Fay Wray

Birth Name:

Vini Fay Wray

Birth Date:

September 15, 1907

Birth Place:

Cardston, Alberta, Canada

Death Date:

August 8, 2004

Place of Death:

The Century, 25 Central Park West, New York, New York

Age:

Cause of Death:

In her sleep of natural causes

Cemetery Name:

Hollywood Forever Cemetery

Claim to Fame:

Show Business

Fay Wray was a Canadian born American actress best known for starring as Ann Darrow in the classic 1933 film King Kong. After appearing in minor film roles, Wray gained media attention after being selected as one of the "WAMPAS Baby Stars" in 1926. This led to her being contracted to Paramount Pictures as a teenager, where she made more than a dozen feature films. After leaving Paramount, she signed deals with various film companies, being cast in her first horror film roles, in addition to many other types of roles, including in The Bowery (1933) and Viva Villa (1934), both of which starred Wallace Beery. For RKO Radio Pictures, Inc., Wray starred in the film she is most identified with, King Kong (1933). After the success of King Kong, Wray continued her acting career that spanned nearly six decades where Wray attained international recognition as an actress in horror films and has been dubbed one of the early "scream queens", retiring in 1980.

Fun Facts

For two decades, Wray hardly stopped working and became the family breadwinner. Between 1928 to 1934, she appeared in 46 movies with stars such as Gary Cooper, Spencer Tracy and William Powell — just to name a few. She married successful screenwriter John Monk Saunders in 1928, but he was an alcoholic who eventually left Wray all but broke. The couple called it quits in 1939 and a year later, Saunders took his life at age 42.

In 1942, Wray found love again with Riskin’s father, writer/producer Robert Riskin. Before meeting the screen siren, Robert was frequently seen with Hollywood’s hottest stars at local nightclubs and even turned down Carole Lombard’s marriage proposal. But when Wray proposed, the couple quickly tied the knot and she gave up her acting career to raise three children.

Cemetery Information:

Final Resting Place:

Hollywood Forever Cemetery

6000 Santa Monica Blvd.

Los Angeles, California, 90038

USA

North America

Map:

Map of Hollywood Forever Cemetery in Los Angeles, California

Grave Location:

Garden of Legends

Grave Location Description

As you are facing the mausoleum across from the lake, turn to your right and walk down to the water and look for the bench and tree that marks Fay Wray’s final resting place.