Wanda McKay

Wanda McKay (born Dorothy Quackenbush; June 22, 1915 – April 11, 1996) was an American actress and model.

Wanda McKay
Mckay in The Black Raven (1943)
Born
Dorothy Quackenbush

(1915-06-22)June 22, 1915
Portland, Oregon, U.S.
DiedApril 11, 1996(1996-04-11) (aged 80)
Rancho Mirage, California, U.S.
Occupations
  • Actress
  • model
Years active1939–1957
Spouse
​
​
(m. 1977; died 1981)​

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 September 2, 2017. Retrieved September 2, 2017.
  2. Raw, Laurence (2012). Character Actors in Horror and Science Fiction Films, 1930–1960. McFarland. pp. 134–135. ISBN 9780786490493. Retrieved September 1, 2017.

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