Mabel Normand

Biography

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.

Known For

Tillie's Punctured Romance

Why Be Good?: Sexuality & Censorship in Early Cinema

Days of Thrills and Laughter

Helen's Marriage

Mabel's Strange Predicament

The Masquerader

His Trysting Places

Mabel at the Wheel

All Movies (232)

• Charlie Chaplin, The Genius of Liberty2020 · as archive footage
• The Women Who Run Hollywood2016 · as Self (archive footage)
• Looking for Mabel Normand2015 · as Self (archive footage)
• The Parrott Chase2009 · as (archive footage) (uncredited)
• Why Be Good?: Sexuality & Censorship in Early Cinema2007 · as Self (archive footage)
• Star Power: The Creation Of United Artists1998 · as Self (archive footage)
• The Chaplin Puzzle1992 · as (archive footage)
• Murderers, Mobsters, & Madmen: Volume 6: Hollywood Police Files1992 · as (archive footage) (uncredited)
• Hollywood Scandals and Tragedies1988 · as (archive footage) (uncredited)
• Days of Thrills and Laughter1961 · as Self (archive footage)
• When Comedy Was King1960 · as edited from 'Fatty & Mabel Adrift' (archive footage)
• All in Good Fun1955 · as Archive Footage
• Down Memory Lane1949 · as (archive footage)
• Happy Times and Jolly Moments1943 · as (archive footage)
• Screen Snapshots (Series 22, No. 10)1942 · as Self (archive footage)
• Stars of Yesterday1931 · as Self
• One Hour Married1927
• Should Men Walk Home?1927 · as The Girl Bandit
• Anything Once!1927 · as The Little Girl
• The Nickel-Hopper1926 · as Paddy
• Raggedy Rose1926 · as Raggedy Rose
• The Extra Girl1923 · as Sue Graham
• Suzanna1923 · as Suzanna
• Seeing Stars1922 · as Self
• Oh, Mabel Behave1922 · as The Innkeeper's Daughter
• Head Over Heels1922 · as Tina
• Molly O'1921 · as Molly O'Dair
• What Happened To Rosa1920 · as Mayme Ladd / Rosa Alvaro
• The Slim Princess1920 · as Kalora
• Pinto1920 · as Pinto
• Jinx1919 · as The Jinx
• Upstairs1919 · as Elsie MacFarland
• When Doctors Disagree1919 · as Millie Martin
• The Pest1919 · as Jigs
• Sis Hopkins1919 · as Sis Hopkins
• A Perfect 361918 · as Mabel
• Stake Uncle Sam to Play Your Hand1918 · as Italian Girl
• Peck's Bad Girl1918 · as Minnie Penelope Peck
• Mickey1918 · as Mickey
• Back to the Woods1918 · as Stephanie Trent
• The Venus Model1918 · as Kitty O'Brien
• The Floor Below1918 · as Patricia O'Rourke
• Joan of Plattsburg1918 · as Joan
• Dodging a Million1918 · as Arabella Flynn
• Bright Lights1916 · as Mabel
• He Did and He Didn’t1916 · as The Doctor's Wife
• Fatty and Mabel Adrift1916 · as Mabel
• Stolen Magic1915 · as The Friend's Wife
• My Valet1915 · as Mabel Stebbins
• The Little Teacher1915 · as The Little Teacher
• Mabel Lost and Won1915 · as Mabel
• Mabel’s Wilful Way1915 · as Mabel
• Their Social Splash1915
• Mabel and Fatty Viewing the World's Fair at San Francisco1915 · as Herself
• Wished on Mabel1915 · as Mabel
• That Little Band Of Gold1915 · as Mabel - the Wife
• Mabel and Fatty’s Married Life1915 · as Mabel
• Fatty and Mabel at the San Diego Exposition1915 · as Mabel
• Mabel, Fatty and the Law1915 · as Mabel - Fatty's Wife
• Fatty and Mabel’s Simple Life1915 · as Mabel
• Mabel and Fatty's Wash Day1915 · as Mabel
• Tillie's Punctured Romance1914 · as Mabel
• Getting Acquainted1914 · as Ambrose's Wife Mabel
