Trade ads proclaimed Alice Howell as a (or the) female Chaplin. I’d initially thought this was a parallel to Chaplin’s being the number one star. There are similar proclamations about Mabel Normand, and the analogy fits. Mabel was the top… Read More »A Chaplin-esque Alice Howell Comedy
One of the bits of restoration work that went into The Alice Howell Collection DVD set was creating new main titles and credits for some of the films. Where possible. And that happened in varying degrees, depending on the studio.… Read More »Will the Real Reelcraft Main Title Please Stand Up?
I’ve seen Mabel Normand referred to as being a female Chaplin, in articles from the silent era and in contemporary references. I was intrigued to find similar analogies drawn between Mr. Chaplin and Alice Howell during the silent film era,… Read More »Not One, But TWO “Female Chaplins”
Usually, the baking mis-hap in a silent comedy film involves glue or cement or an explosive or carpet tacks etc. You know, the one where the person baking is distracted and an ingredient from a shelf above falls into the… Read More »Alice Howell – Comedy Creator
One of the things that struck me about the “Slapstick Divas” program of silent comedies that I’ve presented with Steve Massa over past year or so was the type of roles the funny ladies in them had. It reminded me… Read More »Alice Howell – Front and Center