{{Short description|American actress (1875 – c. 1941)}} {{Use mdy dates|date=October 2023}} {{Infobox person | name = May Buckley | image = MayBuckley.jpg | alt = May Buckley, from a 1907 publication | caption = May Buckley, from a 1907 publication | birth_name = Marie Uhl | birth_date = {{Birth date|1875|12|15}} | birth_place = San Francisco, California, U.S. | death_date = {{Circa|1941}} | death_place = | other_names = | occupation = Actress | years_active = | known_for = | notable_works = }} right|thumb| l to r: Wright Lorimer, May Buckley and Edmund Breese in ''The Shepherd King'' '''May Buckley''' (née '''Uhl'''; December 15, 1875 – {{Circa|1941}})<ref name=Necrology>{{cite book |title=Silent Film Necrology |first=Eugene Michael |last=Vazzana |publisher=McFarland |year=2001 |edition=2nd |isbn=9780786410590 |page=69}}</ref><ref>[http://www.leighlarson.com/lorinda_abbey.htm Lorinda Annena Abbey]</ref> was an American actress on stage from childhood into the late 1930s, and in silent films in 1912–1913. Her private life was often in newspaper headlines, especially in 1901, when a man who claimed to be her husband shot at her in a hotel dining room, wounding one of her dining companions.
==Early life== Marie Uhl was born in San Francisco, California, "of a theatrical family",<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jRBIAQAAMAAJ&q=May+Buckley+actress&pg=PA55|title=May is Up Again|date=August 15, 1903|work=Town Talk|access-date=April 30, 2019|page=23}}</ref> daughter of Ernest Uhl and Marie Featherston Uhl.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MQnhIJhYbbMC&q=May+Buckley+actress&pg=PA142|title=Woman's Who's who of America: A Biographical Dictionary of Contemporary Women of the United States and Canada|last=Leonard|first=John William|date=1914|publisher=American Commonwealth Company|pages=142|language=en}}</ref> Her mother died during Marie's birth.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/whoswhoonstage00browiala|quote=May Buckley actress.|title=Who's who on the Stage, 1908: The Dramatic Reference Book and Biographical Dictionary of the Theatre : Containing Careers of Actors, Actresses, Managers and Playwrights of the American Stage|last1=Browne|first1=Walter|last2=Koch|first2=E. De Roy|date=1908|publisher=Dodge|pages=[https://archive.org/details/whoswhoonstage00browiala/page/59 59]–60|language=en}}</ref> Her father's friend, actor and playwright Dion Boucicault, gave her the stage name "May Buckley" when she was a child actor.<ref name=":0" />
==Career== May Buckley was active on the Broadway stage, with roles in ''Hearts are Trumps'' (1900), ''Caleb West'' (1900), ''The Price of Peace'' (1901), ''A Japanese Nightingale'' (1903), ''The Shepherd King'' (1904), ''The Galloper'' (1906), ''The Right of Way'' (1907),<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Strickland|first=J.|date=1908|title=Popular New York Attractions: May Buckley|url=https://archive.org/details/jstor-25587112/page/n1?q=May+Buckley|journal=Fine Arts Journal|volume=19|pages=48|doi=10.2307/25587112|jstor=25587112|via=Internet Archive}}</ref> ''Cameo Kirby'' (1909–1910), ''Where There's a Will'' (1910),<ref>{{Cite journal|date=March 12, 1910|title=May Buckley Sails|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=VHX1WeoxF38C&q=May+Buckley+actress&pg=PA284|journal=The New York Dramatic Mirror|volume=63|pages=284}}</ref> ''The Little Damozel'' (1910),<ref>{{Cite journal|last=White|first=Matthew Jr.|date=November 1910|title=An Aroma of Trilby|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=VHX1WeoxF38C&q=May+Buckley+actress&pg=PA284|journal=Munsey's Magazine|volume=44|pages=284}}</ref> ''The Unwritten Law'' (1913), ''Pigs'' (1924–1925),<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=JVySCwAAQBAJ&q=May+Buckley+actress&pg=PA360 |title=Una Merkel: The Actress with Sassy Wit and Southern Charm |last=Kinder |first=Larry Sean |year=2016 |publisher=BearManor Media |page=360 |language=en}}</ref> ''These Days'' (1928), ''Tell Me Pretty Maiden'' (1937–1938). She also appeared on the London stage.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/31101054/may_buckley_1937/|title=May Buckley Star of 'First Born' in San Francisco 41 Years Ago|date=January 10, 1937|work=The Philadelphia Inquirer|access-date=April 30, 2019|page=51|via=Newspapers.com}}</ref>
Buckley appeared in more than twenty short silent films in 1912 and 1913, including ''Paid in His Own'', ''The Poor Relation'', ''In Dis-a-Countree'', ''Betty and the Doctor'', ''Mother Love'', ''His Wife's Mother'', ''Rice and Old Shoes'', ''Hello, Central!'', ''The Sacrifice'', ''A Complicated Campaign'', ''Won by Waiting'', ''The Railroad Engineer,'' ''Darby and Joan'', ''The Honeymooners'', ''A Modern Portia'', ''The Runaways'', ''What the Driver Saw'', ''The Back Window'', ''The Derelict's Return'', ''Until We Three Meet Again'', ''The Man in the Street'', ''The Toils of Deception'', and ''Miss 'Arabian Nights'''.