• The Sea Nymphs1914 · as Mabel
• Fatty's Wine Party1914 · as The Girl
• His Trysting Places1914 · as Mabel, The Wife
• Lovers' Post Office1914
• Gentlemen of Nerve1914 · as Mabel
• Hello, Mabel1914 · as Mabel - the 'Hello' Girl
• Mabel's Blunder1914 · as Mabel
• Mabel’s Latest Prank1914 · as Mabel
• The Masquerader1914 · as Actress Outside Studio (uncredited)
• Those Country Kids1914 · as Mabel
• Mabel's New Job1914 · as Mabel
• Mabel's Married Life1914 · as Mabel
• A Missing Bride1914 · as Unconfirmed role
• A Gambling Rube1914 · as Unconfimed role
• Mabel's Busy Day1914 · as Mabel
• Her Friend the Bandit1914 · as Mabel
• The Fatal Mallet1914 · as Pretty Girl (uncredited)
• The Alarm1914
• Mabel’s Nerve1914 · as Mabel
• Caught in a Cabaret1914 · as Mabel
• Where Hazel Met the Villain1914
• Mabel at the Wheel1914 · as Mabel
• Mack at It Again1914 · as Mabel
• A Film Johnnie1914 · as Mabel
• Love and Gasoline1914
• Mabel's Strange Predicament1914 · as Mabel
• Mabel’s Bear Escape1914 · as Mabel
• Won in a Closet1914 · as Mabel
• Mabel’s Stormy Love Affair1914 · as Mabel
• Fatty's Wild Night1914
• A Misplaced Foot1914 · as Mabel
• A Glimpse of Los Angeles1914
• The Champion1913 · as Mabel
• Zuzu, the Band Leader1913 · as Mabel - Zuzu's Admirer
• Fatty's Flirtation1913 · as Mabel
• The Gusher1913 · as Oil Well Buyer's Sweetheart
• Cohen Saves the Flag1913 · as Mabel
• A Muddy Romance1913 · as Mabel
• Love Sickness at Sea1913 · as Mabel
• The Speed Kings1913 · as Mabel
• A Healthy Neighborhood1913
• The Bowling Match1913 · as Mabel
• When Dreams Come True1913 · as The Peddler's Wife
• The Fatal Taxicab1913 · as Mabel
• The Gypsy Queen1913 · as The Gypsy Queen
• Mabel's Dramatic Career1913 · as Mabel, the Kitchen Maid
• Mabel's New Hero1913 · as Mabel
• Baby Day1913
• The Riot1913 · as Mabel - Cohen's Daughter
• Professor Bean's Removal1913 · as Mabel - Professor Bean's Daughter
• Love and Courage1913 · as The Country Boy's Sweetheart
• A Noise from the Deep1913 · as Mabel
• The Telltale Light1913 · as Mabel
• For the Love of Mabel1913 · as Mabel
• The Waiters' Picnic1913 · as Mabel - the Cashier
• The Speed Queen1913 · as Nellie
• The Hansom Driver1913 · as Mabel
• Barney Oldfield's Race for a Life1913 · as Mabel
• The Foreman of the Jury1913 · as Mabel
• Hubby’s Job1913 · as Wifey
• Mabel’s Awful Mistakes1913 · as Mabel
• A Little Hero1913
• The Ragtime Band1913 · as Mabel
• His Chum the Baron1913 · as Party Girl
• Bangville Police1913 · as Della, the Farmer's Daughter
• Father’s Choice1913 · as Mabel
• Those Good Old Days1913 · as The Peasant Girl
• Hide and Seek1913 · as Mabel Brown - the Boss's Daughter
• On His Wedding Day1913 · as Wedding Guest
• Her New Beau1913 · as Mabel
• At Twelve O’Clock1913 · as Mabel
• Near To Earth1913
• The Rube and the Baron1913 · as Mabel
• Love and Pain1913 · as Mabel
• Foiling Fickle Father1913 · as Mabel
• A Strong Revenge1913 · as Mabel
• The Sleuths at the Floral Parade1913 · as The Woman
• The Doctored Affair1913 · as Tillie
• Red Hot Romance1913 · as Señorita
• A Tangled Affair1913 · as Mabel
• Heinze’s Resurrection1913 · as Uncredited / Unconfirmed
• Mabel’s Heroes1913 · as Mabel
• The Battle of Who Run1913 · as Mack's Girl
• Just Brown’s Luck1913 · as Mrs. Brown
• The Deacon Outwitted1913
