Table of Contents
Introduction 13
Part 1 The Past 17
The First Pioneers (1890s - 1920s) 18
The First Female Filmmaker Alice Guy Blaché 21
Social Issues on Film Lois Weber 24
The Movie Star Businesswoman Mary Pickford 27
The First Film Editor Margaret Booth 34
The Award-Winning Writer Frances Marion 37
The Action Hero Helen Holmes 41
Struggling in the System (1930s) 44
The Only Female Filmmaker Dorothy Arzner 46
Mae West: The Sex Symbol vs the Code 50
The Oscar Winner Hattie McDaniel 54
Erasure and Exoticism Anna May Wong 58
The Woman's Picture 64
Waging Their Own War (1940s) 66
The Pin-Up with the Patent Hedy Lamarr 69
The Lawmaker Olivia de Havilland 74
The Illusion Rita Hayworth 78
The Femme Fatales 84
The Dream Factory (1950s) 87
Fighting Against Stereotype Dorothy Dandridge 90
The Myth Marilyn Monroe 95
Mother of Us All Ida Lupino 98
New Hollywood (1960s & 1970s) 103
The Famous Feud Joan Crawford Bette Davis 110
New Hollywood Icon Jane Fonda 114
Female Filmmakers, Finally 120
The Blaxploitation Hero Pam Grier 125
Modern Hollywood (1980s - 2000s) 129
The Female Executives 136
The Firsts: Female Filmmakers of Color 141
Oscar Queen Meryl Streep 143
Part 2 The Present 153
Filmmakers Fight Back 154
Information Is Power Dr. Stacy L. Smith 157
History Maker Ava DuVernay 160
Men Who Help Women J.J. Abrams Paul Feig 166
ReFraming The Issue Keri Putnam 173
Taking Action Maria Giese 176
Acting Up 180
See It, Be It Geena Davis 181
America Ferrera: Facing Fear 187
Transforming Hollywood Mya Taylor 191
Scene Stealer Octavia Spencer 196
Using Her Voice Jennifer Siebel Newsom 199
Mother-Daughter Icons Debbie Reynolds Carrie Fisher 205
Below the Line 210
The Risk Taker Amy Powell 213
From Producer To Director Denise di Novi 216
Writing Her Own Script Nicole Perlman 219
Editing History Joi McMillon 223
Striking Images Rachel Morrison 226
Part 3 The Future 233
The Future is Female 234
Select Bibliography 236
Acknowledgements 239
Author Bio 241