Mabel Normand family estate not happy with Stevie's song

[Sanne2]

Normand family estate comments on the Stevie Nicks interviews
Stephen Normand’s statement on the interviews/articles regarding Stevie Nicks:

My great aunt Mabel Normand (my grandfather’s sister) died of tuberculosis. Though I am grateful Ms Nicks found Mabel as her lifesaver, presently there isn’t documented proof of cocaine addiction. Whatever documentary Ms Nicks watched was/is based on hearsay. Any sanatorium stays aunt Mabel experienced were for tuberculosis and pneumonia. Mabel Normand’s septum was without a hole as Ms Nicks herself suffered. Rather than living on in the memory of the song written & named “Mabel Normand” by Stevie Nicks. My great aunt Mabel is immortalized in the rather more tasteful Broadway Musical score of MACK & MABEL by the legendary Jerry Herman. Mabel Normand I would agree with Ms Nicks was beautiful,talented, rich, sophisticated and the premiere comedienne of the Silent Screen. Mabel was also the only woman to direct Charlie Chaplin, had her own film company, one of the first women directors and over 100 films to her credit. Mabel Normand died 23 February 1930 at Pottenger’s Sanitorium of tuberculosis (as on her death certificate) aged 38. Stephen Normand - Archivist of the Mabel Normand Family Estate

http://mabelnormandofficial.tumblr.c...ie-nicks#notes

[Rachelclaire]

Mabel Normand is my favorite song off the whole album, they should be unhappy at whomever made the documentary that Stevie watched, not Stevie. xx

[Angie1980]

I Looove Mabel Normand too!!!!

I don't get why he refers to Stevie's hole in her septum since she is not in any way saying that Mabel Normand also had a hole in her nose???

[TimeCastASpell]

Originally Posted by Angie1980

I Looove Mabel Normand too!!!!

I don't get why he refers to Stevie's hole in her septum since she is not in any way saying that Mabel Normand also had a hole in her nose???

Almost comes off as a passive aggressive dig at Stevie and her cocaine use.

Correct me if I'm wrong but I know in the not so distant past cocaine (and opium, and other drugs now known to be highly addictive and sense made illegal in most countries) were used medicinally in the US. I'm not sure of the time periods on this or anything but back in the 20s we were so busy demonizing alcohol, was it known at the time how dangerous cocaine could be? A quick google search turned up this (and a zillion other links I haven't yet read) http://www.drugfreeworld.org/drugfac...t-history.html If its notable enough to warrant mention that cocaine was popular in the silent film era I don't think it's a stretch to say someone of Mabel Normands stature was likely surrounded by the stuff and was probably highly likely to have tried it at the very least. I mean not so far off from rock music of the 70s. I recently read Heart's memoir and Ann Wilson was adamant that she was never an addict but didnt deny doing drugs (and remarked that her and Nancy were very close to Stevie for awhile but couldn't keep up with her level of partying...) So I don't know. I can't say enough about the silent film era myself though I also adore the song. Not uncommon for descendants of people both famous and not to try to rewrite history since after all, must be nice to be known as a descendant of this female Hollywood pioneer and star, less nice to be known as the descendent of a coke addict, right? I've always admired how open Stevie has been about her drug history but at the same time she also doesn't have children or grandchildren to protect and this is the same woman claiming she can't write her own memoir because of the third wives of the men she's been with so... Maybe she herself wouldn't have been so open if her circumstances were different. So I guess I can sort of see both sides but I don't believe in censorship and Stevie has the right to her song.

Anyway, that's my thoughts on it. That and the lyrics as far as I know are obscure enough that if anything I suspect its recent interviews Stevie has done that they're more unhappy about than the song itself... Can't stop an artist from taking their own interpretations and saying what they will. Almost wonder if after doing interviews about the song, perhaps someone tried to contact someone from Mabel Normands estate? Maybe they never wouldve known otherwise... But either way there's the thought that all press is good press and maybe its stirring up more interest in Normand and that can't be a bad thing, right?

And on a mostly unrelated note, anyone else a Natalie Merchant fan? I find it interesting that her new album has a tribute to a silent film star too. The song is called "Lulu" and is about the actress Louise Brooks. I think I should see more silent movies if they're such inspirations to my favorite singers and songwriters. So again, I think the Normand estate shuls roll with the increased interest in the silent film era the song has helped create.

[markolas]

What a mincing little prisspot Miss Stephen is! She needs to stop throwing shade at Stevie and go back to her Hello Dolly! cast album. Mabel Normand's drug addiction is fairly well-established, no matter how much her family may want to deny it (much like Garbo's kin refuses to acknowledge the fact that she was a muff diver).

[TimeCastASpell]

Originally Posted by markolas

What a mincing little prisspot Miss Stephen is! She needs to stop throwing shade at Stevie and go back to her Hello Dolly! cast album. Mabel Normand's drug addiction is fairly well-established, no matter how much her family may want to deny it (much like Garbo's kin refuses to acknowledge the fact that she was a muff diver).

Tell us how you really feel.

