Talk:May Wynn

Age problem

If she was born in 1928, how could she have been seventeen when she "began performing under that name at New York's Copacabana nightclub in 1947?" — Preceding unsigned comment added by 50.136.78.154 (talk) 10:51, 24 April 2015 (UTC)

The problem may be with the birth year. I don't know what the source was for 1928. This Associated Press newspaper article from 1953 gives her age as 17 when she worked at the Copacabana. Eddie Blick (talk) 03:15, 18 September 2018 (UTC)

That article does not state her age when performing at the Copa, nor her current age. 1928 is given as her birth year in IMDB, which I don't believe is an acceptable source for BLPs, and I don't know where it originates. Coretheapple (talk) 13:16, 18 September 2018 (UTC)

"... she matriculated at the New York Copacabana when she was 17." That seems to me to be the AP writer's way of saying that she performed at the Copa when she was 17. You are right that IMDB is not considered reliable for Wikipedia reference. Eddie Blick (talk) 00:38, 19 September 2018 (UTC)

Now this is interesting. Going through Newspapers.com I find articles that give her age in 1949 as 19 and her age in 1950 as 21. There is further talk of a marriage previous to the one with Kelly. However, that was apparently a planned marriage, and it is not clear if it ever happened. A 1950 feature shows her going home by subway to Queens. Coretheapple (talk) 13:32, 18 September 2018 (UTC)

That variation in reported ages is not unique to this actress. As I have done research on a number of actor and actresses from years ago, I have often found variations in ages. Eddie Blick (talk) 00:43, 19 September 2018 (UTC)

Going through Newspapers.com clips yesterday I'm finding no support at all for the 1928 birth date. I'm finding a Daily News article indicating 1929, and that was an brief article on her being named to a beauty queen thing. I'm also finding references to her being born in subsequent years. But no 1928. Evidently the only source for that is IMDB. Unfortunately I neglected to "clip" the Newspaper.com stuff with her birth date so I have to go back and laboriously find the relevant clips. Coretheapple (talk) 16:45, 19 September 2018 (UTC)

Eddie, the best sourcing for the birth date seems to be a Daily News photo feature that says it was published the day after her 21st birthday, 1950. But since I see multiple sources saying 1930, I added that. Also I saw a segment, in Google Books, of a film encyclopedia that said 1930 too. Not sure whether the discrepancy should be in a note or the text. I have seen nothing other than IMDB, which we cannot use, to support 1928. Coretheapple (talk) 22:23, 19 September 2018 (UTC)

Use of unreliable source for citation

I have marked the citation for Wynn's appearance on Perry Mason with the "Verify credibility" template (which shows up in the text as "Unreliable source?"). The HomePage of the Perry Mason TV Series site clearly identifies the site as a wiki and encourages users with the comment, "You're invited to contribute as well." I don't think the source should be considered credible or reliable according to WP standards. Eddie Blick (talk) 01:04, 17 July 2019 (UTC)