Mabel Norman...in Her 90 H.P. Racing Car -- March 29, 2014

Mabel Normand (her name is spelled wrong in the caption) was a pioneering comic actress in movies.  When she was in her teens, Mabel Normand starting posing as a model for artists such as Charles Dana Gibson. She started acting in movies for several studios including Biograph, where she met Mack Sennett. When Sennett left Biograph to start Keystone in 1912, Mabel went along. She was engaged to Sennett for while, but they never married. People still debate the reasons. She became one of Sennett's most important comedians, but, like his other comedians, left Sennett for other studios and more money. Mabel starred in a series of popular features for Goldwyn, went back to Sennett, but then became tangled up in scandals, for things with which she was not involved. She died of tuberculosis at 37.  The image is from the 19-September-1914 Moving Picture World.  This is probably not just a publicity shot.  Mabel liked to drive fast cars. 

A Keystone Every Monday -- October 17, 2012

This year we mark the 100th anniversary of the Keystone company.  Here is an ad for Keystone's first release, a split reel of "The Water Nymph" and "Cohen Collects a Debt," from the 28-September-1912 Moving Picture World.  Most 1912 film ads did not name the performers, but this one talks about "Four Famous Comedians," Mack Sennett, Mabel Normand, Fred Mace and Ford Sterling. That's a nice photo of Mabel. 

The Giants lost the second game to the Cardinals, after a 3.5 hour rain delay.  

A Dash Through the Clouds -- October 1, 2012

Before Mack Sennett and Mabel Normand left the Biograph Company to found Keystone in 1912, they produced many comedies, including "A Dash Through the Clouds."  Here, Mabel rides in pilot Phillip Parmalee's Wright Model B and fires a pistol at a group of Mexican-Americans who are attacking her soon-to-be former suitor, Fred Mace.   The "Mexican Quarter" includes views of Mission San Fernando (I think), where Biograph set several movies during their winter visits to California.  Parmalee died in an airshow crash on 01-June-1912.  This film was released later in the same month. 

Treasures 5: The West #1 -- January 11, 2012

One of my Christmas presents was the fifth Treasures From the American Film Archives, The West.

Disc one starts with a Biograph split reel comedy, "The Tourists," directed by Mack Sennett in 1912.  Mabel Normand and her companions get off a Santa Fe train in Albuquerque and Mabel is very enthusiastic about the crafts sold by Native American women in front of the Fred Harvey Company's Indian Building.  Failing to get back on the train before it leaves, Mabel wanders away from her party and into the area where the Native Americans live.  She flirts with a man called "Big Chief" until his wife and other ladies chase Mabel and her friends onto the next train, which pulls out with a Santa Fe California Limited drum sign clearly visible on the observation platform.

"The Sergeant" is a 1910 Selig Polyscope one reeler that was mostly shot in the Yosemite Valley.  This movie is one of the cache discovered in the New Zealand archive.  It was preserved with funds that we helped raise in the the 2010 For the Love of Film Blogathon (http://cablecarguy.blogspot.com/2010/02/why-do-we-need-to-preserve-films-brief.html).  It stars Hobart Bosworth as a cavalry sergeant who loses his stripes when he goes for a ride with the Colonel's daughter.  Their horses get stolen by a "renegade" and they spend the night out.  Later the cavalrymen and the daughter are trapped by attacking Native Americans.  The former sergeant dives into the river to get help.  The film was by Francis Boggs, an important early director who was shot to death in Los Angeles the next year.

Salomy Jane is the only surviving feature produced by the California Motion Picture Company in San Rafael and at the Russian River.   In his commentary Gary Scharnhorst does a good job of explaining how the movie is related the the Bret Harte story and Paul Armstrong's stage play.  It stars the beautiful Beatriz Michelena, wife of producer George Middleton.  She was good.  The advertisement above is from the 20-January-1915 Bisbee, Arizona Daily Review.  Alco Film Company, the distributor, did a poor job.

"Sunshine Gatherers" is a 1921 Prizmacolor one reeler which promotes the Del Monte company's canned fruits.  It opens with a cheerful history of the missions of California.  The two-color Prizmacolor process gave good results.

"Deschutes Driftwood" is a 1916 documentary shot along the Oregon Trunk Lines, showing the adventures of Weak Kneed Walter, a hobo who keeps getting tossed off of trains.  There are excellent views of the bridges and other features along the line.

"The 'Promised Land' Barred to 'Hoboes'" is a brief segment from a 1936 Hearst Metrotone newsreel, which documents the Los Angeles Police Department's humanitarian project to intercept migrants at the California border and kick them out if they didn't have money or a waiting job.

