Viola Savoy (1 films)

🎬 Viola Savoy — Hollywood Legend

Viola Savoy (born Viola Kingston Sowars; July 23, 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 (1915). According to a short obituary in The Moving Picture World (16 October 1915), her 39-year-old mother Lotta appeared with her in Alice in Wonderland in an uncredited role, possibly playing Alice's mother. Savoy was born at 96 Calumet Street in Boston to Lotta Kingston and Frank L. Sowars. As a young child, she 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 Broadway to touring stock companies. Savoy said she was named after Viola in Shakespeare's Twelfth Night, 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 in the 1935 film of the same name. Of her performance, the critic of the Des Moines Tribune 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 Alice in Wonderland. The film's director, W. W. Young, in an introduction written for a benefit performance at Bryn Mawr College 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.

Source: Wikipedia

Our collection features 1 colorized films showcasing Viola Savoy's iconic performances in Family, Fantasy and more.