Hazel Howell
born: 17 January 1898
Pomona, Los Angeles, California,
United States of America
died: 14 August 1964
Imperial County, California,
United States of America
(age 66)

Tall, blonde American actress from the 1920s and early 30s. Her mother was ZELLA COLLINS, and her father was WILLIAM H. HOWELL, a wealthy socially and politically active fruit and nut rancher. Just out of high school (September 1917), her Mom took her to New York City to pursue her dream of an acting career. She did some stage plays and eventually ended up in vaudeville with moderate success. Toward the end of 1919 she returned to CA in a touring company of the Broadway play, "Flo Flo". She remained in Los Angeles and immediately started getting movie roles.
In 1921 Los Angeles, according to newspapers, she married NED NORWORTH, a very popular vaudeville "nut" comedian whom she had met while in New York. They "re-married" in Chicago while on tour with his act in 1923. This was probably due to his divorce. HAZEL divorced him in Jan. of 1926 claiming that he slapped her face causing bruises on several occasions when she "violated his rule" not to talk to him before he had his morning coffee. This was in all the newspapers.
In 1931 she was named as "the other woman" in the divorce suit of MARGARET MARSH, sister of famous movie actress MAE MARSH. It was alleged that HAZEL "stole" her wealthy rancher husband, YGNACIO FORSTER, from her and their 3 children. HAZEL said that "YG" wanted to dance once in a while and MARGARET wanted to stay home an have (eight) babies. The scandal made all the newspapers. HAZEL and YGNACIO married in 1933. She bore his son, YGNACIO FORSTER Jr. in 1936, three months after the death of the father.
The "San Diego Union" society page of 23 Aug.1961 (p.14) has an article about the "Wedding Cruise" (HAZEL and ALPHONSE BURNAND Jr.) on their yacht Tara from the East Coast through the Panama Canal to its home port of San Diego. (They were actually married a year later in Las Vegas.)
"Mrs. BURNAND before her marriage was Mrs. IGNACIO JUAN FORSTER (HAZEL HOWELL) of Pomona, widow ....Mrs. BURNAND has a son, JUAN IGNACIO FORSTER, 25, of Sherman Oaks who was born 3 months after the death of his father.......Mr. BURNAND, who is a developer and rancher in Borrego Springs, also has a home in Laguna Beach. He has two sons, A.A. BURNAND III of Nogales, Ariz., and PERRY BURNAND of Borrego Springs........"
HAZEL HOWELL died in 1964 just 3 years after the newspaper article appeared.

Most sources claim that Gladys Gale plays the role of Billy Gilbert's wife in Laurel & Hardy's The Music Box. However, it has been reported by film historians Richard W. Bann and Randy Skretvedt that this was in fact Miss Howell and not Miss Gale. One source incorrectly lists her birth date as 13 February 1898 and her death date as 27 January 1965.

Films listed on this page: complete Hal Roach filmography;
plus 1 film with Babe Hardy.

5


1927
The Way Of All Pants
Mrs. Jones

1928
Tell It To The Judge
[?]

1932
Sealskins
Gertie

1932
The Music Box
Mrs. Schwarzenhoffen

1932
The Nickel Nurser
Mr. Todd's daughter
NON-HAL ROACH FILMS

1925
Neptune's Stepdaughter
[?]

Acknowledgements & sources:
Richard W. Bann, Randy Skretvedt (information)
https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VP48-832 (CA Death Index HAZEL BURNAND birth and death dates)
https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VVJJ-PYD (Marriage 1962 Las Vegas to ALPHONSE BURNAND)
https://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GSln=Burnand&GSiman=1&GRid=61300840& A.A.BURNAND (1896-1981) grave & bio)
"Variety" (5 Jun 1917 p.38 advertisement announcing HAZEL is coming to NYC)
"LA Herald" (10 Sep 1917 p.1 HAZEL leaving Pomona with her Mom to follow her desires to perform on stage)
"NY Evening World" (3 Jun 1921 p. 23 her Dad is a rich orange grower in CA)
"Motion Picture Weekly" (6 Nov 1920 p.13 bio of her leaving CA for NY and returning to act in movies using experience gained in NYC)
"Variety" (10 Jun 1921 p.1 married NED NORWORTH on Jun 2)
"Variety" (27 Jan 1926 p.5 divorces NORWORTH claiming cruelty and abuse)
"SFO Chronicle" (2 May 1931 p.27 named as "vamp" in FORSTER / MARSH divorce suit)
"San Diego Union" (11 Feb 1933 p.21 marriage license application HOWELL / FORESTER)
"San Diego Union" (23 Aug 1961 p.14 marriage to ALPHONSE BURNAND with bio)
Jim Jarvis (research and information)
Steve Rydzewski (help with Tell It To The Judge)
Jesse Brisson (identification in Sealskins)

This page was last updated on: 23 June 2023