You kind of made my morning with this. Excellent phrasing too, I must say.

[BlueDenimLamp]

At the turn of the century (late 1800's / early 1900's) cocaine was prescribed for a variety of reasons...Ulysses. S. Grant who died in 1885 was prescribed "cocaine water" to ease the torturous pain of his throat cancer. Mabel was a "rock star" in her day and I don't think she was as squeaky clean as her relative implies. This just seems like a way for the estate to draw attention to Mabel's work and generate free publicity and increase revenue for the estate.

An excerpt from Who Killed William Desmond Taylor?

"Mabel Turns to Drugs"
Sometime during these periods of upheaval, Normand turned to narcotics to help her cope and got hooked. She also became involved with William Desmond Taylor, either as a close friend or a girlfriend. There are some reports that Taylor may have used narcotics but it is certain that he never became addicted. He sometimes broke into tears over Normand's condition.

Concern over Normand's drug dependency may have led Taylor to violence. Deed of Death recounts his having gotten into a fistfight with a dealer who was making a delivery to Normand. Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Green said publicly that Taylor had asked the government's assistance in combating dope pushers who sold their goods to film people.

Some who thought Mabel Normand was having an affair with Taylor suspected her of killing him. They thought she might have been jealous of his relationships with other women. Others speculated that Mack Sennett, who was known to still be in love with Normand and always hopeful of rekindling their romance, had murdered Taylor.

Still others believe that a drug dealer Taylor had angered in his efforts to save her from addiction had killed him or hired a hit man to do it.

Normand's career faded after Taylor's death, partly because of the suspicions that followed it. Her addiction and emotional problems may also have contributed to her being out of work for a while.

Less than two years after Taylor was murdered, Normand found herself in the midst of yet another shooting scandal. She was at a New Year's celebration in 1924, hosted by the wealthy Courtland Dines. Normand's chauffeur, Joe Kelly, got into a fight with Dines and shot him. The latter suffered only superficial wounds and easily recovered. Kelly claimed he acted in self-defense and a jury believed him. The shooting further damaged Normand's reputation leading to the banning of her films in some states and boycotts in others.

She made a comeback in 1926. It was welcomed by Mary Pickford who, far from treating her fellow actress as a rival, took out an advertisement in Motion Picture World in which she said, "welcome back to the screen" to the dark-haired comedienne. The movie was called The Nickel Hopper. She made a few more movies but never got back to the top of her game.

Tuberculosis took Normand's life on February 22, 1930, at the age of 35.

[DauphineMarie]

Originally Posted by markolas

What a mincing little prisspot Miss Stephen is! She needs to stop throwing shade at Stevie and go back to her Hello Dolly! cast album. Mabel Normand's drug addiction is fairly well-established, no matter how much her family may want to deny it (much like Garbo's kin refuses to acknowledge the fact that she was a muff diver).

I agree with you completely. I am very familiar with Stephen Normand, whom I listened to in an interview with Minta Durfee (Fatty Arbuckle's wife) and I am glad that he is trying to preserve Mabel's works. But either this is for publicity or pure spite.. Kinda strange why he would do this.

[mitzo]

Originally Posted by markolas

What a mincing little prisspot Miss Stephen is! She needs to stop throwing shade at Stevie and go back to her Hello Dolly! cast album. Mabel Normand's drug addiction is fairly well-established, no matter how much her family may want to deny it (much like Garbo's kin refuses to acknowledge the fact that she was a muff diver).

Muff diver?! OMG...

[f2theox]

Judging from the fact that Mabel's cocaine addiction is listed in pretty much everything you read about her, but yet her family says there's no documented proof? What more do they want?! Next thing you know, they'll contact her from beyond the grave for that official confirmation.

[michelej1]

Yes, I do think it's for publicity, whether they actually think she used cocaine or not -- this gets him in the news. Michele

[rubylounge]

My grandmother who was 2 years older than Marilyn Monroe, introduced me to all the old movie stars and I used to look at her beautiful books with all the glamorous stars in them from this era. I never knew Mabel Normand. If it hadn't been for Stevie I would have never known she's existed. At least Stevie gave her some publicity, lol. I don't know why the family has to be crab apples about this.

[SpyNote]

Family members are often the last ones to know.

[Macfanforever]

I was wondering about Stephen Normand's thoughts on Stevie's song.

He was not to happy with some of those docus about his aunt.

He commented on this E channel's "Mysteries & Scandals" show about his aunt.Which is not the docu Stevie watched because it was produced in the late 1990's.

If you going to watch the video .Be warned with the long intervals of silence between segments.




I blame it on the media.I hate to see what the media have to say about Stevie 50 years from now .I know I wont be here to see it.The media loves to dig up the dirt and crap about people to sell their newspapers ,magazines and TV programs.

I just cant stand seeing the rubbish on the covers of those rag mags in the cashier' s line.

[dontlookdown]

It's a great song. Arguably one of the strongest we've heard from her in a long time. It reminds
me of something on Dylan's Desire album.

Some people were born with a pole in their ass.