Early cinema was male dominated, as it is now. There was one exception, however. Alice Guy-Blache, co-owner of Solax Studios and the first director to create a plot to a movie (1896--The Cabbage Fairy). In 1910, her and her husband, along with a third partner, formed the Solax film production studio in Ft. Lee, N. J. She was the primary director at the company.
Her work stood apart from her male directing colleagues in the industry for her sensitivity and compassion. In March 1912 "Falling Leaves," her look at tuberculosis is a tear jerker. A common theme as seen in the example in "Falling Leaves," Guy-Blache's films are replete with child heroes--after all, the doctor wouldn't have stopped at the house if the kid wasn't hanging leaves outside on the trees. Her first film for Solax was 1910's "A Child's Sacrifice." During her career Guy-Blache wrote, directed or produced over 1,000 films, from shorts to feature films. Her movie-making days ended in 1920 when she was only 41 years old. But she was still active in writing her autobiography in the late 1940's.
Her motto hanging on her wall at Ft. Lee, N. J. Solax Studio for all the actors to see was "Act Natural."
Her work stood apart from her male directing colleagues in the industry for her sensitivity and compassion. In March 1912 "Falling Leaves," her look at tuberculosis is a tear jerker. A common theme as seen in the example in "Falling Leaves," Guy-Blache's films are replete with child heroes--after all, the doctor wouldn't have stopped at the house if the kid wasn't hanging leaves outside on the trees. Her first film for Solax was 1910's "A Child's Sacrifice." During her career Guy-Blache wrote, directed or produced over 1,000 films, from shorts to feature films. Her movie-making days ended in 1920 when she was only 41 years old. But she was still active in writing her autobiography in the late 1940's.
Her motto hanging on her wall at Ft. Lee, N. J. Solax Studio for all the actors to see was "Act Natural."