
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.
Known For








Credits
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Klondike Annie 1936★ 6.4
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Thunder in the Night 1935Party Guest★ 5.5
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★ NR
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Colette★ NR
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Irish Hearts 1927Clarice★ NR
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Hey! Hey! Cowboy 1927Emily Decker★ NR
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The Desert's Toll 1926Muriel Cooper★ NR
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The Flaming Frontier 1926Lucretia★ 6
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Money Talks 1926Vamp★ NR
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Under Western Skies 1926Milly Lewis★ NR
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Tirzah★ 7.3
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The Big Parade 1925Miss Apperson (uncredited)★ 7.5
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A Lover's Oath 1925Sherin★ NR
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1925 Studio Tour 1925Self★ 6.1
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Revelation 1924Madonna★ NR
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The Sea Hawk 1924Andalusian Slave Girl★ 6.5
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The Trouble Shooter 1924Nancy Brewster★ NR
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Neenah★ NR
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Reno 1923Yvette - The Governess★ NR
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North of Hudson Bay 1923Estelle MacDonald★ 5.6
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The Rendezvous 1923Varvara★ NR
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Hell's Hole 1923Mabel Grant★ NR
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Bells of San Juan 1922Florrie Engel★ NR
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West of Chicago 1922Señoria Gonzales★ NR
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★ NR
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The Fighting Breed 1921Enid MacDonald (as Ethel Payton)★ NR
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Georgette (uncredited)★ 6.6
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The Rookie's Return 1920Gloria★ NR