Christine Norman

Anna Christine Norman (1886/87–1930) was an American stage actress and playwright whose Broadway career spanned from 1909 to 1924. Born to Andrew G. Norman and his wife Minnie, she pursued formal training in acting in New York, where she earned a medal for her work, before traveling to Paris to study music.

Norman made her Broadway debut in 1909, appearing in both Israel, in which she costarred with Constance Collier, and An International Marriage that same year. She continued building her stage presence with The Aviator in 1910, and in 1912 joined the cast of Peg o' My Heart alongside Laurette Taylor, a production that became a major Broadway hit. The year 1915 brought further success when she costarred with Emily Stevens and Louis Bennison in The Unchastened Woman, as well as an appearance in Our Children. Her subsequent Broadway credits included Upstairs and Down (1916), Branded (1917), The Crowded Hour (1918), The Nest (1922), and Great Music (1924).

Beyond performing, Norman pursued playwriting during the 1920s. Among her efforts was The Balcony Walkers, written in 1925, for which she encountered difficulty securing a producer.

Norman married Enos Booth in 1919. In 1928 she attempted to divorce him without success. Her portrait was painted by Neysa McMein, and she appeared on the cover of McCall's magazine in December 1923.

On March 6, 1930, Norman died by suicide, jumping from the twentieth floor of her hotel. Following her death, a public dispute over her will arose among her mother, her husband, and various lawyers. Her estate, reported at approximately $170,000, was distributed among eleven friends, with bequests including $40,000 to John Hayden and $50,000 to Clare Cassell. A sum reported as $500 was designated for the perpetual care of her dog's grave.