Normand was an incredible comedienne who was one of the first women to not only act but also write, direct and produce movies. At the height of her fame in the late teens and early 1920s, she even had her own studio and production company.
She was a New York girl, born on Staten Island in 1892 or 1893, and had a model for artist Charles Dana Gibson in her teens before being discovered by Mack Sennett. She often costarred with Charles Chaplin and Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle. This little clip will give you an idea of what Normand was like on film. And she wasn't just funny - she was brave. The lion in the last half of this clip is real (the movie is The Extra Girl, 1923).
Ironically, she and Arbuckle were both plagued with bad publicity in the 1920s, which effectively ended their careers. Though she was never a suspect, Normand was unfortunately was associated with the murder of director William Desmond Taylor in 1922 and the shooting of Courtland D. Hines two years later. Hines was shot by Normand's chauffeur with Normand's pistol. She died of tuberculosis in 1930.
Here is Mabel Normand in her heyday, though: "The Talk of the Town" -
*Normand's birthdate is sometimes given as 1892 but according to the 1900 census she was born in November 1893 (Claude Norman[d] household, 1900 US Census, Richmond Boro Ward 1, Richmond, NY; #119/148, Series T623, Roll 1153, p. 105).
The official Mabel Normand website, Madcap Mabel, is here - lots of excellent information and images.
And the official home of Music Monday is Lady Java's Lounge.
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Thank you so so much to PJ at PJ's Prose for honoring all three of my blogs as her Site of the Week! PJ has a gorgeous blog that I always like visiting, so please drop by there and enjoy it, too.
7 comments:
Love the videos and watching these old movies. Thanks so much for sharing them and the history behind them. Very interesting.
I knew when you mentioned she was closely associated with Chaplin and Arbuckle, although possibly exciting, it just had to lead to bad news.
I am aware of some of this history as I am a semi-old movie lover but had not seen her preform.
This was great. Thanks bunches! You are just so darn good with this era. I think if reincarnation is real then surely one of your lives must have been lived in this time period.
As for me it would have been Elizabethan!
That song playing sounds just like "The Entertainer" a rag by Scott Joplin...or am I mis-reading what "Talk of the Town" is the title of, or I am mis-hearing - I gotta tell ya I am dead beat tired at the moment. If this whole system wasn't automated I'm not sure I would get my name right LOL
Joanne - Thanks - it was a really fun MM to do!
Jackie - Yeah,it was not good news, with those two guys. So sad. I love Normand, I think she is the greatest!
I do feel very anachronistic a lot of the time...Elizabethan, huh? That is an amazing time period too. Who would you like to have been?
Grace - It does sound a LOT like Joplin, I knew it reminded me of something.
I'd heard the name, too, but couldn't immediately place her, those are great :)
I think the stars of the old 'star system' had more going for them as they had to be versatile to be able to star in a musical, a dance number, duet with Sinatra, perform (some) of their own stunts, etc, whereas many today can't do anything except read lines.
Jayne - You're absolutely right. That's one reason I prefer old movies :)
Wondeful music clips!
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