Mabel Normand (November 10, 1892– February 23, 1930) was an American silent film comedienne and actress, a popular star of Mack Sennett's Keystone Studios and noted as one of the film industry's first female screenwriters, producers and directors. Onscreen she appeared in a dozen commercially successful films with Charles Chaplin and seventeen with Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle, occasionally writing and directing movies featuring Chaplin as her leading man as well as sometimes co-writing and co-directing with Chaplin in films in which they played the lead roles. At the height of her career in the late 1910s and early 1920s, Normand had her own movie studio and production company.
Throughout the 1920s her name was linked with widely publicized scandals including the 1922 murder of William Desmond Taylor and the 1924 shooting of Courtland S. Dines, who was shot by Normand's chauffeur with her pistol. She was not a suspect in either crime. Her film career declined, possibly due to both scandals and a recurrence of tuberculosis in 1923, which led to a decline in her health, retirement from films and her death in 1930 at age 37.
Mabel Normand has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for her contributions to Motion Pictures, at 6821 Hollywood Boulevard.
Her film Mabel's Blunder (1914) was added to the National Film Registry in December 2009.
In June 2010, the New Zealand Film Archive reported the discovery of a print of Normand's film Won in a Closet (exhibited in New Zealand under its alternate title Won in a Cupboard), a short comedy previously believed lost. This film is a significant discovery, as Normand directed the movie and starred in the lead role, making it a showcase for her talents on both sides of the camera.
2016 | Et la femme créa Hollywood as Self (archive footage) |
2015 | Looking for Mabel Normand as Self (archive footage) |
2007 | Why Be Good?: Sexuality & Censorship in Early Cinema as Self (archive footage) |
1998 | Star Power: The Creation Of United Artists as Self (archive footage) |
1992 | The Chaplin Puzzle as (archive footage) |
1961 | Days of Thrills and Laughter as Self (archive footage) |
1960 | When Comedy Was King as edited from 'Fatty & Mabel Adrift' (archive footage) |
1949 | Down Memory Lane as (archive footage) |
1943 | Happy Times and Jolly Moments as (archive footage) |
1942 | Screen Snapshots (Series 22, No. 10) as Self (archive footage) |
1931 | Stars of Yesterday as Self |
1927 | One Hour Married |
1927 | Should Men Walk Home? as The Girl Bandit |
1927 | Anything Once! as The Little Girl |
1926 | The Nickel-Hopper as Paddy |
1926 | Raggedy Rose as Raggedy Rose |
1923 | The Extra Girl as Sue Graham |
1923 | Suzanna as Suzanna |
1922 | Seeing Stars as Self |
1922 | Oh, Mabel Behave as The Innkeeper's Daughter |
1922 | Head Over Heels as Tina |
1921 | Molly O' as Molly O'Dair |
1920 | What Happened To Rosa? as Mayme Ladd / Rosa Alvaro |
1920 | The Slim Princess as Kalora |
1920 | Pinto as Pinto |
1919 | Jinx as The Jinx |
1919 | Upstairs as Elsie MacFarland |
1919 | When Doctors Disagree as Millie Martin |
1919 | The Pest as Jigs |
1919 | Sis Hopkins as Sis Hopkins |
1918 | A Perfect 36 as Mabel |
1918 | Stake Uncle Sam to Play Your Hand as Italian Girl |
1918 | Peck's Bad Girl as Minnie Penelope Peck |
1918 | Mickey as Mickey |
1918 | Back to the Woods as Stephanie Trent |
1918 | The Venus Model as Kitty O'Brien |
1918 | The Floor Below as Patricia O'Rourke |
1918 | Joan of Plattsburg as Joan |
1918 | Dodging a Million as Arabella Flynn |
1916 | Bright Lights as Mabel |
1916 | He Did and He Didn’t as The Doctor's Wife |
1916 | Fatty and Mabel Adrift as Mabel |
1915 | Stolen Magic as The Friend's Wife |
1915 | My Valet as Mabel Stebbins |
