What's After the Movie
Fay Wray
Fay Wray, born Vina Fay Wray on September 15, 1907 on a ranch near Cardston, Alberta, Canada, became one of the most iconic faces of early horror cinema and is forever linked with the legendary 1933 monster classic King Kong. Raised in a Latter‑day Saint family that moved to Salt Lake City and later to Hollywood, she attended Hollywood High School before making her first screen appearance at sixteen in a locally produced short. By 1926 she had been chosen as one of the WAMPAS Baby Stars, a distinction that earned her a contract with Paramount Pictures where she transitioned smoothly from silent pictures to talkies, starring in more than a dozen features. After leaving Paramount, Wray signed with several studios and appeared in pioneering horror films such as Doctor X (1932) and The Mystery of the Wax Museum (1933), establishing her reputation as the first true “scream queen”. Her most memorable role came when Merian C. Cooper cast her as the terrified Ann Darrow in King Kong, a performance that helped rescue RKO from bankruptcy and cemented her status as a cultural icon. Over the next decades she continued to work steadily, appearing in adventure films, comedies, and television series, with notable TV appearances on Perry Mason, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, and The Pride of the Family. Though she retired briefly after her second marriage in 1942, financial pressures brought her back to the screen until her final television film, Gideon's Trumpet, in 1980. In later life she published her autobiography On the Other Hand, received numerous honors including a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and the Women in Film Crystal Award, and remained a beloved guest at film festivals and the Empire State Building until her death on August 8, 2004 at age 96.
Biography, Career & Filmography
Learn more about Fay Wray, including a detailed biography, career timeline, personal life insights, and complete filmography. Discover how Fay Wray rose to fame, their major roles, industry impact, and personal milestones in the world of film.
Given Name: Vina Fay Wray
Born: Cardston, Alberta, Canada
Citizenship: Canadian, American
Birthday: September 15, 1907
Occupations: Actress
Years Active: 1923-1980
Children: 3
Spouses: John Monk Saunders, Robert Riskin, Sanford Rothenberg
External Links and Streaming Options
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Movies Featuring Fay Wray
King Kong
Return to Jurassic Park
RKO Production 601: The Making of “Kong, the Eighth Wonder of the World”
Famous Monster: Forrest J Ackerman
Gideon’s Trumpet
Hollywood Uncensored
Pointed Heels
The Stolen Jools
Captain Thunder
Adam Had Four Sons
Doctor X
The Texan
Behind the Make-Up
Hollywood: The Selznick Years
Small Town Girl
The Finger Points
No Father to Guide Him
Kinkón
The Most Dangerous Game
Moonlight and Noses
The Sea God
Isn’t Life Terrible?
Hell on Frisco Bay
Below the Sea
Thunderbolt
Dirigible
Mystery of the Wax Museum
It Happened in Hollywood
Off the Menu: The Last Days of Chasen’s
Paramount on Parade
They Met in a Taxi
Crime of Passion
The Four Feathers
Summer Love
The Vampire Bat
Sure-Mike!
Once to Every Woman
The Wedding March
Wildcat Bus
What Price Goofy?
The Cobweb
Just a Good Guy
Viva Villa!
Melody for Three
The Clairvoyant
The Unholy Garden
Woman in the Dark
Queen Bee
One Sunday Afternoon
The Bowery
Universal Horror
The Affairs of Cellini
Frank Capra’s American Dream
The Horror Show
Rock, Pretty Baby
Ann Carver’s Profession
King Kong: Monster and Myth
Murder in Greenwich Village
The Richest Girl in the World
Career Timeline
Track the complete movie timeline of Fay Wray, including all film releases, career breakthroughs, and notable roles. Follow their journey from early performances to recent blockbusters and upcoming projects.
2005
RKO Production 601: The Making of “Kong, the Eighth Wonder of the World”
Self (archive footage)
1934
Once to Every Woman
Fanshawe
Viva Villa!
Teresa
Woman in the Dark
Louise Loring
The Affairs of Cellini
Angela
The Richest Girl in the World
Sylvia Lockwood
1933
King Kong
Below the Sea
Diana
Mystery of the Wax Museum
Charlotte Duncan
The Vampire Bat
Ruth Bertin
One Sunday Afternoon
Virginia Brush
The Bowery
Lucy Calhoun
Ann Carver’s Profession
Ann
1931
The Stolen Jools
Fay Wray
The Finger Points
Marcia Collins
Dirigible
Helen Pierce
The Unholy Garden
Camille de Jonghe
1930
Captain Thunder
Ynez
The Texan
Consuelo
Behind the Make-Up
Marie Gardoni
The Sea God
Daisy
Paramount on Parade
Sweetheart
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