Expert: DM - 3/27/2007

Question
Hi-
I am trying desperately to find out if there was even a single black female film director during the "Golden Age" (late 20's - 30's or earlier) of classic movies. If you have any idea on the subject, or might be able to point me to someone with specific knowledge on the subject I would be extremely appreciative.

Thank you in advance for your time.
Devin  

Answer
Dear Devin,
Thank you for your great question about black female film directors.

I have spent a lifetime researcing film history, and authored several books on the subject. To the best of my knowledge, there was never been even one black female film director during the 1920s and 1930s. There were female film directors, Lois Weber, Lillian Gish, Dorothy Arzner, and Alice Guy Blanche, among the most prominent. There were black female actresses in the silent era during the 1920s, and black female stars in the 1930s. Opportunities to direct films were so scant, and prejudice against women directors in general was (and still is) a major roadblock to overcome, and few manage to break through the "glass ceiling." The industry was (and still is) a male dominated industry.

The whole subject of black women in film has never been fully documented, but the facts are there, and they do not show that any black female ever directed a silent film or talking picture in the 1930s.

Sincerely,
David Menefee