It Takes a Village: Unsung Women and Their Contributions to Silent Film

In the first two decades of the 20th century, the nascent silent film industry offered women numerous opportunities to make a significant impact in the field. Mostly marginalized and forgotten over time, these women contributed heavily to early Hollywood filmmaking, doing everything from editing to designing,  producing to directing. While some like Alice Guy-Blaché, Lois Weber, and Mary Pickford are well known by cinema buffs, many unsung pioneers like Clare West, Elsa Lopez, and Marion Fairfax still live in obscurity. This lecture will acknowledge these many women’s talents and provide the recognition they deserve.

Film historian and writer Mary Mallory is the author of four books and a blogger  on Los Angeles and early film history. She has contributed to the Women Film Pioneers Project, the San Francisco Silent Film Festival, and American History magazine. She has lectured at the Niles Essanay Silent Film Museum, Hollywood Heritage Museum, and Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at UCLA, and she currently serves on Hollywood Heritage’s Board of Directors.