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WOMEN DIRECTORS IN SOUND FILM 1926-1929
Posted: Tue Oct 12, 2021 1:06 pm
by earlytalkiebuffRob
Looking up reviews of Alexander Walker's The Shattered Silents (1977) on 'Goodreads' there was a complaint about the thin coverage of women directors during the period covered. I found this a bit unfair, but was anyone aside from Dorothy Arzner working in Hollywood? THE WILD PARTY was covered, and MANHATTAN COCKTAIL (sound, but not talking) remains elusive.
It would seem that women were either still making silent movies such as Dorothy Davenport's LINDA in 1929, or were working abroad, as would be seen with KNOWING MEN (British, 1930) and THE CHEATERS (Australia, 1930). Was there much else? The other problem would be in locating prints. Any suggestions?
Re: WOMEN DIRECTORS IN SOUND FILM 1926-1929
Posted: Tue Oct 12, 2021 5:16 pm
by silentfilm
Lois Weber was still working for Universal through 1927 and made the very good Sensation Seekers, but after that she tried to make it as an independent producer. The major studios had already forced many independents out of business, and the the stock market crash killed those dreams by 1929. She never directed a sound film. Other women directors like Ida May Park and Alice Guy were already out of the industry.
After Arzner left the industry, there were no female directors in Hollywood until Ida Lupino in the 1950s
Re: WOMEN DIRECTORS IN SOUND FILM 1926-1929
Posted: Tue Oct 12, 2021 10:37 pm
by Brooksie
Louella Parsons' daughter Harriet directed some of the 'Screen Snapshot' shorts for Columbia in the early 30s. She's sometimes cited as the only other woman director working in Hollywood during that time.
There were many women scenario writers and screenwriters, a few editors and other behind-the-scenes staff, but female directors were exceptionally thin on the ground.
Re: WOMEN DIRECTORS IN SOUND FILM 1926-1929
Posted: Wed Oct 13, 2021 2:32 am
by earlytalkiebuffRob
Was forgetting SENSATION SEEKERS (have only seen a cutdown), but again that would come outside Walker's orbit, as would the 'Screen Snapshots'. Would seem like the critic was carping at the absence of something which wouldn't be there anyway....
And a check on Wiki's 1928 list has MANHATTAN COCKTAIL as the sole female-directed film, although Dallas Fitzgerald gave a faint hope...
However, the films listed are all or mainly American, although the 1929 list omits both LINDA and THE WILD PARTY!