3. Mabel Normand and Charles Chaplin were colleagues, rather than rivals as is sometimes reported
In 1914, a silent film was released by Mack Sennett’s Keystone studios starring Mabel Normand, an established female star who drew positive reviews for her performance, and Sennett’s newest acting star, a vaudevillian named Charles Chaplin. The film was directed by Sennett, with supporting input from Normand, and both were credited as such. Chaplin was still years away from developing the Little Tramp character which first brought him lasting fame and new to the art of filmmaking. Still, he was an established physical comedian of prodigious talent, and he no doubt contributed his ideas to the film, in which a motorcycle operated by his character is conveying Normand’s character when the latter is tossed off into a puddle. Subsequent comedic scenes include a confrontation with Normand’s “boyfriend”.
In recent years through the use of the internet and appallingly sloppy research, the film has been cited as demonstrating the sexist attitudes of Hollywood. According to their theory, Chaplin claimed to have been the director of the film, denying Normand all credit. However, Chaplin never claimed to have directed the film, Sennett did, and he shared the credit with Normand. Later Chaplin and Normand made several additional films together, often sharing the credit as director, though Chaplin speedily developed the reputation of being difficult to work with other than when he was clearly in charge. Mabel Normand would say of their time together, “I would direct Charlie in his scenes, and he would direct me in mine”. Though Chaplin’s behavior towards women was not exactly above reproach, his often cited sexist attitudes towards Mabel Normand are less than well-documented at best, the creation of febrile minds, and the two worked together for many years.