Mabel Normand had a head start. I’ll give you that. Her association with Mack Sennett and with Roscoe Arbuckle has put her name in the consciousness of those with only a passing awareness of silent film. The Jerry Herman musical… Read More »Let’s Hear It For Alice Howell
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”
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
Spent the afternoon yesterday recording a piano score for The Gusher (1913) for Kino. Am assuming the set this is for will come out later this year. An interesting and fun short, one of those Keystones where you really have… Read More »Next week…Langdon, Chaplin, Wings and Ben Hur
The week or so before Halloween was busier than usual for me. Five shows, two of which were out of town overnighters, left me a little winded but with a greater appreciation of Lon Chaney’s talents. Three of the shows… Read More »recovering from Halloween, workin’ on an orch score…
Presented a program of comedy shorts at MoMA Sat Feb 3 that featured slapstick teams. We showed Fatty and Mabel Adrift, Big Business and Idle Roomers (Three Stooges, dir. Del Lord). This was #2 of the 3 “Watch This! Films… Read More »Arbuckle, L&H and Stooges…at MoMA
I attended a theatre organ concert at Radio City Music Hall last Tuesday. This was the third time that NYTOS (the New York Theatre Organ Society) had held this annual event. I had gone the first year, then missed it… Read More »Radio City Music Hall concert Jan 16