"Last of the Line" is a 1914 New York Motion Picture Company two-reeler which stars Japanese actor Sessue Hayakawa and his wife Tsuru Aoki as Native Americans.  The rest of the tribe was played by actual Native Americans.  Thomas H Ince produced this story of a chief's son, Hayakawa, who returns to the reservation ruined by his education in another world.

"The Indian-detour" is a 1926 one-reeler promoting the Santa Fe and Fred Harvey Company's special excursion which allowed riders on transcontinental trains to get off in Las Vegas, New Mexico or Albuquerque and take a three-day trip by Harveycoach (bus) or Harveycar (auto) to visit various Native American sites.

"Native Americans in Newsreels" includes clips from several newsreels showing Native Americans lobbying in Washington DC and visiting other locations.

"We Can Take It" is a 1935 silent short by the USDA, documenting the work of the Civilian Conservation Corps.  The commentary points out that many of the scenes are staged, and that the camps were actually segregated, but the movie gives a good idea of the good work done by the Corps.  Some of the flood control and fire prevention projects would be considered wrong today, but they were considered the right thing to do at the time.

I'll do Disc Two another day.

Disc Two: http://cablecarguy.blogspot.com/2012/01/treasures-5-west-2-january-12-2012.html

Disc Three: http://cablecarguy.blogspot.com/2012/01/treasures-5-west-3-january-19-2012.html

Lucille Ball 100 - August 6, 2011

Today is Lucille Ball's 100th birthday. She had a combination of beauty and comic talent that is seen only rarely, in other actresses such as Mabel Normand, Thelma Todd and Carole Lombard. I grew up watching reruns of I Love Lucy. Later on I learned that she had started appearing in movies in the 1930s.

Slapstick #4 -- December 13, 2010

Just in time for Christmas, a pretty picture of Mabel Normand. When she was in her teens, Mabel Normand starting posing as a model for artists such as Charles Dana Gibson. She started acting in movies for several studios including Biograph, where she met Mack Sennett. When Sennett left Biograph to start Keystone in 1912, Mabel went along. She was engaged to Sennett for while, but they never married. People still debate the reasons. She became one of Sennett's most important comedians, but, like his other comedians, left Sennett for other studios and more money. Mabel starred in a series of popular features for Goldwyn, went back to Sennett, but then became tangled up in scandals, for things with which she was not involved. She died of tuberculosis at 37.

The cover of the January, 1918 Motion Picture Classic comes from AceCovers: http://www.magazine-covers.net/

Slapstick #3 -- November 15, 2010

Roscoe Arbuckle, who did not like to be called "Fatty," was a skilled comedian who started his movie career with Selig and Universal before he came to Keystone in 1913. While there he made many movies with Mabel Normand. They were a good team. He also helped Charlie Chaplin learn the ropes of working in movies. Like many of Mack Sennett's stars, Arbuckle left to get a raise. He made a series of short films that gave Buster Keaton his start in movies. Arbuckle moved up to feature films before getting tarred in a scandal in San Francisco. Even though he was found not guilty, his career was ruined. He returned to directing and eventually made a series of short sound films before he died in 1933.

The cover of the April, 1916 Film Fun comes from AceCovers: http://www.magazine-covers.net/

Buster Posey was named National League Rookie of the Year. Good choice.

Slapstick #2 -- October 10, 2010

When she was in her teens, Mabel Normand starting posing as a model for artists such as Charles Dana Gibson. She started acting in movies for several studios including Biograph, where she met Mack Sennett. When Sennett left Biograph to start Keystone in 1912, Mabel went along. She was engaged to Sennett for while, but they never married. People still debate the reasons. She became one of Sennett's most important comedians, but, like his other comedians, left Sennett for other studios and more money. Mabel starred in a series of popular features for Goldwyn, went back to Sennett, but then became tangled up in scandals, for things with which she was not involved. She died of tuberculosis at 37.

The cover of the February, 1918 Picture Play comes from AceCovers: http://www.magazine-covers.net/

The Giants beat the Braves in Atlanta. Sanchez pitched beautifully and had a 1-0 lead for most of the game. The Braves went ahead 2-1 in the 8th, but the Giants won it 3-2 in the 9th.

Mutoscope #4 -- August 15, 2010

I photographed Charlie Chaplin and Mabel Normand on a Mutoscope card in the Penny Arcade at Disneyland in July, 2010.

Abbey Lincoln died. A voice for justice.

Bordeaux With Mabel Normand in 1916 -- June 1, 2009

Mabel Normand is one of my favorite actresses. Here she poses with actor Joe Bordeaux. The caption says this is 1916. She rode in an airplane in 1912's "A Dash Through the Clouds," and other movies.

I borrowed this image from a neat site dedicated to Mabel, Looking for Mabel Normand: http://looking-for-mabel.webs.com/