Marie Adrienne Koenig, better known as Mae Murray, was born on May 10, 1885, in New York City to French and German émigrés. She was the middle child of three, and her early life was marked by a passion for dance.
Mae's professional career began to take shape when she partnered with Vernon Castle in the 1906 Broadway show "About Town." She went on to perform in various chorus lines, including the "Ziegfeld Follies," and eventually landed featured and co-starring roles in several Broadway productions.
In 1915, Mae became a Ziegfeld headliner, and her dancing prowess earned her a spot as a top performer in Paris and America. She was paired with several notable dance partners, including Clifton Webb, Rudolph Valentino, and John Gilbert.
Mae's transition to film came in 1916, when she starred alongside Wallace Reid in the To Have and to Hold. Her success in this film led to a string of romantic comedies and dramas, including Sweet Kitty Bellairs, The Dream Girl, and The Primrose Ring.
In 1917, Mae became a star at Universal Pictures, starring in films such as Princess Virtue, On Record, and The Bride's Awakening. Many of her films featured dance sequences designed specifically for her, and she often worked with her third husband, Robert Z. Leonard, who wrote and produced several of her films.
Mae's most acclaimed film was The Merry Widow, opposite John Gilbert and directed by Erich von Stroheim. She also starred in The Masked Bride and Valencia, and appeared in the title role in Altars of Desire.
Mae's movie career slowed with the advent of sound, and her first sound film, Peacock Alley, received poor reviews. She made only two more films before retiring from the screen. Mae's personal life was marked by a series of failed marriages and a custody battle over her son.
In her later years, Mae grew eccentric and was forced to declare bankruptcy. She lived in poverty until her death on March 23, 1965, at the age of 79. Despite her fading fame, Mae Murray remains an important figure in the history of silent film and the Ziegfeld Follies.
