thumbtime=2, upright=1.5, ''Alice in Wonderland'' (1915) Viola Savoy (born Viola Kingston Sowars 23 July 1899–February 1987) was an American actress of the silent era remembered today for her early film interpretation of the title role in ''

Alice in Wonderland ''Alice's Adventures in Wonderland'' (also known as ''Alice in Wonderland'') is an 1865 English Children's literature, children's novel by Lewis Carroll, a mathematics university don, don at the University of Oxford. It details the story of a ...

'' (1915).McClintock, Pamela.
'Alice' Through the Years: 16 Actresses Who Played the Iconic Character
''

The Hollywood Reporter ''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Cinema of the United States, Hollywood film industry, film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade pap ...

'', 27 May 2016Walton, Stuart
Tim Burton is wrong to make Alice in Wonderland a woman

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, 17 August 2009 Savoy was born at 96 Calumet St. in

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to Lotta Kingstone and Frank L. Sowars. As a young child Savoy made a number of appearances on the stage, with some sources claiming she had performed in a hundred and twenty five theatre productions, ranging from

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to touring stock companies. Savoy said she was named after Viola in

Shakespeare's William Shakespeare ( 23 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's natio ...

Twelfth Night ''Twelfth Night, or What You Will'' is a romantic comedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written around 1601–1602 as a Twelfth Night entertainment for the close of the Christmas season. The play centres on the twins Viola an ...

'', a role she wished to play. By 1912 she became known for her portrayal of Virgie Cary in the stage drama ''The Littlest Rebel'', a role later played by

Shirley Temple Shirley Temple Black (born Shirley Jane Temple; April 23, 1928 – February 10, 2014) was an American actress, singer, dancer, and diplomat, who was Hollywood's number-one box-office draw as a child actress from 1934 to 1938. Later, she was na ...

in the 1935 film of the same name. Of her performance, the critic of the ''

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'' wrote: "Viola Savoy Is a deserving favorite in the part of the ''Littlest Rebel'', and plays with unusual insight and feeling." Aged 15, she played Alice in the 1915

silent film A silent film is a film without synchronized recorded sound (or more generally, no audible dialogue). Though silent films convey narrative and emotion visually, various plot elements (such as a setting or era) or key lines of dialogue may, w ...

''. The film's director, W. W. Young, in an introduction written for a benefit performance at

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in 1915, wrote of her:

And there is delightful little Alice herself. We spent more than two months looking for just the type to portray the difficult stellar role. Several of the most popular motion picture stars, famous for their curls and girlish looks, were seriously considered, but for one reason or another would not fit. I studied the photographs of scores upon scores of motion picture and stage children of various degrees of fame and had personal interviews with many. Finally in a theatrical manager’s office I saw a photograph of Viola Savoy and felt instinctively that my search had ended, for if in person she lived up to the promise of her photograph, there could be no doubt of her being exactly the type. Within two minutes after meeting her, and without bothering to inquire whether she had ever acted for the picture screen, she was engaged for the title role. That it was a happy choice is the unanimous verdict. She is Carroll’s Alice come to life. Subsequently I learned that she had been acting from infancy and although only twelve years old had appeared in 128 different productions on the legitimate stage, her most recent achievement being the title role in ''The Littlest Rebel'' with
William Farnum William Farnum (July 4, 1876 – June 5, 1953) was an American actor. He was a star of American silent cinema, and he became one of the highest-paid actors during this time. Biography Farnum was born on July 4, 1876, in Boston, Massachuset ...
. Best of all, she knows that most effective acting is just being natural, and that is exactly the way she played Alice.W. W. Young. 'How Alice Got Into The Wonderland of Movies', Programme for: BENEFIT PERFORMANCE FOR BRYN MAWR COLLEGE ENDOWMENT - ESKAY HARRIS FEATURE FILM CO, Inc PRESENTS - "Alice In Wonderland' THE $50,000 SIX REEL FILM PRODUCTION - FEATURING LITTLE VIOLA SAVOY - Star of ''The Littlest Rebel'' WITH HERBERT RICE and 100 Other Clever Entertainers in the Screen Version of Lewis Carroll's Classic

According to a short obituary in ''

The Moving Picture World The ''Moving Picture World'' was an influential early trade journal for the American film industry, from 1907 to 1927. An industry powerhouse at its height, ''Moving Picture World'' frequently reiterated its independence from the film studios. ...

'' (16 October 1915), her 39 year old mother Lotta Savey (sic?) appeared with her daughter in ''Alice in Wonderland'' in an uncredited role, possibly playing Alice's mother. The spelling of their real surname is not known. Viola Savoy also played Clarice Van Zandt in '' The Spendthrift'' (1915). In September 1918, the ''

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'' announced that Savoy, "formerly ''Littlest Rebel'' and picture star in ''Alice in Wonderland''", had been engaged by Forest S. Chilton for a leading part in his new seven-girl Egyptian dancing act.Rehearse New Dancing Act
''

'', 11 September 1918, pg. 6 Viola Savoy died in February 1987 aged 87.

References

External links

Viola Savoy
on

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Savoy, Viola 1899 births 1987 deaths Actors from Brooklyn American stage actresses American film actresses category:20th-century American actresses Lewis Carroll Articles containing video clips