She Could Be Chaplin!

The Comedic Brilliance of Alice Howell

Nonfiction, Entertainment, Film, History & Criticism, Performing Arts, Biography & Memoir, Entertainment & Performing Arts
Cover of the book She Could Be Chaplin! by Anthony Slide, University Press of Mississippi
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Anthony Slide ISBN: 9781496808424
Publisher: University Press of Mississippi Publication: August 29, 2016
Imprint: University Press of Mississippi Language: English
Author: Anthony Slide
ISBN: 9781496808424
Publisher: University Press of Mississippi
Publication: August 29, 2016
Imprint: University Press of Mississippi
Language: English

Alice Howell (1886-1961) is slowly gaining recognition and regard as arguably the most important slapstick comedienne of the silent era. This new study, the first book-length appreciation, identifies her place in the comedy hierarchy alongside the best-known of silent comediennes, Mabel Normand. Like Normand, Howell learned her craft with Mack Sennett and Charlie Chaplin. Beginning her screen career in 1914, Howell quickly developed a distinctive style and eccentric attire and mannerisms, successfully hiding her good looks, and was soon identified as the "Female Charlie Chaplin."

Howell became a star of comedy shorts in 1915 and continued her career through 1928 and the advent of sound in film. While she is today recognized as a pioneering female filmmaker, during her career she never expressed much interest in her work, seeing it only as a means to an end, with her income carefully invested in real estate. It has taken many years for her to gain her rightful place in film history, not only as a comedienne, but also as matriarch of a prominent American family that includes son-in-law and director George Stevens and grandson George Stevens Jr., founder of the American Film Institute and the Kennedy Center Honors, who provides a foreword.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

Alice Howell (1886-1961) is slowly gaining recognition and regard as arguably the most important slapstick comedienne of the silent era. This new study, the first book-length appreciation, identifies her place in the comedy hierarchy alongside the best-known of silent comediennes, Mabel Normand. Like Normand, Howell learned her craft with Mack Sennett and Charlie Chaplin. Beginning her screen career in 1914, Howell quickly developed a distinctive style and eccentric attire and mannerisms, successfully hiding her good looks, and was soon identified as the "Female Charlie Chaplin."

Howell became a star of comedy shorts in 1915 and continued her career through 1928 and the advent of sound in film. While she is today recognized as a pioneering female filmmaker, during her career she never expressed much interest in her work, seeing it only as a means to an end, with her income carefully invested in real estate. It has taken many years for her to gain her rightful place in film history, not only as a comedienne, but also as matriarch of a prominent American family that includes son-in-law and director George Stevens and grandson George Stevens Jr., founder of the American Film Institute and the Kennedy Center Honors, who provides a foreword.

More books from University Press of Mississippi

Cover of the book Resorting to Casinos by Anthony Slide
Cover of the book Richard Dyer-Bennet by Anthony Slide
Cover of the book Builders of a New South by Anthony Slide
Cover of the book City of Islands by Anthony Slide
Cover of the book Prison Power by Anthony Slide
Cover of the book Decolonization in St. Lucia by Anthony Slide
Cover of the book The Civil Rights Movement in Mississippi by Anthony Slide
Cover of the book Faulkner by Anthony Slide
Cover of the book The New Blue Music by Anthony Slide
Cover of the book German Boy by Anthony Slide
Cover of the book Lotus among the Magnolias by Anthony Slide
Cover of the book Hollywood Unknowns by Anthony Slide
Cover of the book Conversations with Edmund White by Anthony Slide
Cover of the book The Hell of War Comes Home by Anthony Slide
Cover of the book Vampires and Zombies by Anthony Slide
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy