Mabel Normand-Mabels Blunder-Pt1/2-1914 Silent

Only one of 25 movies added to the National Film Registry, Library of Congress, on December 30, 2009~the film was added to honor Mabel Normand for her enduring contribution to American culture. (Thanks for that info Marilyn S.) Mabel's Blunder, written and directed by Mabel Normand for Mack Sennett's Keystone Film Company and released October 1914 was Normand's 172nd film although she had only started in the business 4 1/2 years earlier at Vitagraph Co. This film is Public Domain.
Harry (Harry McCoy), the boss's son and Mabel (Mabel Normand), the office girl are secretly engaged but the boss, Harry's father, not knowing of the engagement, is also trying to woo Mabel. A mystery woman (Eva Nelson), arrives to visit Harry and Mabel thinks she is being two-timed when she peeps through a keyhole and sees Harry and Eva embrace. As Harry and Eva leave for a party, Mabel plots to trade identities with her brother (Al St. John), who had arrived to chauffeur Harry to the party. Mabel, now disguised as her brother the chauffeur drives her boyfriend Harry and Eva to the party and she is mad and cussing all the way. Meanwhile poor Mabel's brother, now wearing Mabel's clothes, is spirited away to the party by Harry's father thinking he finally has Mabel all to himself. The plot comes unwound in typical Keystone fashion. We discover the identity of the mystery woman in part II. Charley Chase also has a small part in this film as Harry's friend.

• Category

  Film & Animation

[Fiona MacDonald]

i love Mabel and Jelly Roll Morton so a perfect combination!

[preservationhall01]

Thanks for visiting the 20s museum~!!

[silentmoviequeen]

I loved Mabel normand, she was a fantastic comedienne.

[preservationhall01]

Mabel was one of the few early "silent" actresses to act more naturally without the overdone facial expressions and exaggerated body language some directors thought necessary to communicate "silently". Mack Sennett gave her quite a bit of artisctic freedom (since she was his girlfriend~and more), she wrote & directed a large number of films for Sennett's studio, as well as directing his new talent finds such as Charlie Chaplin. Oh, and she was a fantastic comedienne too!

[TheMoviefan1996]

Love the soundtrack at beginning

[preservationhall01]

Johnny Hamps Orchestra-playing Blackbottom. 1930s.

[dinnerandashow]

Huge hips and a belly was sexy back then.

[silentmoviequeen]

Yes i think she was very natural although i believe the most natural actresses of the early silent era were Mary pickford and Florence La badie. But Mabel was one of the greatest actresses of the time without a doubt.

[deepseadirt]

Pictorial quality is outstanding, compared to how other Keystones have weathered the decades. If she directed this, then even better. I do believe Mabel's name is on the list of women directors at Wikipedia.

[solarisqs]

thank you thank you x