Maidie Norman

Maidie Ruth Norman (October 16, 1912 – May 2, 1998) was an American radio, stage, film, and television actress as well as an instructor in African-American literature and theater.

Early life Norman was born Maidie Ruth Gamble on a plantation in Villa Rica, Georgia, to Louis and Lila Graham Gamble. She was raised in Lima, Ohio, and began studying drama and performing in Shakespeare plays as a child. She graduated from Central High School in Lima in 1930, and attended Bennett College in Greensboro, North Carolina, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts in 1934. She then got her master's degree in drama at Columbia University in 1937.

She married real-estate broker McHenry Norman on December 22, 1937. She later used her husband's surname as her professional name.

Career

Acting Norman began her career in radio with appearances on The Jack Benny Program and Amos 'n' Andy. In 1946, she began studying at the Actors' Laboratory Theatre in Hollywood. She made her stage debut in 1949 as Honey in Deep Are the Roots at the Mayan Theater in Los Angeles.

In 1947, Norman made her film debut in The Peanut Man. She initially found it difficult to find positive roles in films for African-American women and felt limited in playing maids and domestics. While she did appear in such roles, Norman refused to portray these characters in a subservient or stereotypical manner that was considered the norm.

Norman appeared in her only leading role in 1951, playing Martha Crawford in The Well. She later appeared in supporting roles in Torch Song (1953), Bright Road (1953), Susan Slept Here (1954), The Opposite Sex (1956), and Written on the Wind (1956). One of her more memorable roles was as the ill-fated housekeeper Elvira Stitt in Robert Aldrich's 1962 horror film What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?, with Bette Davis and Joan Crawford. In a 1995 interview, Norman recalled that the character was originally written as a "doltish, yessum character". She rewrote the dialogue, which she called "old slavery-time talk", in an effort to dignify the character. Her TV credits include appearances in The Loretta Young Show, Perry Mason, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Ben Casey, and Dr. Kildare. In 1961, she appeared in the Los Angeles production of A Raisin in the Sun.

In the 1970s and 1980s, Norman guest-starred on episodes of Good Times, The Jeffersons, Little House on the Prairie, and The Streets of San Francisco. Her last film role was in Terrorist on Trial: The United States vs. Salim Ajami (1988), and the same year, she made her television appearances in the American sitcom Amen, the TV movie Side by Side, and an episode of Simon & Simon.

Teaching At the height of her career during the 1950s, Norman toured colleges lecturing on African-American literature and theater. From 1955 to 1956, she taught at the University of Texas at Tyler. Norman was also an artist-in-residence at Stanford University from 1968 to 1969.

Personal life On December 22, 1937, she married real estate broker McHenry Norman, whom she met while attending Bennett College. They had one son, McHenry Norman III. They were married until McHenry's death.

In 1977, she was inducted into the Black Filmmakers Hall of Fame.

In 1985, California Educational Theatre Association gave her a professional artist award.

In 1992, Norman was awarded an honorary doctorate from Bennett College, her alma mater.

Filmography Year Title Role Notes 1947 The Burning Cross Kitty West The Peanut Man 1949 Manhandled Christine (Bennet's maid) Uncredited 1951 The Well Martha Crawford 1952 Lydia Bailey Minor role Uncredited1953 Bright Road Mrs. Hamilton (Tanya's mother) Torch Song Anne Forever Female Emma (Beatrice's maid) Uncredited Money from Home Mattie (Phyllis' maid) Uncredited 1954 Executive Suite Housekeeper Uncredited About Mrs. Leslie Camilla Susan Slept Here Georgette (Mark's maid) 1955 Tarzan's Hidden Jungle Suma Uncredited Mad at the World Miss Lovett Uncredited Man with the Gun Sarah (Nelly's maid) Uncredited 1956 The Opposite Sex Violet (clerk at Sydney's) Uncredited Written on the Wind Bertha 1960 No Greater Love 1962 What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? Elvira Stitt 1963 4 for Texas Burden's maid 1966 A Fine Madness Waitress Uncredited 1972 The Final Comedown Nurse Ferguson Alternative title: Blast! 1973 Maurie Mrs. Stokes Sixteen Aunt Ada Alternative title: The Young Prey 1976 A Star Is Born Justice of the Peace Uncredited 1977 Airport '77 Dorothy 1978 Movie Movie Gussie 1982 Halloween III: Season of the Witch Nurse Agnes

