# Whatever happened to Fay Wray? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 18, 2019, 10:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatever-happened-to-fay-wray/829757 "2019-02-18T10:45:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Spoons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spoons/32/3141_2.png) [@Spoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoons)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2019, 10:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatever-happened-to-fay-wray/829757/1 "2019-02-18T10:45:31Z")
I was performing in a community theatre performance recently, in Fort MacLeod, Alberta. We performed at the Empress Theatre, which had western Canadian figures painted on the walls; including Fay Wray (who was originally from Cardston, Alberta, Canada). During a break in rehearsal, I pointed to the picture of Fay Wray, and sang, _Whatever happened to Fay Wray? That delicate satin draped frame? As it clung to her thigh, How I started to cry. 'Cause I wanted to be dressed just the same._ A few folks got it but not all. I had to explain it to the others. Would you know what I was saying if I sang/spoke to you, “Whatever happened to Fay Wray”? ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2019, 11:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatever-happened-to-fay-wray/829757/2 "2019-02-18T11:09:01Z")
Sure, seen it about a dozen times. ---
**Author:** ![FinsToTheLeft](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/finstotheleft/32/2930_2.png) [@FinsToTheLeft](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FinsToTheLeft)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2019, 11:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatever-happened-to-fay-wray/829757/3 "2019-02-18T11:10:36Z")
I’d likely throw a piece of toast at you 🆒 Rocky Horror of course! ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2019, 11:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatever-happened-to-fay-wray/829757/4 "2019-02-18T11:34:59Z")
I know the reference but was going to ask whatever _did_ happen to Fay Wray? Then I looked it up. Turns out she had a modest but successful film career, got married a couple of times, wrote an autobiography and died in 2004 at age 96. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2019, 12:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatever-happened-to-fay-wray/829757/5 "2019-02-18T12:23:33Z")
> [@Gyrate](#): > > …and died in 2004 at age 96. Peter Jackson had hoped to have her in his _King Kong_ speaking the famous ultimate line of dialogue, but she died just before shooting began. ---
**Author:** ![rsat3acr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a3d4f5/32.png) [@rsat3acr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rsat3acr)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2019, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatever-happened-to-fay-wray/829757/6 "2019-02-18T14:17:41Z")
do the time warp again ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2019, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatever-happened-to-fay-wray/829757/7 "2019-02-18T14:18:22Z")
They used her scream for the doorbell sound in [_Murder by Death_](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0074937/fullcredits?ref_=tt_cl_sm#cast). That’s gotta count for something. (Also possibly used in _Mighty Joe Young_. There’s something about her and large apes.) ---
**Author:** ![Royal\_Nonesutch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ecb155/32.png) [@Royal\_Nonesutch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Royal_Nonesutch)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2019, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatever-happened-to-fay-wray/829757/8 "2019-02-18T14:21:42Z")
> [@ftg](#): > > They used her scream for the doorbell sound in [_Murder by Death_](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0074937/fullcredits?ref_=tt_cl_sm#cast). That’s gotta count for something. “Say your Goddamn pronouns!” ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2019, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatever-happened-to-fay-wray/829757/9 "2019-02-18T15:16:59Z")
> [@Spoons](#): > > A few folks got it but not all. I had to explain it to the others. Would you know what I was saying if I sang/spoke to you, “Whatever happened to Fay Wray”? Of course! God bless Lili St. Cyr!!! ---
**Author:** ![Reeses\_Monkey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/reeses_monkey/32/2885_2.png) [@Reeses\_Monkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reeses_Monkey)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2019, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatever-happened-to-fay-wray/829757/10 "2019-02-18T15:46:31Z")
She went apeshit! ---
**Author:** ![Baker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2019, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatever-happened-to-fay-wray/829757/11 "2019-02-18T15:53:38Z")
If King Kong has gone flat, Rent the flick\* Vampire Bat\*, Thats some more Wray. ---
**Author:** ![mbh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a6a055/32.png) [@mbh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mbh)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2019, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatever-happened-to-fay-wray/829757/12 "2019-02-18T16:09:11Z")
If bats are too arch, Go see _The Wedding March_, That’s some more Wray. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2019, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatever-happened-to-fay-wray/829757/13 "2019-02-18T16:14:11Z")
I wouldn’t have got it. The last time I saw the movie was over 30 years ago. I know The Time Warp, and some of the dialogue still gets bandied about, but not that song. And of course I know who Fay Wray was. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2019, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatever-happened-to-fay-wray/829757/14 "2019-02-18T17:12:00Z")
Yeah. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2019, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatever-happened-to-fay-wray/829757/15 "2019-02-18T18:03:22Z")
Does anybody here remember Vera Lynn? I would not have gotten the reference. I saw the movie once in the theater. Maybe looked at it once when it was on TV to see if it got any better. That’s not one of the songs I would have remembered. ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2019, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatever-happened-to-fay-wray/829757/16 "2019-02-18T22:27:03Z")
Of course I know _Rocky Horror_. I bought the _Rocky Horror Picture Show_ soundtrack back when I was in high school. > [@Loach](#): > > Does anybody here remember Vera Lynn? Or know what happened when the Tigers broke through? I’ll admit it took me a while to connect Pink Floyd to _Dr. Strangelove_, though… _We’ll meet again… don’t know where… don’t know when…_ ---
**Author:** ![Sherrerd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sherrerd/32/8_2.png) [@Sherrerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sherrerd)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2019, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatever-happened-to-fay-wray/829757/17 "2019-02-18T23:06:19Z")
> [@Baker](#): > > If King Kong has gone flat, > Rent the flick\* Vampire Bat\*, > Thats some more Wray. > [@mbh](#): > > If bats are too arch, > Go see _The Wedding March_, > That’s some more Wray. If swimming’s grown dull, Try near sunken hull: That’s some moray. ---
**Author:** ![Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/prof.pepperwinkle/32/13627_2.png) [@Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Prof.Pepperwinkle)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2019, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatever-happened-to-fay-wray/829757/18 "2019-02-18T23:53:22Z")
I would like, if I may, to take you on a strange journey. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2019, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatever-happened-to-fay-wray/829757/19 "2019-02-19T00:03:07Z")
> [@Loach](#): > > Does anybody here remember Vera Lynn? Sure. I listened to “The Wall” even more often than I watched RHPS. ---
**Author:** ![Anamorphic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/anamorphic/32/3057_2.png) [@Anamorphic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anamorphic)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2019, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatever-happened-to-fay-wray/829757/20 "2019-02-19T00:06:54Z")
I wouldn’t know, but from pop culture osmosis from some of the other responses in this thread, I can gather where it’s from, and understand why I wouldn’t have known it, since I’m pretty sure I’ve never seen that entire movie. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatever-happened-to-fay-wray/829757.md?page=2)