• The Mistaken Masher1913 · as Mabel - George's Girl
• For Lizzie's Sake1913 · as Lizzie
• The Cure That Failed1913 · as Mabel
• How Hiram Won Out1913 · as Sallie
• A Double Wedding1913 · as Undetermined Role
• Saving Mabel’s Dad1913 · as Mabel
• The Duel1912 · as Mabel
• Mabel's Stratagem1912 · as Mabel
• Drummer’s Vacation1912
• Mabel’s Adventures1912 · as Mabel
• A Family Mixup1912 · as A Wife
• A Midnight Elopement1912 · as Sally Rice
• Pat's Day Off1912 · as Bridget, His Wife
• Brown’s Séance1912 · as Mrs. Brown
• A Desperate Lover1912
• Mr. Fixit1912 · as Mabel
• The Rivals1912 · as Mabel
• The Deacon's Troubles1912
• A Temperamental Husband1912 · as wife
• Mabel's Lovers1912 · as Mabel
• At It Again1912 · as Mrs. Smith
• At Coney Island1912 · as The Girl
• The Flirting Husband1912 · as Mrs. Smith
• The Ambitious Butler1912
• Pedro's Dilemma1912 · as Girl
• The Beating He Needed1912 · as Girl
• Riley and Schultze1912
• The New Neighbor1912
• The Water Nymph1912 · as Diving Venus
• Cohen Collects a Debt1912
• He Must Have a Wife1912 · as The Girl
• Mr. Grouch at the Seashore1912 · as Undetermined Secondary Role
• The Tragedy of a Dress Suit1912 · as The Heiress
• An Interrupted Elopement1912 · as Alice, Bob's Sweetheart
• What the Doctor Ordered1912 · as Jenks' Daughter
• The Tourists1912 · as Trixie - a Tourist
• A Dash Through the Clouds1912 · as Josephine
• The New Baby1912 · as The Wife
• Neighbors1912 · as First French Family, the Wife
• Katchem Kate1912 · as Katchem Kate
• Tomboy Bessie1912 · as Tomboy Bessie
• Helen's Marriage1912 · as Helen
• When Kings Were the Law1912 · as At Court (Uncredited)
• The Furs1912 · as The Wife
• The Fickle Spaniard1912 · as Marcelle
• The Brave Hunter1912 · as The Woman
• Help! Help!1912 · as Mrs. Suburbanite
• Oh, Those Eyes!1912 · as Gladys
• A Voice from the Deep1912 · as Minor Role (uncredited) (unconfirmed)
• Hot Stuff1912 · as Hank's Sweetheart
• The Engagement Ring1912 · as Alice
• A Spanish Dilemma1912 · as The Señorita
• The Fatal Chocolate1912 · as The City Girl
• The Mender of Nets1912 · as The Net Mender's rival
• The Eternal Mother1912 · as Mary, the Woman
• Saved from Himself1911 · as The Stenographer
• Why He Gave Up1911 · as The Wife
• A Victim of Circumstance1911
• Through His Wife’s Picture1911 · as Wifey
• The Inventor’s Secret1911
• The Unveiling1911 · as The Showgirl
• Italian Blood1911
• The Making of a Man1911 · as In Second Audience
• Her Awakening1911 · as The Daughter
• The Revenue Man and His Girl1911
• The Squaw's Love1911 · as Wild Flower
• The Baron1911 · as The Heiress
• How Betty Won the School1911 · as Betty's Rival
• The Diving Girl1911 · as The Niece
• Troublesome Secretaries1911 · as Betty Harding
• The Strategy of Ann1911
• The Subduing of Mrs. Nag1911 · as Miss Prue, the Stenographer
• Two Overcoats1911
• The Changing of Silas Warner1911 · as The Son's Wife
• Dead Man’s Honor1911 · as Helen
• When a Man’s Married His Trouble Begins1911 · as Mabel, Jack's Wife
• His Mother1911 · as Donald's Fiancee
• Picciola; or, The Prison Flower1911 · as Theresa Girhardi
• Betty Becomes a Maid1911 · as Betty
• A Tale of Two Cities1911
• The Diamond Star1911 · as Guest at Dinner Party
• Wilful Peggy1910 · as Maid
• Over the Garden Wall1910
• Indiscretions of Betty1910