On Oct. 6, the Dartmouth Film Society honored English actor Malcolm McDowell with the Dartmouth Film Award — presented every few years to actors and filmmakers who have significantly impacted the film industry. The event, which also celebrated the club’s 75th anniversary, featured screenings — including the 1972 film “A Clockwork Orange” and McDowell’s documentary “Never Apologize” — a reception and a tribute.
The Dartmouth Film Award was first given in 1979 to American actress Lillian Gish for her long career acting in silent film shorts, according to McDowell. Since then, several leading figures in the film industry have been recipients, including Meryl Streep, Sean Penn and Pixar Studios.
The most recent ceremony was held in 2015 for director Abderrahmane Sissako, known for his film “Waiting for Happiness.” Actor George Takei next received the award in spring 2024, but the Dartmouth Film Society could not hold an event due to scheduling conflicts, according to Hopkins Center for the Arts film and media head Johanna Evans. Because an event had not been hosted for nine years, Evans said the Hopkins Center was ready to “get the machinery going” for McDowell’s event. According to Evans, the Film Society determines the recipient of the Dartmouth Film Award.
In an interview with The Dartmouth, McDowell said he learned of the Dartmouth Film Award last year while golfing with friend Mickey Stuart ’71. Stuart then connected McDowell with the Dartmouth Film and Media Studies department, which works with the Film Society.
“Until recently, I didn’t know anything about the film program here, but I soon learned that the first recipient of the award was Lillian Gish, who I knew, and who was the most delightful actress,” McDowell said. “… It was such a delight to see her … and to know that she’d received the first award.”
Evans said she was excited for McDowell to receive the award, explaining that the Hopkins Center wanted to award a “talented, versatile” actor.
“[He] elevates every film he’s in,” Evans said.
The screening of “A Clockwork Orange” — in which McDowell starred as protagonist Alex — was followed by a conversation with Evans, McDowell and Mike Kaplan, the film’s poster designer. The trio discussed the making of the film, Stanley Kubrick — the film’s writer and director — and the film’s dystopian themes before opening the floor to audience questions.
The event continued with a reception for Hop and Film Society members to meet McDowell. After that, a tribute video featured McDowell’s most iconic roles — Mick Travis in “If….,” Alex in “A Clockwork Orange,” Caligula in “Caligula” and Principal Gibbons in “Easy A,” among others — followed by the award presentation. Film Society co-director Travis Short ’25 and co-director Kushal Jayakumar ’26 presented McDowell with the award.
The night concluded with a showing of McDowell’s one-man show “Never Apologize,” which portrays McDowell’s “lifelong friendship with the British director Lindsay Anderson.” In an interview, McDowell described Anderson as “the most influential person” in his life.
“My whole thinking, actually, was really set by my relationship with him,” McDowell said. “I met him when I was very young and at a very important time in my career.”
Evans said McDowell’s visit was a good opportunity for students to receive advice on portraying complex characters — as McDowell does an amazing job at “tackling those roles.” The visit was an important one for the Dartmouth film department.
“We don’t get many movie stars in our little corner [of New Hampshire],” Evans said.
McDowell also said educating students about the film industry is necessary. He hopes his words might motivate film students.
“It’s always nice to give a little back,” McDowell said. “… I’m very happy to share my experiences if it will … inspire or help young students that may want to go into acting.”
Richard Perez ’28 attended the event with friends at the recommendation of film professor Paul Young. According to Perez, McDowell visited his class Film 1, “Introduction to Film: From Script to Screen” on Oct. 7. During the class, McDowell participated in a formal Q&A moderated by Young, in which he discussed the violence in “A Clockwork Orange.” McDowell explained that the violence sparked controversy and also impacted marketing for the movie.
“When McDowell came to our class, it felt more intimate than the screening event,” Perez said. “It was really cool to be so close to such an esteemed figure. The information he was providing us with was also extremely insightful.”
Perez also expressed appreciation for the community formed by art at Dartmouth’s accessibility.
“Watching something in a theater with others … and hearing other people laugh … made it more immersive,” Perez said. “I definitely think it beats the experience of just watching online on my computer.”
