Volume III: Biographies

HOWELL, W.A. *

Director, actor (1915-1916)

William A. Howell with unidentified baseball player in COUSIN CLARA'S COOK BOOK. Courtesy of Terris C. Howard (Clara)

William A. Howell with an unidentified old man in THE OPTIMISTIC ORIENTAL OCCULTS Courtesy of Terric C. Howard (Orient)

Thanhouser Career Synopsis: W.A. Howell was a director with Thanhouser in 1915 and 1916.

Biographical Notes: William A. Howell was born in Cleveland, Ohio in 1877, and was educated at Fordham University, Bronx, New York. His stage career included playing in The Thief, New Dominion, Experience, and other productions. He directed stock companies in Baltimore, Cleveland, Cincinnati, and Rochester. For Poli's New England theatres he was a director of and actor in melodramas. His screen career included Rex, Universal, Majestic, Gene Gauntier Co., and Field, in such films as False Evidence, Scrap of Paper, All Rivers Meet at the Sea, The Boosters, and others.

He was hired by Edwin Thanhouser in the summer of 1915 and first reported for work on Tuesday morning, August 27th. For the Thanhouser Film Corporation he was involved in the Falstaff Department, directing and acting in comedies. During the first several months of 1916 he was directing at Thanhouser's Jacksonville studio. William A. Howell directed the May 1916 Arrow release of The Tight Rein. In autumn 1916 a directory listing noted he was 6' tall, weighed 185 pounds, and had brown hair and gray eyes. His pastimes included horseback riding, swimming, painting, writing, and motoring. He lived at 2850 Concourse, Fordham, New York, and was represented in 1916 by the Amalgamated Photoplay Company, 220 West 42nd Street, New York City.

Note: In several notices his surname appeared erroneously as "Howard."

Thanhouser Filmography:

1915: Cousin Clara's Cook Book (Falstaff 10-4-1915), Freddie, the Fake Fisherwoman (Falstaff 11-1-1915), Hannah's Hen-Pecked Husband (Falstaff 11-15-1915)

1916: The Optimistic Oriental Occults (Falstaff 1-3-1916), Snow Storm and Sunshine (Falstaff 2-10-1916), Perkins' Peace Party (Falstaff 2-17-1916), Maud Muller Modernized (Falstaff 3-2-1916), Ambitious Awkward Andy (Falstaff 3-9-1916), Theodore's Terrible Thirst (Falstaff 3-14-1916), Rupert's Rube Relation (Falstaff 3-16-1916), Paul's Political Pull (Falstaff 3-28-1916), Ruining Randall's Reputation (Falstaff 4-3-1916), The Professor's Peculiar Precautions (Falstaff 4-8-1916), The Sailor's Smiling Spirit (Falstaff 4-17-1916), Dad's Darling Daughters (Falstaff 4-24-1916), The Kiddies' Kaptain Kidd (Falstaff 5-8-1916), Sammy's Semi-Suicide (Falstaff 5-27-1916), Doughnuts (Falstaff 6-17-1916)

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