1915 | The Little Teacher as The Little Teacher |
1915 | Mabel Lost and Won as Mabel |
1915 | Mabel’s Wilful Way as Mabel |
1915 | Their Social Splash |
1915 | Mabel and Fatty Viewing the World's Fair at San Francisco as Herself |
1915 | Wished on Mabel as Mabel |
1915 | That Little Band Of Gold as Mabel - the Wife |
1915 | Mabel and Fatty’s Married Life as Mabel |
1915 | Fatty and Mabel at the San Diego Exposition as Mabel |
1915 | Mabel, Fatty and the Law as Mabel - Fatty's Wife |
1915 | Fatty and Mabel’s Simple Life as Mabel |
1915 | Mabel and Fatty's Wash Day as Mabel |
1914 | Tillie'nin Yaralı Aşk Macerası as Mabel |
1914 | Getting Acquainted as Ambrose's Wife Mabel |
1914 | The Sea Nymphs as Mabel |
1914 | Fatty's Wine Party as The Girl |
1914 | His Trysting Places as Mabel, The Wife |
1914 | Lovers' Post Office |
1914 | Gentlemen of Nerve as Mabel |
1914 | Hello, Mabel as Mabel - the 'Hello' Girl |
1914 | Mabel's Blunder as Mabel |
1914 | Mabel’s Latest Prank as Mabel |
1914 | The Masquerader as Actress Outside Studio (uncredited) |
1914 | Those Country Kids as Mabel |
1914 | Mabel's New Job as Mabel |
1914 | Mabel's Married Life as Mabel |
1914 | A Missing Bride as Unconfirmed role |
1914 | A Gambling Rube as Unconfimed role |
1914 | Mabel's Busy Day as Mabel |
1914 | Her Friend the Bandit as Mabel |
1914 | The Fatal Mallet as Pretty Girl (uncredited) |
1914 | The Alarm |
1914 | Mabel’s Nerve as Mabel |
1914 | Caught in a Cabaret as Mabel |
1914 | Where Hazel Met the Villain |
1914 | Mabel at the Wheel as Mabel |
1914 | Mack at It Again as Mabel |
1914 | A Film Johnnie as Self (uncredited) |
1914 | Love and Gasoline |
1914 | Mabel's Strange Predicament as Mabel |
1914 | Mabel’s Bear Escape as Mabel |
1914 | Won in a Closet as Mabel |
1914 | Mabel’s Stormy Love Affair as Mabel |
1914 | A Glimpse of Los Angeles |
1914 | A Misplaced Foot as Mabel |
1914 | Fatty's Wild Night |
1913 | The Champion as Mabel |
1913 | Zuzu, the Band Leader as Mabel - Zuzu's Admirer |
1913 | Fatty's Flirtation as Mabel |
1913 | The Gusher as Oil Well Buyer's Sweetheart |
1913 | Cohen Saves the Flag as Mabel |
1913 | A Muddy Romance as Mabel |
1913 | Love Sickness at Sea as Mabel |
1913 | The Speed Kings as Mabel |
1913 | A Healthy Neighborhood |
1913 | The Bowling Match as Mabel |
1913 | When Dreams Come True as The Peddler's Wife |
1913 | The Fatal Taxicab as Mabel |
1913 | The Gypsy Queen as The Gypsy Queen |
1913 | Mabel's Dramatic Career as Mabel, the Kitchen Maid |
1913 | Mabel's New Hero as Mabel |
1913 | Baby Day |
1913 | The Riot as Mabel - Cohen's Daughter |
1913 | Professor Bean's Removal as Mabel - Professor Bean's Daughter |
1913 | Love and Courage as The Country Boy's Sweetheart |
1913 | A Noise from the Deep as Mabel |
1913 | The Telltale Light as Mabel |
1913 | For the Love of Mabel as Mabel |
1913 | The Waiters' Picnic as Mabel - the Cashier |
1913 | The Speed Queen as Nellie |
1913 | The Hansom Driver as Mabel |
1913 | Barney Oldfield's Race for a Life as Mabel |
1913 | The Foreman of the Jury as Mabel |
1913 | Hubby’s Job as Wifey |
1913 | Mabel’s Awful Mistakes as Mabel |
1913 | A Little Hero |
1913 | The Ragtime Band as Mabel |
1913 | His Chum the Baron as Party Girl |
1913 | Bangville Police as Della, the Farmer's Daughter |
1913 | Father’s Choice as Mabel |
1913 | Those Good Old Days as The Peasant Girl |
1913 | Hide and Seek as Mabel Brown - the Boss's Daughter |
1913 | Her New Beau as Mabel |
1913 | On His Wedding Day as Wedding Guest |
1913 | At Twelve O’Clock as Mabel |
1913 | Near To Earth |
1913 | The Rube and the Baron as Mabel |
1913 | Love and Pain |
1913 | Foiling Fickle Father as Mabel |
1913 | A Strong Revenge as Mabel |
1913 | The Sleuths at the Floral Parade as The Woman |
1913 | Red Hot Romance as Señorita |