Television credits Year Title Role Notes 1950 Fireside Theatre Season 3 Episode 9: "The Amber Gods" 1954 Fireside Theatre Season 7 Episode 4: "Afraid to Live" 1955 Hallmark Hall of Fame Lurie Episode: "The Courtship of George Washington and Martha Custiss" 1955 Lux Video Theatre Flora Season 5 Episode 34: "No Sad Songs for Me" 1955 Lux Video Theatre Maid Season 5 Episode 44: "Forever Female" 1955 Cavalcade of America Aunt Nellie Season 4 Episode 3: "Towards Tomorrow" 1956 Matinee Theater Rose Season 1 Episode 111: "From the Desk of Margaret Tyding" 1956 Four Star Playhouse Coralee Season 4 Episode 26: "Autumn Carousel" 1956 Climax! Maggie Season 2 Episode 27: "The Lou Gehrig Story" 1956 Celebrity Playhouse Elsie Season 1 Episode 35: "I'll Make the Arrest" 1956 Dragnet Season 6 Episode 2: "The Big Missus" 1957 Letter to Loretta Flora Season 4 Episode 33: "Royal Partners, Part 1" 1957 Letter to Loretta Flora Season 4 Episode 34: "Royal Partners, Part 2" 1959 Letter to Loretta Josi Season 7 Episode 4: "Mask of Evidence" 1960 Alfred Hitchcock Presents Eloise Season 6 Episode 1: "Mrs. Bixby and the Colonel's Coat" 1960 Michael Shayne Maid Season 1 Episode 9: "Blood on Biscayne Bay" 1962 Perry Mason Maid Season 5 Episode 21: "The Case of the Mystified Miner" 1963 Wide Country Vera Season 1 Episode 18: "Speckle Bird" 1963 Ben Casey Bartender Season 3 Episode 4: "Allie" 1963 The Joey Bishop Show Nurse Mildred Season 3 Episode 12: "Ellie Gives Joey First Aid" 1963 Breaking Point Guard Apples Season 1 Episode 15: "Don't Cry, Baby, Don't Cry" 1964 The Twilight Zone Maid Season 5 Episode 25: "The Masks" (uncredited) 1964 Hazel Lady Season 3 Episode 30: "Campaign Manager" 1965 Dr. Kildare Mrs. Johnson Season 4 Episode 20: "A Marriage of Convenience" 1965 Death Valley Days Martha Season 14 Episode 7: "No Place for a Lady" 1965 The Long, Hot Summer Miss James Season 1 Episode 6: "Home Is a Nameless Place" 1965 The Man from U.N.C.L.E. Mama Lou Season 2 Episode 15: "The Very Important Zombie Affair" 1967 CBS Playhouse Mrs. Pierce Season 1 Episode 1: "The Final War of Olly Winter" 1967 Ironside Natalie Masterson Season 1 Episode 8: "Let My Brother Go" 1967 Dragnet Mrs. Holmes Season 2 Episode 11: "The Big Dog" 1968 Dragnet Elsa Erickson Season 2 Episode 28: "The Big Problem" 1968 Insight Alice Pearl Season 1 Episode 200: "The Sandalmaker" 1968 Daktari Mwanda Season 4 Episode 6: "Adam and Jenny" 1968 Judd, for the Defense Charlene Muller Season 2 Episode 8: "The Gates of Cerberus" 1969 The Outcasts Esther Season 1 Episode 24: "Give Me Tomorrow" 1970 Ironside Shaw's Mother Season 3 Episode 16: "Eden Is the Place We Leave" 1970 Storefront Lawyers aka Men at Law Mrs. Kingman Season 1 Episode 7: "Easy to Be Hard" 1970 Barefoot in the Park Lady Season 1 Episode 6: "The Marriage Proposal" 1970 The F.B.I. Caregiver Season 6 Episode 7: "The Innocents" 1970 Another Part of the Forest Coralee Television film 1970 Mannix Aunt Frances