Mabel Paige

Paige was born in New York, New York, and began acting at age four, when she appeared in Van, the Virginian.[1]

When she was 11 years old, Paige began acting in stock theater.[2] She appeared in dozens of stage plays, including Little Lord Fauntleroy in 1892, Rip van Winkle in 1899, and At Cozy Corners in 1905. In the South, she became particular a favorite and was acclaimed as the "Idol of the South." Her Mabel Paige Theatrical Company toured the region for many years. She also had troupes known as the Mabel Paige Repertoire Company and the Mabel Paige Southern Company.[3]

After she married, Paige left acting to raise her family. She was away from show business for more than a decade, but financial problems prompted her to return to acting.[2]

Her Broadway credits included Gramercy Ghost (1951), Two Blind Mice (1949), Out of the Frying Pan (1941), Western Waters (1937), Murder in the Cathedral (1936), and Lost Horizons (1934).[4]

Paige also acted in more than 50 films between 1914 and 1953. In her first silent films for the Lubin Company, she co-starred in romantic comedies with Oliver Hardy as her leading man.

One of Paige's last appearances as an actress was on the CBS-TV sitcom I Love Lucy. That episode, "The Girls Go Into Business", aired on October 12, 1953.

Paige died in Van Nuys, California from a heart attack on February 9, 1954. She was 73.

• I Love Lucy, episode #68 (1953), "The Girls Go Into Business", as Mrs. Hansen.
• Annie Oakley (1954) Episode #7 titled "A Gal For Grandma," as Mrs. Frances Randall

• Maltin, Leonard (2015) [First published 1969]. "Mabel Paige". The Real Stars : Profiles and Interviews of Hollywood's Unsung Featured Players (softcover) (Sixth / eBook ed.). Great Britain: CreateSpace Independent. pp. 218–229. ISBN 978-1-5116-4485-3.

• Mabel Paige at IMDb
• Mabel Paige at the Internet Broadway Database
• Mabel Paige at Find a Grave