1913 | The Doctored Affair as Tillie |
1913 | A Tangled Affair as Mabel |
1913 | Heinze’s Resurrection as Uncredited / Unconfirmed |
1913 | Mabel’s Heroes as Mabel |
1913 | The Battle of Who Run as Mack's Girl |
1913 | Just Brown’s Luck as Mrs. Brown |
1913 | The Deacon Outwitted |
1913 | The Mistaken Masher as Mabel - George's Girl |
1913 | For Lizzie's Sake as Lizzie |
1913 | How Hiram Won Out as Sallie |
1913 | The Cure That Failed |
1913 | A Double Wedding as Undetermined Role |
1913 | Saving Mabel’s Dad as Mabel |
1912 | The Duel as Mabel |
1912 | Mabel's Stratagem as Mabel |
1912 | Drummer’s Vacation |
1912 | Mabel’s Adventures as Mabel |
1912 | A Family Mixup as A Wife |
1912 | A Midnight Elopement as Sally Rice |
1912 | Brown’s Séance as Mrs. Brown |
1912 | Pat's Day Off as Bridget, His Wife |
1912 | A Desperate Lover |
1912 | Mr. Fixit as Mabel |
1912 | The Rivals as Mabel |
1912 | A Temperamental Husband as wife |
1912 | The Deacon's Troubles |
1912 | At It Again as Mrs. Smith |
1912 | Mabel's Lovers as Mabel |
1912 | At Coney Island as his girl |
1912 | The Ambitious Butler |
1912 | The Flirting Husband as Mrs. Smith |
1912 | Pedro's Dilemma as Girl |
1912 | The Beating He Needed as Girl |
1912 | Riley and Schultze |
1912 | The New Neighbor |
1912 | Cohen Collects a Debt |
1912 | The Water Nymph as Diving Venus |
1912 | He Must Have a Wife as The Girl |
1912 | Mr. Grouch at the Seashore as Undetermined Secondary Role |
1912 | An Interrupted Elopement as Alice, Bob's Sweetheart |
1912 | The Tragedy of a Dress Suit as The Heiress |
1912 | The Tourists as Trixie - a Tourist |
1912 | What the Doctor Ordered as Jenks' Daughter |
1912 | A Dash Through the Clouds as Josephine |
1912 | The New Baby as The Wife |
1912 | Katchem Kate as Katchem Kate |
1912 | Neighbors as First French Family, the Wife |
1912 | Tomboy Bessie as Tomboy Bessie |
1912 | Helen's Marriage as Helen |
1912 | When Kings Were the Law as At Court (Uncredited) |
1912 | The Furs as The Wife |
1912 | The Fickle Spaniard as Marcelle |
1912 | The Brave Hunter as The Woman |
1912 | Help! Help! as Mrs. Suburbanite |
1912 | Oh, Those Eyes as Gladys |
1912 | A Voice from the Deep as Minor Role (uncredited) (unconfirmed) |
1912 | Hot Stuff as Hank's Sweetheart |
1912 | A Spanish Dilemma as The Señorita |
1912 | The Engagement Ring as Alice |
1912 | The Fatal Chocolate as The City Girl |
1912 | The Mender of Nets as The Net Mender's rival |
1912 | The Eternal Mother as Mary, the Woman |
1911 | Saved from Himself as The Stenographer |
1911 | Why He Gave Up as The Wife |
1911 | A Victim of Circumstance |
1911 | The Inventor’s Secret |
1911 | Through His Wife’s Picture as Wifey |
1911 | The Unveiling as The Showgirl |
1911 | Italian Blood |
1911 | The Making of a Man as In Second Audience |
1911 | Her Awakening as The Daughter |
1911 | The Revenue Man and His Girl |
1911 | The Squaw's Love as Wild Flower |
1911 | The Baron as The Heiress |
1911 | How Betty Won the School as Betty's Rival |
1911 | The Diving Girl as The Niece |
1911 | Troublesome Secretaries, or How Betty Outwitted Her Father as Betty Harding |
1911 | The Strategy of Ann |
1911 | The Subduing of Mrs. Nag as Miss Prue, the Stenographer |
1911 | Two Overcoats |
1911 | The Changing of Silas Warner as The Son's Wife |
1911 | Dead Man’s Honor as Helen |
1911 | When a Man’s Married His Trouble Begins as Mabel, Jack's Wife |
1911 | His Mother as Donald's Fiancee |
1911 | Picciola; or, The Prison Flower as Theresa Girhardi |
1911 | Betty Becomes a Maid as Betty |
1911 | A Tale of Two Cities |
1911 | The Diamond Star as Guest at Dinner Party |
1910 | Wilful Peggy as Maid |
1910 | Over the Garden Wall |
1910 | Indiscretions of Betty |
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