Women popularized and legitimized silent films, first by skyrocketing attendance and then by providing an invaluable part of its workforce. The film business exploded in size and popularity thanks to the labor of women and other people outside of the traditional ruling class—immigrants and people of color—who shaped a field denigrated by elites. As the motion picture industry transitioned from novelty into powerhouse, women earned positions of power and influence. Women shaped the future of the industry until the industrialized studio system and its massive factories took hold. This lecture will examine such mostly forgotten pioneers as Hattie Tabourne, Elizabeth McGaffey, Julia Heron, and Viola Lawrence, whose contributions and voices were integral to the creation of the silent film industry.
About the Presenter
Mary Mallory is a writer, lecturer, and historian. She has written five books including First Women of Hollywood, and has written for American History magazine, Noir City magazine, the San Francisco Silent Film Festival, and the Women Film Pioneers Project. She lectures for Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at UCLA, Poster House, Seattle’s Silent Film Mondays, museums, and the Los Angeles Public Library.
