Image of Kathleen Key

Kathleen Key

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.


Read bio at tmdb | Read bio at Wikipedia
Born:
Apr 1, 1903 In Buffalo, New York, USA
Movie/TV Credits:
12
First Appeared:
In the movie The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse 1921-03-06
Latest Project:
Movie Klondike Annie 1936-02-21
Known For
Poster of Thunder in the Night
Poster of The Phantom of the North
Poster of The Big Parade
Poster of The Sea Hawk
Filmography
Movie Klondike Annie 1936-02-21
Movie Thunder in the Night Party Guest 1935-09-16
Movie The Phantom of the North Colette 1929-05-27
Movie Irish Hearts Clarice 1927-05-21
Movie The Flaming Frontier Lucretia 1926-09-11
Movie 1925 Studio Tour Self 1925-04-09
Movie A Lover's Oath Sherin 1925-09-29
Movie Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ Tirzah 1925-12-25
Movie The Big Parade Miss Apperson (uncredited) 1925-11-05
Movie The Sea Hawk Andalusian Slave Girl 1924-06-14
Movie North of Hudson Bay Estelle MacDonald 1923-11-18
Movie The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse Georgette (uncredited) 1921-03-06
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