Wanda McKay

Wanda McKay
Born	Dorothy Quackenbush June 22, 1915 Portland, Oregon United States
Died	April 11, 1996(1996-04-11) (aged 80) Rancho Mirage, California United States
Occupation	Actress, model
Years active	1939 – 1957 (film)
Spouse(s)	Hoagy Carmichael (1977-1981, his death)

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

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[]

References[]

Bibliography[]

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

External links[]

• Wanda McKay at IMDb