Mabel Van Buren

Mabel Van Buren (July 17, 1878-November 4, 1947) was an American stage and screen actress from Chicago, Illinois. She had dark hair, brown eyes, and was five feet three inches tall. She enjoyed riding horses and swimming.

As a theatrical performer she played the leading lady in both The Virginian and The Squaw Man (1909). Van Buren became prominent in motion pictures at the time of the development of feature-length movies in 1914. She starred in The Girl of the Golden West (1915) under the direction of Cecil B. Demille. It was Demille who brought Mabel west to Hollywood. Mabel was the first leading lady of the Famous Players-Lasky studio on Vine Street in Hollywood, California.

Her final role of note was in Neighbor's Wives (1933) in which she played Mrs. Lee. She continued acting in movies until the death of husband, James Gordon. He was a Shakesperian actor who died in 1941. Other films in which she played prominent parts are The Warrens of Virginia (1915), The Man From Home (1914), and Craig's Wife (1928).

Miss Van Buren's residence was 4351 Kingswell Avenue, Los Angeles, California. She died of pneumonia in 1947, age 69, at St. Vincent's Hospital. Her daughter, Katherine Van Buren, was also an actress.

References

• Lincoln, Nebraska Daily Star, Answers To Movie Fans", September 30, 1917, Page 30.
• Los Angeles Times, Lasky Lot, In Ruins, Recall Early Film History, June 6, 1926, Page B10.
• Los Angeles Times, Original Girl of the Golden West, 69, DiesNovember 6, 1947, Page 2.
• The New York Times, Mabel Van Buren, November 6, 1947, Page 27.
• Washington Post, Notes About Plays And Players, October 24, 1909, Page 94.