Mabel Ballin (née Croft; January 1, 1885 – July 24, 1958), was an American motion-picture actress of the

silent film A silent film is a film without synchronized recorded sound (or more generally, no audible dialogue). Though silent films convey narrative and emotion visually, various plot elements (such as a setting or era) or key lines of dialogue may, w ...

era.

Early life and career

Mabel Croft was born in

Philadelphia Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania, officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a U.S. state, state spanning the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern United States, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes region, Great Lakes regions o ...

, on January 1, 1885. Some sources give 1887 as her birthdate. Both of Croft's parents died when she was 2 years old, which resulted in her being raised by her grandfather and social worker grandmother. Mabel Croft's first stage experience was at Salvation Army hall, where she played the tambourine to bring in donations. Raised in poverty, Croft was working as a dressmaker when a customer paid for her tuition to an industrial arts school. Croft never graduated, instead moving to New York to pursue a career in acting. She married painter and director

Hugo Ballin Hugo Ballin (March 7, 1879 – November 27, 1956) was an American artist, muralist, author, and film director. Ballin was a member of the National Institute of Arts and Letters and the National Academy of Design. Biography Ballin was born in New ...

on October 24, 1909, in

Westport, Connecticut Westport is a town in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. Located in the Gold Coast (Connecticut), Gold Coast along the Long Island Sound, it is northeast of New York City and is part of the Western Connecticut Planning Region, Connec ...

, and together they founded Ballin Independent Company. Ballin appeared in 28 films between 1917 and 1925. She achieved popularity during

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

. She is best known for her role in ''

Riders of the Purple Sage ''Riders of the Purple Sage'' is a Western novel by Zane Grey, first published by Harper & Brothers in 1912. Considered by scholars to have played a significant role in shaping the formula of the popular Western genre, the novel has been calle ...

'' (1925). Other notable films she appeared in include '' The Glorious Adventure'' (1918), ''

Jane Eyre ''Jane Eyre'' ( ; originally published as ''Jane Eyre: An Autobiography'') is a novel by the English writer Charlotte Brontë. It was published under her pen name "Currer Bell" on 19 October 1847 by Smith, Elder & Co. of London. The firs ...

'' (1921), and '' Vanity Fair'' (1923), in which she portrayed Becky Sharp.

Death

Mabel Ballin died on July 24, 1958, in

Santa Monica, California Santa Monica (; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Santa Mónica'') is a city in Los Angeles County, California, Los Angeles County, situated along Santa Monica Bay on California's South Coast (California), South Coast. Santa Monica's 2020 United Sta ...

. She was interred in Woodlawn Memorial Cemetery in Santa Monica with her husband.

Filmography

* ''When Bobby Broke His Arm'' (1917) * ''Bobby, Movie Director'' (1917) * ''Bobby, Boy Scout'' (1917) * ''Bobby's Bravery'' (1917) * '' The Spreading Dawn'' (1917) *Lost film, only a fragment survives * '' For Valour'' (1917) * '' The Service Star'' (1918) *Lost film * '' The Glorious Adventure'' (1918) *Lost film * ''

The Turn of the Wheel ''The Turn of the Wheel'' is a lost 1918 American silent romantic drama film produced and distributed by Goldwyn Pictures. Reginald Barker directed and Geraldine Farrar starred. Plot As described in a film magazine, Rosalie Dean (Farrar) dissua ...

'' (1918) *Lost film * ''

Laughing Bill Hyde ''Laughing Bill Hyde'' is a lost film, lost 1918 American adventure film directed by Hobart Henley and written by Willard Mack. The film stars Will Rogers, Anna Lehr, Clarence Oliver, Joseph Herbert, Robert Conville, and Dan Mason. The film was r ...

'' (1918) *Lost film * '' The Danger Game'' (1918) * '' The White Heather'' (1919) * '' Lord and Lady Algy'' (1919) *Lost film * '' The Illustrious Prince'' (1919) * ''The Quickening Flame'' (1919) * ''

Under Crimson Skies ''Under Crimson Skies'' is a 1920 American silent adventure film directed by Rex Ingram and starring Elmo Lincoln, Harry von Meter and Mabel Ballin. There are no known archival holdings of the film, so it is presumably a lost film. Plot Cas ...

'' (1920) * ''

Pagan Love ''Pagan Love'' is a 1920 American silent romantic drama film produced and directed by Hugo Ballin and starring his wife Mabel Ballin, Togo Yamamoto, and Rockliffe Fellowes. Its alternate title is ''The Honourable Gentleman'', which is also the ...

'' (1920) *''

'' (1921) *''

East Lynne ''East Lynne, or, The Earl's Daughter'' is an 1861 English sensation novel by Ellen Wood, writing as Mrs. Henry Wood. A Victorian-era bestseller, it is remembered chiefly for its elaborate and implausible plot centering on infidelity and dou ...

'' (1921) * '' The Journey's End'' (1921) * ''Screen Snapshots, Series 1, No. 24'' (1921) * ''Screen Snapshots, Series 3, No. 9'' (1922) * ''

Other Women's Clothes ''Other Women's Clothes'' is a 1922 American silent film, silent drama film directed by Hugo Ballin and starring Mabel Ballin, Raymond Bloomer and Crauford Kent.Munden p.393 Synopsis Wishing to help financially support a struggling model he has ...

'' (1922) * ''

Married People ''Married People'' is an American television sitcom that aired on ABC as part of its 1990–91 schedule. It was a production of Sternin & Fraser Ink, Inc. in association with Columbia Pictures Television and aired between September 18, 1990 and ...

'' (1922) * ''

Souls for Sale ''Souls for Sale'' is a 1923 American silent comedy drama film written, directed, and produced by Rupert Hughes, based on the novel of the same name by Hughes. The film stars Eleanor Boardman in her first leading role, having won a contrac ...

'' (1923) * '' Vanity Fair'' (1923) *Lost film * ''Screen Snapshots, Series 4, No. 10'' (1924) * ''

'' (1925) * '' Code of the West'' (1925) *Lost film * ''

Barriers Burned Away ''Barriers Burned Away'' is a 1925 American silent historical drama film In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. The drama of thi ...

'' (1925) * ''

Beauty and the Bad Man ''Beauty and the Bad Man'' is a lost 1925 American silent Western film directed by William Worthington and starring Mabel Ballin, Forrest Stanley, and Russell Simpson. Plot As described in a film magazine review, Cassie, an orphan with vocal ...

'' (1925) * ''

The Shining Adventure ''The Shining Adventure'' is a 1925 American silent drama film directed by Hugo Ballin and starring Percy Marmont, Mabel Ballin, and Ben Alexander. Plot As described in a film magazine review, a philanthropic but not very practical woman is ad ...

'' (1925) * '' The Rainbow Trail'' (1925) * ''Screen Snapshots, Series 5, No. 14'' (1925)

References

External links

*
Mabel Ballin
at Virtual History
A Biographical Dictionary of Silent Film Western Actors and Actresses
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ballin, Mabel American silent film actresses Actresses from Philadelphia 1885 births 1958 deaths 20th-century American actresses Burials at Woodlawn Memorial Cemetery, Santa Monica