Mae Dahlberg

Mae Dahlberg was born on 24 May 1888 in Brunswick, Melbourne, Australia. She started her career as a singer and dancer on the Australian stage, and married baritone Rupert Cuthbert in 1906. They had a son, Rupert Clifton Saxe Cuthbert, in 1908. In about 1913, they sailed for the United States, but their relationship did not last. Mae formed a "sister act" with another performer and met Stan Laurel in California in 1917. They became a variety act and lived together as common-law husband and wife until 1925. Mae appeared in several silent films with Laurel, credited as Mae Laurel. She also claimed that she suggested him to change his name from Jefferson to Laurel. However, she was seen as a hindrance to Laurel's career by his producer Joe Rock, who offered her a cash settlement and a one-way ticket back to Australia in 1925. She accepted and left Laurel, who later became famous as part of the comedy duo Laurel and Hardy. Mae returned to the U.S. a few years later and sued Laurel for financial support in 1937, but the matter was settled out of court. She died in New York City in 1969, but the exact date and cause of death are unknown.¹