Maidie Norman

1. Overview

Maidie Norman (October 16, 1912 - May 2, 1998) was an American actress and educator who made significant contributions to radio, stage, film, and television. Throughout her career, Norman was a vocal advocate for the dignified representation of African Americans in the arts, actively challenging racial stereotypes and rewriting roles to uphold the integrity of Black characters. Beyond her acting, she was a pioneering instructor in African-American literature and theater, notably establishing the first course on African-American theater history at the UCLA.

2. Early Life and Education

Maidie Ruth Gamble was born on October 16, 1912, on a plantation in Villa Rica, Georgia, to Louis and Lila Graham Gamble. She was raised in Lima, Ohio, where she developed an early interest in drama, beginning her studies and performing in Shakespeare plays as a child. Norman graduated from Central High School in Lima in 1930. She then pursued higher education at Bennett College in Greensboro, North Carolina, earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1934. She furthered her academic pursuits by obtaining a master's degree in drama from Columbia University in 1937.

3. Acting Career

Norman began her professional acting career in radio, making appearances on popular programs such as The Jack Benny Program and Amos 'n' Andy. In 1946, she began formal training at the Actors' Laboratory Theatre in Hollywood. Her stage debut came in 1949, where she performed as Honey in Deep Are the Roots at the Mayan Theater in Los Angeles.

Her film career commenced in 1947 with The Peanut Man. Early in her career, Norman faced challenges in securing positive roles for African-American women, often being limited to playing maids and domestic workers. Despite this, she steadfastly refused to portray these characters in a subservient or stereotypical manner, which was then common in the industry. She famously stated, "In the beginning, I made a pledge that I would play no role that deprived black women of their dignity."

In 1951, Norman took on her only leading film role, portraying Martha Crawford in The Well. She subsequently appeared in supporting roles in several films, including Torch Song (1953), Bright Road (1953), Susan Slept Here (1954), The Opposite Sex (1956), and Written on the Wind (1956). One of her most notable performances was as the ill-fated housekeeper Elvira Stitt in Robert Aldrich's 1962 psychological horror film What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?, starring Bette Davis and Joan Crawford. Norman recounted in a 1995 interview that the character of Elvira was originally written as a "doltish, yessum character." She took it upon herself to rewrite the dialogue, which she described as "old slavery-time talk," in an effort to imbue the character with dignity.

From the 1960s onward, Norman primarily focused on television roles, believing that the medium offered more opportunities for African-American performers. Her extensive television credits include guest appearances on series such as The Loretta Young Show, Perry Mason, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Ben Casey, and Dr. Kildare. In 1961, she performed in the Los Angeles production of A Raisin in the Sun. During the 1970s and 1980s, she continued to guest-star on popular shows like Good Times, The Jeffersons, Little House on the Prairie, and The Streets of San Francisco. Her final film role was in Terrorist on Trial: The United States vs. Salim Ajami (1988), and in the same year, she made her last television appearances in the sitcom Amen, the TV movie Side by Side, and an episode of Simon & Simon.

4. Teaching Career

Concurrent with her acting career, Maidie Norman dedicated a significant portion of her life to education. During the 1950s, she toured various colleges, delivering lectures on African-American literature and theater. From 1955 to 1956, she served as an educator at the University of Texas at Tyler. She also held an artist-in-residence position at Stanford University from 1968 to 1969.

A landmark achievement in her teaching career came in 1970 when she developed and taught a pioneering course in African-American theater history at UCLA. This course marked the first time that a subject devoted to African-American studies was offered in the university's history. Norman continued to teach at UCLA until 1977. In recognition of her profound contributions, UCLA later established the Maidie Norman Research Award, presented for the best student essay on African-American film or theater.

5. Filmography

6. Television Credits

7. Personal Life

On December 22, 1937, Maidie Gamble married real estate broker McHenry Norman, whom she had met during her time at Bennett College. She later adopted her husband's surname as her professional name. The couple had one son, McHenry Norman III, and remained married until McHenry's death. In 1977, Norman married Weldon D. Canada, and their marriage lasted until her passing.

8. Death

Maidie Norman died on May 2, 1998, at the age of 85, at her son's home in San Jose, California. The cause of her death was lung cancer. A funeral service was held for her at the Alum Rock United Methodist Church in San Jose on May 12. Following the service, Norman was cremated, and her ashes were scattered at sea, as per the arrangements made by The Neptune Society.

9. Honors and Awards

Maidie Norman received several recognitions for her contributions to both the arts and human relations.

• In 1958, she was invited to serve as an official delegate of the Methodist Church for a conference on human relations. This event was held from February 11-13 at the First Methodist Church of Glendale, California, and was sponsored by the Southern California-Arizona Conference Board of Christian Social Relations and the General Board of Social and Economic Relations.
• In 1977, Norman was inducted into the Black Filmmakers Hall of Fame, acknowledging her significant impact on African-American cinema.
• The California Educational Theatre Association honored her with a professional artist award in 1985.
• In 1992, her alma mater, Bennett College, awarded her an honorary doctorate in recognition of her distinguished career and achievements.