Mabel's Blunder (1914) is a silent comedy film directed by, written by, and starring Mabel Normand, the most successful of the early silent screen comediennes.

Plot

Mabel's Blunder tells the tale of a young woman who is secretly engaged to the boss's son. The young man's sister comes to visit at their office, and a jealous Mabel, not knowing who the visiting woman is, dresses up as a (male) chauffeur to spy on them.

Production background

Produced at Mack Sennett's Keystone Studios, known at the time as "The Fun Factory", Mabel's Blunder showcases Normand's spontaneous and intuitive playfulness and her ability to be both romantically appealing and boisterously funny.

National Film Registry

This film, with its unusual gender-bending aspect, was added to the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress in December 2009 for being "culturally, historically or aesthetically" significant.

Music

The film was re-dubbed in 2023 on behalf of the german TV Station ZDF/ARTE. The soundtrack was compiled live by Leipzig-based DJ SilentFilmDj. The film will be available for free on arte.tv till 31 May 2024 as part of the Female Comedies series.