Season 4 Episode 8: "The World Between" 1971 Mannix Helen Frank Season 5 Episode 8: "The Glass Trap" 1971 Mannix Mrs. Frost Season 5 Episode 9: "A Choice of Evils" 1971 Room 222 Mrs. Beemer Season 3 Episode 10: "Dixon's Raiders" 1971 Marcus Welby, M.D. Cleaning Woman Season 3 Episode 14: "Of Magic Shadow Shapes" 1972 Say Goodbye, Maggie Cole Nurse Ferguson Television film 1972 Adam-12 Mary Handlin Season 4 Episode 18: "The Adoption" 1973 Adam-12 Ethel May Season 6 Episode 9: "Capture" 1973 Griff Fat Mama Jean Season 1 Episode 10: "Hammerlock" 1973 A Dream for Christmas Jennie Daley Television film 1973 Love Story Mother Season 1 Episode 11: "A Glow of Dying Embers" 1974 Marcus Welby, M.D. Willie Season 5 Episode 17: "Each Day a Miracle" 1974 Cannon Mama Sally Season 3 Episode 23: "Triangle of Terror" 1974 The Sty of the Blind Pig Weedy Warren Television film 1974 The Streets of San Francisco Mrs. Anderson Season 3 Episode 7: "Jacob's Boy" 1974 Rhoda Nurse Charlotte Season 1 Episode 12: "I'm a Little Late, Folks" 1975 Kolchak: The Night Stalker Librarian Season 1 Episode 12: "Mr. R.I.N.G." 1975 Lucas Tanner Ellen Russell Season 1 Episode 14: "Those Who Cannot, Teach" 1975 Kung Fu Omar's Mother Season 3 Episode 18: "Barbary House" 1975 Good Times Edna Season 2 Episode 22: "The Enlistment" 1975 Harry O Clara Wooster Season 2 Episode 4: "Shades" 1975 The Jeffersons Rachel Season 2 Episode 5: "Mother Jefferson's Fall" 1975 Police Woman Nurse Season 2 Episode 13: "The Hit" 1976 Police Woman Celia Jackson Season 3 Episode 1: "The Trick Book" 1976 Marcus Welby, M.D. Mrs. Clements Season 7 Episode 19: "The Highest Mountain" 1976 Police Story Mrs. Wilkins Season 3 Episode 17: "50 Cents-First Half Hour, $1.75 All Day" 1976 Bronk Stella Season 1 Episode 23: "Death with Honor" 1976 Baretta Mrs. Rich Season 3 Episode 11: "Can't Win for Losin'" 1977 Police Woman Mrs. Pole Season 4 Episode 5: "Screams" 1977 Little House on the Prairie Mrs. Henry Season 3 Episode 18: "The Wisdom of Solomon" 1979 The Incredible Hulk Mrs. Dennison Season 2 Episode 13: "Like a Brother" 1979 Roots: The Next Generations Sister Scrap Scott Miniseries 1979 Barnaby Jones Rose Season 8 Episode 6: "Girl on the Road" 1981 Thornwell Ruth Thornwell Television film 1981 Enos Season 1 Episode 13: "Once and Fur All" 1982 Bare Essence Television film 1982 Cagney & Lacey Elevator Operator Season 2 Episode 6: "Internal Affairs" 1983 Bare Essence Season 1 Episode 4: "Hour Four" 1983 Secrets of a Mother and Daughter Neddy Television film 1983 Hotel Carrie Garland Season 1 Episode 7: "Confrontations" 1984 His Mistress Law School Registrar Television film 1985 Matt Houston Ethel Season 3 Episode 21: "Death Watch" 1988 Terrorist on Trial: The United States vs. Salim Ajami Edna Television film 1988 Amen Mrs. Murray Season 2 Episode 13: "Man on a Ledge" 1988 Side by Side Eunice Television film 1988 Simon & Simon Bessie Copeland Season 7 Episode 13: "Little Boy Dead"