When a director decides to embark on a film festival journey, it can be a daunting process. Especially in relation to what are the key festivals you are aiming for?
Early Career
Born in 1879 in Pittsburgh, Lois Weber had no ties to the industry. But, in 1904 Lois fell in love with acting and moved to New York to focus on becoming a successful actress and singer. This drive led to Lois being hired in 1908 by the American Gaumont Chronophones where Lois was introduced to filmmaking. Her thirst to learn everything about filmmaking saw her writing, acting, editing, designing the sets, doing the costume design, developing the negatives herself, and what she would be most known for: directing.
In 1911 Lois directed her first short film, A Heroine of ’76. There was no turning back — Lois had discovered what she wanted to do for the rest of her life. So, she moved to Los Angeles to pursue a career as a director.
Now an LA based filmmaker, Lois was about to announce herself to the industry. In 1913 she directed her new short film Suspense. It was an extraordinarily ambitious film, which introduced the use of the split screen technique, had car chases, and a stunning car mirror shot at pace. Over a century later and Suspense stands up against any ambitious short film made today.
Features
Just a year after the release of Suspense, Lois directed 27 movies in one year, including becoming the first ever director to direct a feature of a Shakespearean comedy: The Merchant of Venice. Lois also directed the feature Hypocrites in the same year, which included the first full-frontal female nudity in cinema history. This nudity landed her in trouble with National Board of Review and saw the film banned in some US states and cause riots in New York. Yet, it was the filmmaking skill on display that led to the film’s enormous success and saw Lois Weber become a household name.
In 1915 Lois went to work for Universal Pictures. Her drive showed no let-up, with Lois directing 10 features in 1916, become the highest paid director at Universal, and be the first and only woman inducted into the Motion Picture Directors Association. In 1917, she became the first American female director to establish and run her own movie studio. Just six years earlier, no one knew who she was. But with over forty films made in that time frame, Lois was now one of the most famous directors in the world. This success continued up to the height of her fame in 1921 with the release of her feature The Blot, widely regarded as her masterpiece.
Final Years
Then, everything changed. The 1920s saw a mass influx of money from Wall Street, as the industry became a male dominated one. This saw the popularity of the ‘flapper girl’ image for leading ladies. Consequently, the intelligent movies of Lois Weber were no longer fashionable. Still adored by the critics for her filmmaking, it was not reflected in the box office, with a string of poor returns. Over the subsequent years, a variety of studios and production companies hired her for their features, but she was now being told what to make and how. Her career as a voice of cinema was over.
Lois Weber passed away in 1939. Her death was barely acknowledged by Hollywood, with just two paragraphs in Variety. She had directed 138 films during her career, and yet she had been forgotten by the very industry she had helped to create.
Today, many male directors are mentioned when talking about the birth of Hollywood. At the height of her powers during that birth, Lois was as productive and popular as any of them. She was a pioneer of cinema. A true legend. An inspiration for any director: Lois Weber.