Actress. Born Violet Mary Klotz in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, her father was a theater organist. She studied dancing as a child and began on stage in vaudeville and also worked in night clubs. In 1924 she was one of "May Dawson's Dancing Girls," a New York cabaret act, where she was "discovered" by producer Earl Lindsay and promptly cast in a minor part at the Strand Theatre on Times Square. She then performed as a dancer and burlesque artist at the Strand Roof nightclub, situated above the theatre. She subsequently starred in many films for Universal Studios, including the original screen version of The Front Page in 1931 and the first sound version of Frankenstein also in 1931 with Boris Karloff. Mae played the role of Henry Frankenstein's fiancée Elizabeth in Frankenstein, who was attacked by the Monster (Karloff) on her wedding day. The Public Enemy, released that same year, contained one of cinema's most famous scenes, in which James Cagney pushes a half grapefruit into Mae's face, then goes out to pick up Jean Harlow. Mae's career suffered several major setbacks, beginning in 1932, from which it never fully recovered. She had a nervous breakdown in June of that year and another in 1934. This was followed by a serious car accident in March of 1933. When she returned to the screen, it was to be in B-pictures. She had some rewarding parts in some films for Republic, notably The House of a Thousand Candles in 1936 and the civil war romance Hearts in Bondage also in 1936, with Lew Ayres. Despite an image change from frizzy blonde to brunette, she had few opportunities to shine after 1938, she played a heroine of the Republic serial King of the Rocket Men in 1949. By the beginning of the 1950's, Mae was largely reduced to doing cameos and walk-ons, at best playing minor parts in westerns. She did make several notable appearances on television, such as The Loretta Young Show. Mae was married three times, first to Lew Brice, second to Stephen Bancroft, and finally to Herbert Langdon. All three marriages would end in divorce. Mae would die from cancer at the age of 81 in Woodland Hills, California.