Woman Pioneers

Mabel Normand was famous for being an actress in many films with huge stars such as Charlie Chaplin and Sennett. She was also famous for being one of the first silent actors to also be their own director. Three significant films she made were: Mabel’s Dramatic Career, Barney Oldfield’s Race for a Life, and Mickey. The downfall of her career was led by a series of scandals, from rape scandals by her coworker, to substance abuse rumors, all of which putting a bad reputation for Normand, making her movie sales wildly unsuccessful. What surprised me about her was how she would go against what her male colleagues would say and she would take credit for the movies that she directed. Many women at the time were very oppressed by males, and this was a great showing of resistance.