Alice Howell was one of the great female clowns of the silent screen, and starred in her own very popular series of comedy shorts for different studios from 1915-1925. Her hilarious onscreen persona of a slightly addled working-class girl combined feminine delicacy with out-and-out slapstick rough-house. Alice Howell is relatively unknown today, as a majority of her films are lost. This 2-disc DVD set presents, for the first time, a comprehensive selection of Howell’s surviving comedies for fans of classic and silent film comedy to discover and enjoy. The 12 films on this set have been digitally restored from rare archival prints and feature new musical scores by Ben Model.
DISC ONE:
Shot In The Excitement (1914)
Father Was a Loafer (1915)
Under New Management (1915)
How Stars Are Made (1916)
Neptune’s Naughty Daughter (1917)
In Dutch (1918)
DISC TWO:
Distilled Love (1920)
His Wooden Leg-acy (1920)
Her Lucky Day (1920)
Cinderella Cinders (1920)
A Convict’s Happy Bride (1920)
Under a Spell (1920)
123 mins ● B&W ● Stereo ● 4:3 aspect ratio ● 2-disc set ● Not Rated ● NTSC ● Region 0 (all-regions)
Produced for DVD by Ben Model/Undercrank Productions
Release date: March 5, 2019
Available at:
Reviews
“An excellent introduction to Howell’s brand of fearless physical comedy.”
— The Los Angeles Beat
“Alice Howell brings something completely fresh to the comedy genre, engaging in some top notch physical comedy and slapstick . . . It was a real treat seeing how she could stand toe to toe with the best of the silent cinema’s comedians, and Undercrank Studios manages to offer up a beautiful restoration.”
— Cinema Crazed
“Most of these films are in amazing shape compared to some restored/remastered films from that era . . . After watching these films, I see the work of Lucille Ball and her sisters in comedy in a whole new light”
— Selig Film News
“A wildly funny actress with a gift for well-timed mugging and effortless pratfalls, Howell often found herself written into relatable, working class roles, playing a quick-footed rapscallion not all that different in her physical demeanor from Chaplin’s timeless little tramp character. The Alice Howell Collection is a remarkable effort from Undercrank Productions, and a great service to the legacy of one of comedy’s underappreciated leading ladies.”
— Under The Radar Magazine
“Aside from their value as archival comedy history, efforts like this make nice adjuncts to Kino’s recent Women Pioneers box. There’s always more to discover in the world of silent cinema and its lost stars”
— PopMatters
“Howell played her characters with a charming mix of determination and cheerful optimism. Her characters might be bullied and abused but she gave as good as she got and would be smiling in the end . . . The bulk of the films on this set owe all their quality to the presence of Howell.”
— Ink19
“Many laurels are due to Undercrank Productions for their series of releases by artists like this. While they catch us up on the past, they are rewriting the future.”
— Travalanche