Mabel Normand facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Mabel Normand
Mabel Normand c. 1920
Born	Amabel Ethelreid Normand (1893-11-09)November 9, 1893 New Brighton, Staten Island, New York, U.S.
Died	February 23, 1930(1930-02-23) (aged 36) Monrovia, California, U.S.
Resting place	Calvary Cemetery, Los Angeles
Other names	Mabel Normand-Cody, Muriel Fortescue
Occupation	Actress director screenwriter producer
Years active	1910–1927
Spouse(s)	Lew Cody ​ (m. 1926)​

Amabel Ethelreid Normand (born November 9, 1893 – died February 23, 1930), known to everyone as Mabel Normand, was a famous American silent film actress, screenwriter, director, and producer. Silent films were movies made before sound was added, so actors used their expressions and body language to tell the story.

Mabel was a very popular star and worked closely with Mack Sennett at Keystone Studios. At the peak of her career in the late 1910s and early 1920s, she even had her own film studio and production company. She starred in many successful films with famous comedians like Charlie Chaplin and Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle. Sometimes, she even wrote and directed films where Chaplin was her main co-star!

In the 1920s, Mabel Normand's name was unfortunately linked to some difficult situations. These events affected her film career, which was already slowing down. Sadly, Mabel also became sick with tuberculosis in 1923. This led to her retiring from films in 1926, and she passed away in 1930 at the age of 36.

Early Life and Film Career

Roscoe Arbuckle and Normand with Luke the Dog in Fatty and Mabel Adrift (1916)

Amabel Ethelreid Normand was born in New Brighton, Staten Island, New York, on November 9, 1893. Her mother, Mary "Minnie" Drury, was from Providence, Rhode Island, and had Irish family roots. Her father, Clodman "Claude" George Normand, was French Canadian.

When she first started her career, Mabel worked for Vitagraph Studios in New York City. She then moved to Biograph Company, where she met director D. W. Griffith. Her amazing performance in the 1911 short film Her Awakening got her noticed. This led her to meet director Mack Sennett, who later brought her to California when he started Keystone Studios in 1912.

Mabel Normand is famous for being the first film star to have a pie thrown in her face in a movie!

Working with Comedy Stars

Mabel appeared in many short films with Charlie Chaplin and Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle. She played a big part in helping Chaplin start his film career. She was his main co-star and even helped him learn about acting for films in 1914. She sometimes directed or co-wrote films with him.

Chaplin found it hard to act in films at first. After his very first movie, Making a Living, Mack Sennett thought he had made a mistake hiring him. But Mabel persuaded Sennett to give Chaplin another chance. Mabel and Chaplin then starred together in many films, usually playing the main couple.

In 1914, Chaplin first played his famous character, The Tramp, in Mabel's Strange Predicament. Mabel directed both herself and Chaplin in this film. Later that year, Mabel starred with Chaplin and Marie Dressler in Tillie's Punctured Romance. This was a very important film because it was the first full-length comedy movie ever made!

In 1916, Mabel started her own film company with Mack Sennett in Culver City. However, she lost the company in 1918 due to big changes in the film industry. Around that time, Mabel signed a very big contract with Samuel Goldwyn, earning $3,500 per week.

Later Career and Passing

Mabel continued to make films. In 1926, she signed with Hal Roach Studios. There, she made films like Raggedy Rose, The Nickel-Hopper, and One Hour Married (which was her last film). These movies were co-written by Stan Laurel. Her friend Mary Pickford and others in Hollywood helped promote these films.

Normand's crypt at Calvary Cemetery

In 1926, Mabel married actor Lew Cody. They had starred together in the film Mickey in 1918. They lived in separate houses in Beverly Hills.

Sadly, Mabel's health was getting worse because of tuberculosis, a serious lung illness. After spending time in a special hospital, she passed away from pulmonary tuberculosis on February 23, 1930, in Monrovia, California. She was only 36 years old. She was buried as Mabel Normand-Cody at Calvary Cemetery in Los Angeles. Her mother is buried in the crypt right above Mabel's.

Legacy

Mabel Normand has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. This star honors her important contributions to motion pictures and can be found at 6821 Hollywood Boulevard.

Her film Mabel's Blunder (made in 1914) was added to the National Film Registry in December 2009. This means it's considered an important film to be preserved.

In June 2010, a lost film of Mabel's called Won in a Closet was found in New Zealand. This was a big discovery because Mabel directed and starred in the film, showing her many talents both in front of and behind the camera.

Filmography

Some of her early roles were credited as "Mabel Fortesque".

Short Films

Feature Films

See also

In Spanish: Mabel Normand para niños