Kathleen Key

Acting

Kathleen Key

Born
Died
(aged 51)
Birthplace
Buffalo, New York, USA
Credits
30 titles

Biography

From Wikipedia:

Kathleen Key (April 1, 1903 – December 22, 1954) was an American actress who achieved a brief period of fame during the silent era. She is best remembered for playing Tirzah in the 1925 film Ben-Hur. Key was the great-great granddaughter of Francis Scott Key, composer of "The Star Spangled Banner", and a distant cousin of author F. Scott Fitzgerald.

Born Kitty Lanahan in Buffalo, New York, she debuted in films in 1920 in the film The Jackeroo of Coolabong, playing a lead role. From that point on to the end of the 1920s, Kathleen Key, sometimes credited as Kathleen Keys, starred in several films, but never really reached stardom, and was never given much credit for the roles she had, although there were some exceptions.

In the early '20s, Key had a well-known love affair with silent-film actor Buster Keaton, who was married at the time. As told in Keaton's biography, the actor attempted to call off the relationship, but Key flew into a jealous rage and ransacked his MGM dressing room, which caused her to be virtually blacklisted afterward by the movie industry. It is also stated that Keaton refused to give Key a monetary loan. A telegram, sent by one of Keaton's friends who had heard about the argument, comically read: "Congratulations. Hear you are off Key."

After her retirement in 1936, Keys spent the rest of her days in moderate comfort at the Motion Picture Country House in Woodland Hills, California, where she died at the age of 51 in 1954. Her interment was located at Valhalla Memorial Park Cemetery.

Signature work

Known For

Acting credits 30

YearTitleRole
1936 Klondike Annie Film
1935 Thunder in the Night Film Party Guest
1930 Sweeping Against the Winds Film
1929 The Phantom of the North Film Colette
1928 Golf Widows Film Ethel Dixon
1927 Irish Hearts Film Clarice
1927 Hey! Hey! Cowboy Film Emily Decker
1926 The Desert's Toll Film Muriel Cooper
1926 The Flaming Frontier Film Lucretia
1926 Money Talks Film Vamp
1926 Under Western Skies Film Milly Lewis
1925 Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ Film Tirzah
1925 The Big Parade Film Miss Apperson (uncredited)
1925 A Lover's Oath Film Sherin
1925 1925 Studio Tour Film Self
1924 Revelation Film Madonna
1924 The Sea Hawk Film Andalusian Slave Girl
1924 The Trouble Shooter Film Nancy Brewster
1923 The Man from Brodney's Film Neenah
1923 Reno Film Yvette - The Governess
1923 North of Hudson Bay Film Estelle MacDonald
1923 The Rendezvous Film Varvara
1923 Hell's Hole Film Mabel Grant
1922 Bells of San Juan Film Florrie Engel
1922 West of Chicago Film Señoria Gonzales
1922 Where's My Wandering Boy Tonight? Film
1921 The Fighting Breed Film Enid MacDonald (as Ethel Payton)
1921 The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse Film Georgette (uncredited)
1920 The Rookie's Return Film Gloria
1920 The Jackeroo of Coolabong Film Edith MacDonald
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