Women Who Changed Hollywood – Verdict

To say that the film industry would be nothing without women is an understatement. From Chloé Zhao, who became the first woman of Asian descent to win an Academy Award for “Best Director,” to Greta Gerwig and her success with “Barbie,” which became the first film directed by a woman to reach $1 billion at the box office, women are finally getting the chance to tell their stories. wonderful to the world; This is largely thanks to those who came before them. Meet these pioneering women who made their way into Hollywood—whether they were welcomed or not.

Alice Guy-Blash

Alice Guy Blache was born in Paris, France in 1873. Blache was hired as secretary to the French inventor and engineer Léon Gaumont. Gaumont created short films as part of its marketing campaigns for the camera equipment and films it produced. Having become bored with films created solely as promotional material for film equipment, Blache asked Gaumont to make a feature film of her own; He gave her permission.

In 1896, Blach directed her first film, The Cabbage Fairy, making her the first woman to direct a film and one of the first directors to make a feature film. In 1907, Blatche moved to the United States and became the first woman to own a film studio, opening Solax Studios in Fort Lee, New Jersey. As president of Solax, Blatche directed more than 40 films and supervised the production of nearly 300 others.

Blatche’s vision inspired Gaumont to start creating films with stories, which in turn would revolutionize the film industry and help us deliver the films we have today. Blatche’s accomplishments have been overlooked, but it is her influence that has had a lasting impact on filmmaking.

“If we know about women, like Alice Jay-Blash, who have an influence from the beginning of film, more women will feel as though they have the power to pave the way in film themselves,” said Shannon Kelly, a first-year film student at the film school. “. BSU and President of the Film Club.

Kelly aspires to become a screenwriter and director, and her ultimate goal is to make a living by making films, even if she has to work twice as hard.

“It’s not as bad as it used to be, but (the film industry) is still a very male-dominated industry. I think women are always going to have to prove themselves,” Kelly said. “There are more hoops for us to jump through. We’re just learning how to jump through them.

Mary Pickford

Dubbed “America’s Sweetheart” during the silent film era, Mary Pickford, a Canadian-born actress, was one of the first female movie stars. After her father’s death, Pickford took up acting to help her family make ends meet. Her determination and ambition will send her to stardom.

After starring in “Tess of the Storm Country,” Pickford became an international star and negotiated a weekly salary of $10,000 and 50% of her film profits, giving her financial freedom that many women did not have at the time. At 27, she co-founded United Artists, the first independent film company, allowing her to produce and distribute her films. She won the Academy Award for Best Actress in 1930 for “Coquette” while continuing to be a successful businesswoman in the film industry.

After retiring from acting, Pickford continued to produce films with her own production company and co-founded the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. At the height of her career, Pickford was one of the richest and most influential women in America.

Ella Jacobson is a junior at BSU earning her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Film and Television Arts. She intends to work in visual effects and technical production for films.

Jacobson is inspired by Greta Gerwig, Margot Robbie and, more recently, Sydney Sweeney.

“Sydney Sweeney started producing her own work and acting in it as well. She auditioned for ‘Immaculate’ 10 years ago. Then she picked it up off the ground and produced it herself,” Jacobson said.

Greta Gerwig is an inspiration for Kelly as well. “I’d seen her movies before, but after Barbie, there was something about the strength of the woman behind the whole movie that was so inspiring. It makes me excited to do something even if it’s half as cool.”

On the subject of Greta Gerwig, Jacobson pointed to Oscar Snoop’s controversial 2024 film “Barbie” as evidence of the ongoing struggle women face to gain recognition in the film industry.

“Greta Gerwig wasn’t nominated for best director, and it’s crazy that causing all this fuss did nothing for her, but it did for Oppenheimer, and it’s a male-led production,” Jacobson said. “I feel like female directors don’t get a lot of praise.”

Jacobson wants to see better treatment of women in film, such as scholarships targeted at aspiring filmmakers.

Hattie McDaniel

From a young age, Hattie McDaniel showed exceptional talent in acting. She left school in 1910 to pursue her career, performing in touring musical shows until she landed her first major film role in 1934, starring alongside Will Rogers in Judge Priest. As a black woman, McDaniel appeared in more than 40 films in the role of a maid or cook during a period when Hollywood often misrepresented black Americans.

However, she has managed to showcase her exceptional talent and make the most of the roles given to her. For her role as “Mammy” in Gone with the Wind in 1939, McDaniel became the first black actress to win an Academy Award, winning Best Supporting Actress. Her win marked a historic moment in cinema and Oscar history, inspiring many other black actresses and actors to pursue their dreams in the entertainment industry.

McDaniel also became the first black American to appear on a weekly radio show, when she starred on “The Beulah Show” in 1947. McDaniel’s Oscar win and her many other accomplishments showed women, especially black women, that they could succeed in an industry that refused to embrace them.

Shelby Mann, a film and television major at BSU, has different ambitions for her film career. “I’ve changed my mind a few times about what specifically I want to do in the film, but now it’s art direction,” Mann said. “In general, I want to be happy and make cool things that have a positive impact on people.”

Mann believes it has become easier for women to prove themselves in cinema.

“With this new wave of extremely talented women being recognized in the industry, both on and off screen, I think the conversation is getting bigger. However, there is still a long way to go.”

Alice Jay Blach, Mary Pickford, and Hattie McDaniel motivate and lead aspiring women filmmakers by their example of perseverance and unwavering genius. Women, past and present, with their passion and talent, move the film industry forward.