Maidie Norman

Maidie Norman, originally named Maidie Ruth Gamble, was born on October 16, 1912, in Villa Rica, Georgia, to Louis and Lila Gamble. She pursued higher education, earning a Bachelor of Arts degree from Bennett College in 1934 and a master's degree from Columbia University in 1937. Her passion for acting led her to study at the Actors Lab in Hollywood from 1946 to 1949.

Norman made her film debut in 1947 with *The Peanut Man.* During the 1950s, a challenging era for African American actresses, she appeared in several significant films, including *Bright Road* alongside Dorothy Dandridge and Sidney Poitier, *Torch Song*, and *Written on the Wind* in 1956. Despite often being cast in minor servant roles typical of the time, she delivered her performances with undeniable skill and professionalism. A pivotal moment in her career came in 1962 when she shared the screen with Bette Davis and Joan Crawford in *What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?*

In 1968-1969, Norman served as an artist-in-residence at Stanford University and later became a lecturer, director, and acting instructor at UCLA throughout the 1970s. Her television credits included appearances in *Mannix,* *Adam 12,* *Streets of San Francisco,* and *Roots: The Next Generation* in 1979. A founding member of the American Negro Theater West, she was honored with induction into the Black Filmmakers Hall of Fame in 1977. Norman passed away on May 6, 1998, leaving behind a legacy celebrated in the annual award named in her honor at UCLA for outstanding research in Black Theater.