FAY WRAY Original SIGNED in PERSON Autograph KING KONG

MORE INFO ON FAY WRAY: Fay Wray (born Vina Fay Wray; September 15, 1907 – August 8, 2004) was a Canadian-American actress. Through her acting career that spanned 57 years, Wray attained international stardom as an actress in horror film roles, leading to many considering her as the first "scream queen".

After appearing in minor film roles, Wray gained media attention being selected as one of the "WAMPAS Baby Stars". The attention of this led to Wray being signed to Paramount Pictures as a teenager. There she made more than a dozen films. After leaving Paramount Pictures, she signed deals with various film companies, in these deals being cast in her first horror film roles. In one of her most well-known film company deals, under RKO Radio Pictures, Inc., she would star in the film which she would be most identified, King Kong (1933). After the success of King Kong, Wray would be cast in more minor film roles and appears in television roles in a period of roughly four decades, leading up to her final acting role in 1980.

Wray died of natural causes in her sleep at the age of 96

Wray was born on a ranch near Cardston, Alberta, Canada to Elvina Marguerite Jones, who was from Salt Lake City, and Joseph Heber Wray, who was from Kingston upon Hull, England. She was one of six children. Her family returned to the United States a few years after she was born; they moved to Salt Lake City in 1912 and moved to Lark, Utah in 1914. In 1919, they moved to Salt Lake City again, before moving to Hollywood, California, where Fay attended Hollywood High School.

In 1919, Wray appeared in her first film at the age of 16, landing a role in a short historical film sponsored by a local newspaper. In the 1920s, Wray landed a major role in the silent films such as The Coast Patrol (1925), as well as various roles as short subjects in silent films.

In 1926, American film association the Western Association of Motion Picture Advertisers selected Wray as one of the "WAMPAS Baby Stars", a group of women who they believed to be on the threshold of movie stardom. Wray then started to star major roles in various films for Universal Pictures.

The following year in 1927, Wray was signed to a contract with Paramount Pictures In 1928, director Erich von Stroheim cast Wray as the main female lead in his film The Wedding March, released under Paramount. The film's high budget and production values sent Hollywood in a buzz for its high budget and production values. It was a financial failure, but it gave Wray her first lead role. Wray stayed with Paramount to make more than a dozen more films, staying there to make the transition from silent films to "talkie" films.

The film poster for King Kong (1933), probably Wray's greatest-known film.

After leaving Paramount, Wray signed to various film companies. It was under these deals that Wray was cast in various horror films, including Doctor X. However, her greatest known films were produced under her deal with RKO Radio Pictures, Inc., where she made some of her most memorable films. Her first film under RKO was The Most Dangerous Game (1932), a horror film in which she co-starred with Joel McCrea.

The Most Dangerous Game was followed by Wray's most memorable film, King Kong. Wray was approached by director Merian C. Cooper to play the role of Ann Darrow, the blonde captive of King Kong in the film. Wray was paid $10,000 dollars to play the role. Wray wore a blonde wig over her naturally dark hair for the role. The film was a commercial success, saving RKO from bankruptcy. Wray was reportedly proud that the film saved RKO from bankruptcy. Wray's role would become the role she would be most associated with. For her appearances in various horror films, many have considered Wray as the first "scream queen".

She continued to star in various films but by the early 1940s her appearances grew sporadic. She retired from acting in 1942, after her second marraige. However, due to financial problems she had to continue acting. Over the next three decades, Wray appeared in minor film roles and also appeared frequently on television, before ending her acting career with her final role in the made-for TV movie Gideon's Trumpet (1980).

In 1988, her autobiography, On the Other Hand, was published. In her later years of her life, Wray continued to make public appearances. Wray was a special guest at the 70th Academy Awards, where the show's host, Billy Crystal, introduced her as the "Beauty who charmed the Beast". She was the only 1920s Hollywood actress in attendance that evening. In January 2003, a 95-year old Wray appeared at the 2003 Palm Beach International Film Festival to celebrate the film Rick McKay documentary film Broadway: The Golden Age, by the Legends Who Were There, where she was also honored with a "Legend in Film" award. In her later years, she also visited the Empire State Building frequently, once visiting in 1991 as a guest of honor at the building's 60th anniversary, and also visiting in May 2004, which was among her final public appearances. Her final public appearance was at an after-party at the Sardi's restaurant in New York City, following the premiere of the documentary film Broadway: The Golden Age, by the Legends Who Were There.