Wanda McKay

Wanda McKay (June 22, 1915 – April 11, 1996) was an American model and film actress.

Wanda McKay
Born
Dorothy Quackenbush

June 22, 1915
Portland, Oregon
United States
DiedApril 11, 1996(1996-04-11) (aged 80)
Rancho Mirage, California
United States
OccupationActress, model
Years active1939 – 1957 (film)
Spouse(s)Hoagy Carmichael
(1977-1981, his death)

Early years

McKay was born as Dorothy Quackenbush in Portland, Oregon,[note 1][1] but her family later moved to Fort Worth in Texas. After moving to New York she became a model and her image was used to promote Chesterfield cigarettes.[2]

In 1938, McKay represented Trans World Airlines, for which she worked as a hostess, in a beauty competition at the Birmingham Air Show.[1] She won, being voted "Miss American Aviation".[2]

Career

By 1939 McKay had moved into films after being given a contract by Paramount Pictures. Initially she made small uncredited appearances before going on to starring roles as a leading lady in many B Movies during the 1940s, working in particular at studios such as PRC and Monogram Pictures.[2]:135–137 Film worked dried up for her in the 1950s, and she appeared on television and in a minor role in The Merry Widow (1952). Her last film appearance was a small uncredited part in Ten Thousand Bedrooms (1957).

Personal life

In 1977 she married Hoagy Carmichael, a marriage that lasted until his death in 1981.

Death

On April 11, 1996, McKay died of cancer in Los Angeles. She was 80.[1]

Partial filmography

Notes
  1. McKay's obituary in the Los Angeles Times says that she was "born Dorothy McKay ...".

References
  1. "Wanda McKay; Film, TV Actress". Los Angeles Times. April 20, 1996. Archived from the original on 2 September 2017. Retrieved 2 September 2017.
  2. Raw, Laurence (2012). Character Actors in Horror and Science Fiction Films, 1930–1960. McFarland. pp. 134–135. ISBN 9780786490493. Retrieved 1 September 2017.

Bibliography
  • Raw, Laurance. Character Actors in Horror and Science Fiction Films, 1930–1960. McFarland, 2012.
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