Publishers Weekly
03/20/2023
Attentively recounting their impact on the film industry, Rubin (Madame Alexander) centers intersectionally diverse pioneering women from 1900 to 1940, including Dorothy Emma Arzner, a queer film director; Hattie McDaniel, the first Black person to win an Academy Award; and Chinese American actor Anna May Wong. A foreword by Ruth E. Carter, the first African American to win the Academy Award for Best Costume Design, praises the women discussed for their bravery and asserts that “because they dared to dream, I was able to.” Rubin notes in a brief introduction that “moviemaking wasn’t taken seriously” as a lucrative opportunity, a widely held belief that allowed women to pursue jobs in film. Carefully researched chapters chronicle the highlights of each subject’s accomplishments while also providing historical context surrounding the time they lived in and how significant events—the Great Depression, Jim Crow, world wars, and widespread sickness—impacted their careers. Illuminating b&w photographs feature throughout, providing behind-the-scenes glimpses into the women’s professional lives and elevating the timely appeal of this worthy telling. A beginning note addresses era-specific language and phrases used. Extensive back matter concludes. Ages 12–up. (May)
From the Publisher
2023 Eureka! Nonfiction Childrens’ Honor Award
A 2024 CCBC Choice
"In The Women Who Built Hollywood, Susan Goldman Rubin profiles 12 female powerhouses who made big contributions when movies were a new American art form in the early 20th century...Replete with archival black-and-white photos, this galvanic book gestures at the secret to so many of its subjects' long careers in Hollywood, both on-screen and behind the scenes." —Shelf Awareness
"With a clearly written narrative bolstered by delightful, behind-the-scenes photography, the book not only delves into the histories of 12 women who played various professional roles in the industry, but examines how historical events like world wars, the Great Depression, the 1918 influenza pandemic, and Jim Crow impacted their careers. The racism some of these women faced is described with thoughtfulness and accuracy...An accessible, well-researched book highlighting pioneering women creatives." —Kirkus Reviews
"Rubin provides a well-researched, smoothly written account of each woman’s life, achievements, and legacy, while well-chosen quotes from the women and their contemporaries bring their voices into the narrative. An informative, enjoyable account of women's contributions to the early history of Hollywood movies." —Booklist
"Carefully researched chapters chronicle the highlights of each subject’s accomplishments while also providing historical context surrounding the time they lived in and how significant events—the Great Depression, Jim Crow, world wars, and widespread sickness—impacted their careers. Illuminating b&w photographs feature throughout, providing behind-the-scenes glimpses into the women’s professional lives and elevating the timely appeal of this worthy telling." —Publishers Weekly
"An illuminating collective biography that goes behind the scenes to shed light on 12 groundbreaking women who made their mark on film and early cinema...The writing is succinct and accessible and will inspire readers to do more research. This book has multiple entry points and will interest fans of untold histories and film. Every profile is accompanied by multiple gorgeous, black-and-white archival photos...Well-researched, the work is heavily sourced with extensive notes, bibliography, and index. Rubin takes extra care to preface the book with a note on the derogatory terms used during the time period...A fascinating and browsable collective biography that will inspire further research." —School Library Journal
“These women did not just build Hollywood, they contributed to its longevity. They were breaking ground and breaking stereotypes. They were role models. They were a founding generation of women in Hollywood who helped future generations not only exist but have the powerful and diverse voice that they have now.” —Academy Award-Winning Costume Designer Ruth E. Carter, Marvel Studios' Black Panther and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
Kirkus Reviews
2023-02-08
A look at trailblazing women of early Hollywood.
This title covers the early days of Hollywood, from 1900 to 1940, presenting women who not only left their marks, but opened doors for those who would follow. The subjects include Mary Pickford, beloved as America’s Sweetheart; Frances Marion, one of the highest paid screenwriters of the time; Dorothy Emma Arzner, a successful director who was in a same-sex life partnership with choreographer Marion Morgan; Margaret Booth, the first person to receive the title of “film editor”; and Helen Holmes, action star and stuntwoman. In addition to these White women, the book includes women of color such as Fredi Washington, a light-skinned Black actor who pushed back against racism in the mainstream film industry; Hattie McDaniel, the first Black person to win an Academy Award; and Anna May Wong, the first world-famous Chinese American film star. With a clearly written narrative bolstered by delightful, behind-the-scenes photography, the book not only delves into the histories of 12 women who played various professional roles in the industry, but examines how historical events like world wars, the Great Depression, the 1918 influenza pandemic, and Jim Crow impacted their careers. The racism some of these women faced is described with thoughtfulness and accuracy. An afterword reflects on progress still to be made.
An accessible, well-researched book highlighting pioneering women creatives. (note on terms and subjects, note on Anna May Wong, author’s note, where to see films, bibliography, source notes, index, picture credits) (Nonfiction. 12-18)