(1891-1946)
Trivia & Facts
Born: Annie May Busch, on June 18, 1891, in Melbourne, Australia.
Father: Frederick William Busch. He was said to have been a Symphony Conductor; he more than likely worked in Vaudeville.
Mother: Elizabeth Maria Lay. She was reported to be an Opera singer; it is most likely that she appeared with her husband in Vaudeville.
Schooling: St. Elizabeth Convent, New Jersey. Mae remained there until she was of legal age, at which time she decided not to take her vows.
Marriages: Mae had three husbands; Francis McDonald, John E. Cassell, and Thomas C. Tate.
Died: April 19, 1946 at the Motion Picture and Television Country Home and Hospital, Encino, California at the age of 54. Her ashes were left unclaimed until the 1970s, when members of the Way Out West Tent paid to have her finally laid to rest. The reason she was unclaimed remains a mystery.
Interment: Chapel of the Pines, Los Angeles, California. Buried as Mae Busch Tate.
Hollywood Walk of Fame: Mae's star is at 7047 Hollywood Boulevard.
Working for Mack Sennett:
Mae often embellished storied of her youth, once claiming that she lived in Tahiti before coming to America. She said that she learned how to swim and dive there, so as to get a role in a Sennett short; she got the part but her inexperience resulted in serious injuries.
It is rumored that her employment with Mack Sennett came to an end when Mabel Normand (Sennett's fiance) discovered Mae and Mack were having an affair.
Working for Hal Roach:
To downplay the mysterious death of Thelma Todd, it was decided that the film would be reedited so that Busch would replace Todd as the romantic lead in THE BOHEMIAN GIRL.
In the script for BLOCK-HEADS, Mae's name appears as one of the leading characters. Unfortunately, she was unable to take the role because of other studio commitments.