During World War I she was one of the organizers of the Stage Women's War Relief Association, holding benefits to raise funds for a disabled soldiers' home.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/31101235/may_buckley_1919/|title=Miss Buckley's War Idea|date=October 2, 1919|work=The Washington Herald|access-date=April 30, 2019|page=8|via=Newspapers.com}}</ref> In the 1920s and 1930s she was active in the Catholic Actors' Guild.<ref>{{Cite news|title=Catholic Actors' Guild Elects Today|date=June 15, 1928|work=The New York Times|page=30|id={{ProQuest| }}}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|title=George M. Cohan Named|date=May 21, 1938|work=The New York Times|page=9|id={{ProQuest| }}}}</ref>
==Personal life== Buckley's first husband was Frank Baruch, also known as Frank Clayton or Frank Cormier; they married in 1894 and divorced in 1897. In 1899, against her contract under manager Charles Frohman, she married millionaire Wilmot H. Garlick.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://cdnc.ucr.edu/cgi-bin/cdnc?a=d&d=SFC18990702.2.93&e=-------en--20--1--txt-txIN--------1|title=May Buckley Never Told She Was a Bride|date=July 2, 1899|work=San Francisco Call|access-date=April 29, 2019|page=7|via=California Digital Newspaper Collection}}</ref> They separated the following year. She was possibly<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/31100976/may_buckley_1901/|title=Knew May Buckley as Mrs. Moulton|date=March 31, 1901|work=The St. Louis Republic|access-date=April 30, 2019|page=9|via=Newspapers.com}}</ref> married to Robert Hayden Moulton,<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/31100333/may_buckley_1901/|title=Moulton's Furniture Seized|date=March 30, 1901|work=New-York Tribune|access-date=April 30, 2019|page=3|via=Newspapers.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/31100720/may_buckley_1901/|title=May Buckley's Assailant is Hopelessly Insane|date=March 31, 1901|work=The San Francisco Examiner|access-date=April 30, 2019|pages=17|via=Newspapers.com}}</ref> before he shot at her and wounded one of her dining companions in New York in 1901.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://archive.org/details/xt79cn6xz831?q=May+Buckley|title=Moulton's Mental Condition|date=April 4, 1901|work=Evening Bulletin|access-date=April 30, 2019|page=1|via=Internet Archive}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/8304121/misc_fired_five_shots_at_may_buckley/|title=Fired Five Shots at May Buckley|date=March 23, 1901|work=San Francisco Chronicle|access-date=April 30, 2019|page=1|via=Newspapers.com}}</ref>
In 1908 she married fellow actor Charles Walter Martin-Sabine, also known as Charles W. S. Martin, in Denver.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1908/06/29/archives/actress-may-buckley-weds-in-denver.html?mtrref=www.google.com&gwh=F547E7B98E69421EDD29965421430C03&gwt=pay|title=Actress May Buckley Weds in Denver|date=June 28, 1908|work=The New York Times|access-date=April 29, 2019|page=7}}</ref> At the time of her marriage Buckley was appearing at the Elitch Theatre and the owner, Mary Elitch Long shared the event in her biography: "Walter Bellows led the beautiful bride to the altar of roses on the porch of my bungalow, where waited Mr. Walter Sabine...the man of her choice."<ref>{{Cite book|last=Lawrence Dier|first=Caroline|title=The lady of the Gardens: Mary Elitch Long.|date=1932|publisher=Saturday Night Pub. Co|pages=106|oclc=21432197}}</ref> They divorced in 1910.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/31099958/may_buckley_1910/|title=Cupid Fooled Her, May Buckley Finds|date=February 4, 1910|work=The San Francisco Examiner|access-date=April 30, 2019|page=1|via=Newspapers.com}}</ref>
In 1912, Buckley was sued by another actress (stage name of Camille Personi) for alienation of affections, concerning her co-star, actor John Halliday. {{" '}}May Buckley has broken up my home and ruined my life,' Mrs. Halliday said, 'and I am determined that she shall suffer.{{' "}}<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/31099828/may_buckley_1912/|title=Film Actress Named in Alienation Suit|date=May 11, 1912|work=St. Louis Post-Dispatch|access-date=April 30, 2019|page=2|via=Newspapers.com}}</ref>
==Unknown death date== The only known source of her death is the 2001 book ''Silent Film Necrology'', which states she died in or about 1941.<ref name=Necrology/>
==Short films== * ''Paid in His Own Coin'' (1912) * ''The Poor Relation'' (1912) * ''In Dis-a-Countree'' (1912) * ''Betty and the Doctor'' (1912) * ''Mother Love'' (1912) * ''His Wife's Mother'' (1912) * ''Rice and Old Shoes'' (1912) * ''The Sacrifice'' (1912) * ''A Complicated Campaign'' (1912) * ''Won by Waiting'' (1912) * ''The Railroad Engineer'' (1912) * ''Darby and Joan'' (1912) * ''The Honeymooners'' (1912) * ''A Modern Portia'' (1912) * ''The Runaways'' (1912) * ''What the Driver Saw'' (1912) * ''The Back Window'' (1912) * ''The Derelict's Return'' (1912) * ''Until We Three Meet Again'' (1913) * ''the Man in the Street'' (1913) * ''The Toils of Deception'' (1913) * ''Miss 'Arabian Nights''' (1913)
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== {{commons category|May Buckley}} * {{IMDB name|1267893}} * {{IBDB name|id=66975|name=May Buckley}} * {{NPG name|112177}} * [https://digitalcollections.lib.washington.edu/digital/collection/sayre/id/11476/rec/1 A 1902 portrait of May Buckley] by Marceau, in the J. Willis Sayre Collection of Theatrical Photographs, University of Washington Libraries.
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Buckley, May}} Category:1875 births Category:1941 deaths Category:American actresses Category:American women in World War I Category:Year of death uncertain