Looking for Mabel Normand

Who Was Jean Darnell?

Marilyn Slater

November 29, 2008

There was an unidentified actress in a photo setting beside Mabel Normand on a couch, it is a scene from “He Did and He Didn’t” (Triangle 1916), I have a copy of the payroll reports from the Fort Lee production. It was on the payroll that I found Ferris Hartman, listed as the assistant director and Elgin Lesley, the cameraman; so who was on the payroll that might be this mysterious woman on the sofa.

There were 10 regular employees but in the week ending January 15, 1916, there were two extras hired, Lloyd Peddrick, an actor but the other was “Miss” Jean Darnell. Jean received 5 days of work at $5 a day. (the payroll record is in notes)

I looked at the IMDb, which only lists films for her 1912-1913; Jean is listed alongside William Garwood and Florence La Badie in a number of short films. Next I googled William Garwood as I know a little about Florence La Badie but next to nothing about Garwood. At the Thanhouser website, they have a very good career synopsis of William Garwood but nothing on Jean Darnell other than the little reference to the fact that Jean wrote the article in Photoplay about Billie Garwood and that she worked as an actress at Thanhouser.

IMDb needs to add “He Did and He Didn’t and maybe her real name, as they didn’t have much more information except date of birth c. 1889, Sherman, Texas and date of death, January 20, 1961, Dallas, Texas.

Next stop Wikipedia, Jean Darnell, it listed her birth names as JEAN JARRATT DARNELL, the same dates of birth and death, and they write that she had a brief career as a silent film actress and yes a dark little picture. Jean would have been around 27 if she is the woman setting with Mabel, it might be the same woman, I think it is but (the photo from Wikipedia is in notes - I cleared it up a little, perhaps they should add her real name, etc.)

Jean Darnell wrote a regular column for The Photoplay Magazine called “From the Inside” In the August 1913 issue she interviewed William Garwood, her co-star at Thanhouser. "Anyone visiting Majestic Company and seeing handsome Billie Garwood 'made up' for the Millionaire Clubman could never fancy that he reads books entitled How to Raise Onions and Best Kinds of Soil Suitable for Growing Alfalfa. But he does. Really, he is very much the farmer, and is going to improve the ranch he has just bought near Long Beach, by planting alfalfa and onions and installing a big irrigating plant in connection with an artesian well on his place."

In the Newspaper Archive, I found her…. According to the San Antonio Light, January 22, 1915. Miss Jean Matthews Asserts it requires courage and persistence to make a successful actress and that it is among Western girls that such qualities generally are found. Miss Jean Matthews, a native Texan, of Temple, whose stage name is JEAN DARNELL, told Friday morning of the hardships of herself and her sister, Miss Mary Matthews, a dancer, (known as BEATRICE “Billie” ALLEN), in working in their professions. Miss Darnell is a widely known magazine interviewer and Miss Allen formerly was the dancing partner of Vernon Castle, but more recently has danced with Carlos Sebastian of New York City. With their parents, Mr. and Mrs. G. W. Matthews, of Temple, they are at the St. Anthony Hotel. (the rest of the article is in notes)

Washington Post of June 10, 1917, had a full page about…“Billie” Allen became a brilliant figure in smart Bohemia…to her one home at Temple in Texas, came news that she was one of the most beautiful and popular girls in New York. Temple, Tex., rubbed its eyes. When its bewilderment had passed, it became proud of what had at first shocked it.

The young dancer had an artistic apartment in 39^th Street, in New York, which she shared with her sister, JEAN DARNELL a motion picture actress and playwright”. It is one of those features, which reads like a "playwright" not like a reporter wrote it. (I think it may have been written by Jean, it reads a little like the article Jean wrote about Geraldine Farrar, the full page is in notes).

In 1920, the San Antonio Evening News dated April 24 issue was an interview that Jean Darnell did with Geraldine Farrar. (yes, the article is in notes).

So now, I think I can label the photo…but if you have any pictures of Jean Darnell, please contact me.