Mabel Normand was one of the comedy greats of early film. In an era when women are deemed 'not funny enough' it seems film history has forgotten her contributions. Her films debuted the Keystone Cops, Charlie Chaplin's tramp and the pie in the face gag. She co-starred with both Chaplin and Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle in a series of shorts. She was a star in the first Keystone Comedy as well as the first feature film comedy. She was the only comedian to work with Charlie Chaplin, Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle, Mack Sennett, D.W. Griffith, Harold Lloyd, Mary Pickford, Hal Roach, Stan Laurel, Oliver Hardy, Fred Mace, Fred Sterling and John Bunny by 1929. She died in 1930 from tuberculosis.
Portrayed by Marisa Tomei in Chaplin .
Anita Loos , claims in her 1966 autobiography "A Girl Like I," wrote that during her cocaine-induced frenzies, Mabel would write long, rambling letters to people about nothing in particular. At the time of her death, Mabels attending physician was Loos brother, Clifford. She begged Clifford to allow her to die at home, but she was too weak to be moved. A portable screen was brought in from her bedroom and, thinking she was in her own bed, she died in peace. However it was proven Clifford never attended Normand. Loos also claimed alternatively that Normand was illiterate; which is easily disproven.
Portrayed by Bernadette Peters in the Broadway musical "Mack and Mabel". Book by Michael Stewart , music and lyrics by Jerry Herman.
Interred at Calvary Cemetery, in Boyle Heights, California.
She is credited with throwing cinemas first custard pie in the face. The film is A Noise from the Deep and the victim was Roscoe Fatty Arbuckle.
Is depicted in the film Return to Babylon by actress Morganne.
Portrayed by Penelope Lagos in the first film about her life, Madcap Mabel .
Profiled in book "Funny Ladies" by Stephen Silverman.
Chaplin, Sennett and Minta Durfee all agreed in their writings that Mabel was the reason Charlie Chaplin was signed and kept on at Keystone.
Stevie Nicks wrote a song called "Mabel Normand" claiming Normands death from cocaine inspired her to get clean in the 1980s. The Mabel Normand estate maintains Normand never took cocaine or any other drugs.
Normand was writing her own films by 1912 and directing them by 1914, making her one of the first women to do so.
The Keystone Cops debuted in "Bangville Police" a Mabel Normand short. She is also the girl tied to the railroad tracks, a famous image from silent film.
Along with Charlie Chaplin and Marie Dressler, Normand was one of the stars in the first comedic feature film "Tillies Punctured Romance" (1914).
She is believed to be the first actress to receive a pie in the face on film. It was delivered by Ford Sterling.
Mabel was named Favorite Female Comedian in a "Variety" readers pole in 1915.
Mabel Normand was billed as "Keystone Mabel" on some publicity posters for early Keystone comedies.
