*******
from Wikipedia:
Alice Ida Antoinette Guy-Blaché (née Guy; July 1, 1873 – March 24, 1968) was a French pioneer filmmaker, active from the late 19th century, and one of the first to make a narrative fiction film. She was the first woman to direct a film. From 1896 to 1906, she was probably the only female filmmaker in the world. ...from the Women Film Pioneers Project:
Guy-Blaché was an early influence on both Alfred Hitchcock and Sergei Eisenstein. ...
Guy-Blaché almost died from the Spanish flu pandemic in October 1919 while filming her final film Tarnished Reputations. Following her illness, she joined [husband] Herbert in Hollywood in 1919 but they lived separately. She worked as Herbert's directing assistant on his two films starring Alla Nazimova. Guy-Blaché directed her last film in 1919. In 1921, she was forced to auction her film studio and other possessions in bankruptcy. Alice and Herbert were officially divorced in 1922. She returned to France in 1922 and never made a film again. ...
Guy-Blaché never remarried, and in 1964 she returned to the United States to live in Wayne, New Jersey, with her only daughter, Simone. On March 24, 1968, at the age of 94, Guy-Blaché died in a nursing home.
From 1896 to 1906 Alice Guy was probably the only woman film director in the world. She had begun as a secretary for Léon Gaumont and made her first film in 1896. After that first film, she directed and produced or supervised almost six hundred silent films ranging in length from one minute to thirty minutes...Variety has an overview of her career and says,
Her Gaumont silent films are notable for their energy and risk-taking...
Alice Guy-Blaché was the first woman to direct a film. She helmed or produced over 1,000 movies, in addition to writing, editing and set decorating many of them. Guy-Blaché also cast interracial actors long before Hollywood ever did. ...
Posts
..she was a trailblazer!
ReplyDeleteShe was indeed :)
Deletethank you for sharing her life with us
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you liked it
DeleteCharming tail even if it was a fantasy of the times.
ReplyDeleteIt is a comedy, after all ;)
DeleteWow. That film certainly made me open up my eyes a couple of times.
ReplyDeleteI thought it was interesting.
DeleteFANTASTIC post. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome. I'm pleased you liked it :)
DeleteHow fascinating. I don't think I even ever heard about her in film history classes (though they were so long ago, I might have forgotten!) Thanks for this.
ReplyDeleteShe was a forgotten pioneer.
DeleteI hope you don´t mind, I´d like to link your post to mine tomorrow (I have a reason, a sweet one)?
ReplyDeleteI have to admit, I had to laugh, but wee. very bitter-sweet. It must´ve been hard times but I guess way more Americans and people in the whole world should watch this! Together, not against each other. Here most just look away and when someone stands up to help he ends up in the news at least. And yes, "he", not "she".
I'd be honored :)
DeleteYes, I agree we all need to make looking out for each other more of a priority. Or at the very least acceptable when other people do it.
DeleteAt that time, seems like wishful thinking on her part. She wanted a better world for women, obviously, and thought we could have it here in America. Eventually big changes were made (thanks to women like RBG) but there's still a long way to go.
ReplyDeleteNotice how all the men are aggressive--even the ones defending her...says a lot.
It figures that after all the groundbreaking work she did she was forgotten for so long :(
DeleteThank you, I hope the others clicked on it. It accidentially (blogger!!!!) went online yesterday already...
ReplyDeleteI've accidentally published a few before their time using new blogger lol I'm gradually figuring it out.
Delete