Phantom Raiders

    6.1 1940 HD

    In this second Carter mystery, a mysterious rash of cargo ships sinking in Panama leads insurers Llewellyns of London to hire vacationer Nick Carter...

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  • 1944
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    Movie Pests

    Movie Pests

    5.6 1944 HD

    This Pete Smith Specialty short takes a humorous look at the inconsiderate pests whose annoying habits make enjoying a movie impossible.

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  • 1926
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    The Road to Glory

    The Road to Glory

    6 1926 HD

    May McAvoy is a woman who is blinded in an auto accident and relies on prayer to regain her sight.

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  • 1919
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    Mrs. Wiggs of the Cabbage Patch

    Mrs. Wiggs of the Cabbage Patch

    5 1919 HD

    Mrs. Wiggs, a loving mother whose husband has abandoned her, supports her many children and lives in hope of her husband's return.

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  • 1941
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    Ringside Maisie

    Ringside Maisie

    7 1941 HD

    Young undefeated boxer Terry Dolan, who's been lying to his invalid mother about his career, confides to Maisie that he hates and is terrified by...

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  • 1919
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    The Way of a Woman

    The Way of a Woman

    1 1919 HD

    A 1919 film directed by Robert Z. Leonard.

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  • 1924
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    The Enchanted Cottage

    The Enchanted Cottage

    6.5 1924 HD

    The Enchanted Cottage stars Richard Barthelmess as Oliver, a physically and emotionally wounded World War I veteran who comes home to a...

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  • 1940
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    Dulcy

    Dulcy

    5.8 1940 HD

    A dizzy young woman aranges to turn her inventor-boyfriend's vacation into a chance meeting with a possible investor who happens to be her brother's...

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  • 1942
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    Born to Sing

    Born to Sing

    5 1942 HD

    A group of children put on a show in order to prove that a down and out musician was the real composer of a Broadway show's songs.

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  • 1948
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    Luxury Liner

    Luxury Liner

    5.2 1948 HD

    Capt. Jeremy Bradford has a particularly exciting luxury liner cruise in store when he's charged with transporting a troupe of opera singers to Rio...

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  • 1928
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    The Lion and the Mouse

    The Lion and the Mouse

    1 1928 HD

    Judge Ross, on the Federal Bench, rules in favor of a large company in litigation before him, unaware that a smaller company in which he owns...

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  • 1928
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    Caught in the Fog

    Caught in the Fog

    1 1928 HD

    Wealthy Bob visits his mother's Florida houseboat in order to remove her jewelry and stumbles upon a bobbed-hair bandit and her male accomplice, who...

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  • 1928
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    The Terror

    The Terror

    6 1928 HD

    Guests at an old English manor house are stalked by a mysterious killer known only as "The Terror".

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  • 1929
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    Stolen Kisses

    Stolen Kisses

    5 1929 HD

    A crotchety old coot wants his son and daughter-in-law to have kids so he can have grandchildren, but so far they haven't done so. In a somewhat...

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  • 1929
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    No Defense

    No Defense

    1 1929 HD

    No Defense is a 1929 romantic drama directed by Lloyd Bacon and starring Monte Blue. It was a silent film with part talking and sound-effects by the...

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  • 1921
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    Sentimental Tommy

    Sentimental Tommy

    4 1921 HD

    Grizel is the daughter of the Painted Lady, who believes that her lover will one day return. Grizel is ostracized by the other children of the town....

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  • 1919
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    The Woman Under Oath

    The Woman Under Oath

    5 1919 HD

    After a forward introduces the question of whether women are temperamentally suited for jury duty, Jim O'Neil, a young shipping clerk, is found...

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  • 1950
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    Mystery Street

    Mystery Street

    6.7 1950 HD

    When a young woman's skeletal remains turn up on a Massachusetts beach, Barnstable cop Peter Moralas teams with Boston police and uses forensics,...

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  • 1927
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    Slightly Used

    Slightly Used

    1 1927 HD

    Cynthia Martin’s father insists she marry before her two younger sisters Helen and Grace. So, she invents a husband for herself called Major...

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  • 1941
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    Whispers

    Whispers

    1 1941 HD

    In this John Nesbitt's Passing Parade short we see how gossip can be used to spread propaganda or to ruin a person's reputation.

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  • 1941
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    Main Street on the March!

    Main Street on the March!

    5.444 1941 HD

    This Best Short Subject Academy Award winning film begins in the spring of 1940, just before the Nazi occupation of the Benelux countries, and ends...

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  • 1942
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    Mr. Blabbermouth!

    Mr. Blabbermouth!

    4.4 1942 HD

    Following Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor, America was rife with rumors about the size of Japan's armed forces and how well-equipped they were to wage...

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  • 1924
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    Tarnish

    Tarnish

    1 1924 HD

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  • 1926
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    The Passionate Quest

    The Passionate Quest

    1 1926 HD

    The Passionate Quest is a 1926 American drama film directed by J. Stuart Blackton and written by Marian Constance Blackton. It is based on the 1924...

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  • 1927
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    If I Were Single

    If I Were Single

    1 1927 HD

    Rich girl Joan Whitney does her flirtatious best to break up the marriage of May and Ted Howard and almost succeeds, but not before May Howard has a...

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  • 1922
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    Kick In

    Kick In

    1 1922 HD

    After serving time in Sing Sing, Chic Hewes wants to go straight, but when he refuses to be a stool pigeon for the cops, they hound him mercilessly....

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  • 1941
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    Sucker List

    Sucker List

    6 1941 HD

    In this MGM Crime Does Not Pay series short, a man and his racketeer buddies devise a scheme to bilk those already seemingly desperate for money of...

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  • 1942
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    Rio Rita

    Rio Rita

    5.8 1942 HD

    Doc and Wishey run into some Nazi-agents, who want to smuggle bombs into the USA from a Mexican border hotel.

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  • 1922
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    The Top of New York

    The Top of New York

    1 1922 HD

    Hilda lives in a tenement apartment with her aunt, Mrs. Brady, and her crippled younger brother Micky, and works in a department store where her boss...

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  • 1941
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    1-2-3-Go!

    1-2-3-Go!

    6.7 1941 HD

    While playing baseball, Mickey runs into the street to catch a fly ball and is struck by a car. When the gang visit him in the hospital they are...

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