Kathleen Key

Personal Info

Known ForActing
Born1903-04-01
BirthplaceBuffalo, New York, USA

Kathleen Key

Acting

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

Acting (30)

1935
Thunder in the Nightas Party Guest
6.0
8.0
1928
Golf Widowsas Ethel Dixon
3.7
1927
Irish Heartsas Clarice
10.0
1927
Hey! Hey! Cowboyas Emily Decker
9.0
1926
The Desert's Tollas Muriel Cooper
7.0
1926
8.0
1926
1926
Under Western Skiesas Milly Lewis
8.0
1925
The Big Paradeas Miss Apperson (uncredited)
7.6
1925
7.0
1925
6.2
1924
Revelationas Madonna
9.0
1924
The Sea Hawkas Andalusian Slave Girl
6.8
1924
The Trouble Shooteras Nancy Brewster
9.0
10.0
1923
Renoas Yvette - The Governess
9.0
1923
North of Hudson Bayas Estelle MacDonald
5.9
1923
The Rendezvousas Varvara
8.0
1923
Hell's Holeas Mabel Grant
9.0
1922
Bells of San Juanas Florrie Engel
10.0
1922
West of Chicagoas Señoria Gonzales
9.0
1921
The Fighting Breedas Enid MacDonald (as Ethel Payton)
8.0
1921
The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypseas Georgette (uncredited)
6.6
1920
8.0
1920
The Jackeroo of Coolabongas Edith MacDonald
9.0