Kino Lorber celebrates the First Women Filmmakers
In anticipation of a major blu ray release, Kino Lorber, along with the Library of Congress has scheduled two theatrical presentations saluting the work of early women directors.
“Pioneers: The First Women Filmmakers” will be presented as a series at the BAMCinematek in Brooklyn, from July 20-26, and from July 27-29 at the Egyptian Theatre in LA. The programs will feature women filmmakers like Lois Weber, Alice Guy-Blaché, Dorothy Davenport, Zora Neale Hurston, Marion E. Wong, Grace Cunard, and Mabel Normand.
The historical significance of these films is immediate in that they present the contribution of women directors during narrative cinema’s early development. The creative ideas of these women helped the language of film to develop, as they took advantage of freedoms at a level they would not enjoy during a later era. Dorothy Davenport stated, “I believe it takes a woman to believe in a woman’s motives, and every story intended for the screen should have a woman working on it at some stage to convince the audience of women.”
Some of the highlights in the series include:
The Alice Guy-Blaché film “A Fool and His Money” (1912) is currently thought to be the very first movie to feature an all black cast. It was a lost film until a print was found at a California flea market.
Mabel Normand’s “Caught in a Cabaret” (1914) was instrumental in co-star Charlie Chaplin better understanding how to direct a film, and explore new ways to present different aspects of his developing screen character. For years this film was considered to have been co-directed by Normand and Chaplin, while some studies claim it was helmed by Chaplin himself, but Keystone expert Brent Walker indicates in his book on the Mack Sennett productions that Mabel Normand is, in fact, the sole director. Chaplin would soon become his own directed and maintain that status. So it is very interesting to see him in a film by another director - one which inspired his own filmmaking interests.
Lois Weber’s “Hypocrites” (1915) challenges religious piety by using actual nudity on screen. Controversial in its time, “Hypocrites” caused riots in some cities, and was outright banned in others. Its full nudity so appalled the Mayor of Boston, he ordered that clothing be painted over the naked woman.Today Weber’s use of multiple exposures as early as 1915 is impressive.
The series also features Marion E. Wong’s elusive “The Curse of Quon Guon” (1917), her only film. Wong wrote, produced, directed, designed the costumes, and acted in the film, which was made by a studio she established with funds borrowed from an uncle. When the movie flopped and her uncle had to declare bankruptcy, Wong refused to speak of it again (she lived until 1969). Two reels from the film’s original 35mm negative were found in a basement in 2005. It is that which now survives and is presented in this series.
The importance of these women to cinema’s early history can not be overstated. These films cross over several genres and offer impressive cinematic aesthetics that were innovative at the time, even if they have become more common since. The fact that the filmmakers in this series are so little known is a disservice to their important work. Film buffs may be rather familiar with Normand, Guy-Blaché, Weber, and Davenport, but names like Nell Shipman, Marion Wong, and Grace Cunard are quite obscure.
Perhaps the best way to appreciate what this series contains is to view the trailer, which can be found here:
The link to the schedule for the BAM showing in Brookyn is here.
The link to the Egyptian Theater in L.A. presentation is here.
When “Pioneers: The First Women Filmmakers” is available and accessible on blu ray and DVD, we will put up a complete review, including some discussion on every movie contained in the set.