Mabel May

(b. England, 21/04/1892 - d. South Africa, 09/11/1957). Actress. During the silent days, Mabel Florence May featured in more locally produced films than any other actress, a fact that may have had something to do with being married to I.W. Schlesinger, who owned African Film Productions. She was said to be a woman of great warmth and charm and he went to some lengths to make her a star. Between 1917 and 1920 she featured five times on the cover of Stage & Cinema / S.A. Pictorial, which was published by the Schlesinger empire.

In August 1919, the South African Pictorial reported that "Miss Mable May, South Africa’s leading motion picture actress, has been unanimously chosen by the Sporting and Theatrical Section to represent that section in the Johannesburg Queens’ Carnival Competition for the Governor-General’s Fund". With Schlesinger behind her, the paper went all out to promote her candidacy, with the likes of Edward Vincent, Dick Cruikshanks, C.V. Becker and Harry Siegenberg involved in organising concerts on her behalf. Not surprisingly, she won "hands down".

Their only child, John, who was born in 1923, took over the business after his father’s death in 1949. In April 1918 it was announced that her sister Victoria, who was appearing in Aladdin at Drury Lane, would be joining African Film Productions, but it is not known whether this happened. (Victoria’s photograph also appeared on a cover of S.A. Pictorial.)

FILMS: An Artist’s Inspiration (1916), The Illegal Liquor Seller (Lorimer Johnston/1916), The Water Cure (B.F. Clinton/1916), The Gun-Runner (Lorimer Johnston/1916), Gloria (Lorimer Johnston/1916), A Border Scourge (Ralph Kimpton & Joseph Albrecht/1917), And then--- (Dick Cruikshanks & Joseph Albrecht/1917), The Major’s Dilemma (Dick Cruikshanks & Joseph Albrecht/1917), The Piccanin’s Christmas (Dick Cruikshanks & Joseph Albrecht/1917), The Symbol of Sacrifice (Dick Cruikshanks/1918), The Voice of the Water (Joseph Albrecht/1918), The Stolen Favourite (Joseph Albrecht/1919), Allan Quatermain (H. Lisle Lucoque/1919), With Edged Tools (Joseph Albrecht/1919), Isban Israel / The Buried City (Joseph Albrecht/1919), The Madcap of the Veld (Dick Cruikshanks & William Bowden/1920). (FO)