Kathleen Key

Acting

Born:April 1, 1903
Died:December 22, 1954(aged 51)
Birthplace:Buffalo, New York, USA
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Community

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.

Filmography (25 movies)

The Big Parade movie poster
7.5
7.5

The Big Parade

1925

as Miss Apperson (uncredited)

Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ movie poster
7.3
7.3

Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ

1925

as Tirzah

The Sea Hawk movie poster
6.5
6.5

The Sea Hawk

1924

as Andalusian Slave Girl

The Flaming Frontier movie poster
6.0
6.0

The Flaming Frontier

1926

as Lucretia

Thunder in the Night movie poster
5.7
5.7

Thunder in the Night

1935

as Party Guest

North of Hudson Bay movie poster
5.6
5.6

North of Hudson Bay

1923

as Estelle MacDonald

Money Talks movie poster

Money Talks

1926

as Vamp

Irish Hearts movie poster

Irish Hearts

1927

as Clarice

The Desert's Toll movie poster

The Desert's Toll

1926

as Muriel Cooper

Under Western Skies movie poster

Under Western Skies

1926

as Milly Lewis

West of Chicago movie poster

West of Chicago

1922

as Señoria Gonzales

Hey! Hey! Cowboy movie poster

Hey! Hey! Cowboy

1927

as Emily Decker

The Trouble Shooter movie poster

The Trouble Shooter

1924

as Nancy Brewster

The Rookie's Return movie poster

The Rookie's Return

1920

as Gloria

Bells of San Juan movie poster

Bells of San Juan

1922

as Florrie Engel

Hell's Hole movie poster

Hell's Hole

1923

as Mabel Grant

The Man from Brodney's movie poster

The Man from Brodney's

1923

as Neenah

Reno movie poster

Reno

1923

as Yvette - The Governess

Sweeping Against the Winds movie poster

Sweeping Against the Winds

1930

Where's My Wandering Boy Tonight? movie poster

Where's My Wandering Boy Tonight?

1922

Revelation movie poster

Revelation

1924

as Madonna

The Rendezvous movie poster

The Rendezvous

1923

as Varvara

The Fighting Breed movie poster

The Fighting Breed

1921

as Enid MacDonald (as Ethel Payton)

The Phantom of the North movie poster

The Phantom of the North

1929

as Colette

A Lover's Oath movie poster

A Lover's Oath

1925

as Sherin

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