Welcome to DU!
The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards.
Join the community:
Create a free account
Support DU (and get rid of ads!):
Become a Star Member
Latest Breaking News
Editorials & Other Articles
General Discussion
The DU Lounge
All Forums
Issue Forums
Culture Forums
Alliance Forums
Region Forums
Support Forums
Help & Search
Movies
Related: About this forumCredit at last for female screenwriter airbrushed from Hollywood history
https://www.theguardian.com/film/article/2024/jul/14/mary-c-mccall-jr-credit-at-last-for-female-screenwriter-airbrushed-from-hollywood-historyCredit at last for female screenwriter airbrushed from Hollywood history
Despite her activism during the golden age of cinema, Mary C McCall Jr was all but forgotten. Now a new book is about to set the record straight
Dalya Alberge
Sun 14 Jul 2024 06.00 EDT
To screenwriters in the 1950s, she was a major power player, fighting for pay rises and striking rights. To the Hollywood studio heads, she was the meanest bitch in town.
Now, a new book aims to restore Mary C McCall Jrs reputation as one of the film industrys most important figures, a trailblazer who was airbrushed from history after getting on the wrong side of movie moguls.
Prof J E Smyth, whose book, Mary C McCall Jr: The Rise and Fall of Hollywoods Most Powerful Screenwriter, will be published in September, said: [McCall] was targeted by right-wing men who didnt like the amount of power she had had during the 1930s and 1940s and they were going after her
The Hollywood blacklist cleaned a lot of women out of the industry, and she was one. Then historians and film critics erased her, because all theyve ever cared about is great male directors At McCalls death in 1986, aged 81, archives did not even want her papers, and she has simply been forgotten. Material relating to women was just deemed not worthwhile.
[...]
Despite her activism during the golden age of cinema, Mary C McCall Jr was all but forgotten. Now a new book is about to set the record straight
Dalya Alberge
Sun 14 Jul 2024 06.00 EDT
To screenwriters in the 1950s, she was a major power player, fighting for pay rises and striking rights. To the Hollywood studio heads, she was the meanest bitch in town.
Now, a new book aims to restore Mary C McCall Jrs reputation as one of the film industrys most important figures, a trailblazer who was airbrushed from history after getting on the wrong side of movie moguls.
Prof J E Smyth, whose book, Mary C McCall Jr: The Rise and Fall of Hollywoods Most Powerful Screenwriter, will be published in September, said: [McCall] was targeted by right-wing men who didnt like the amount of power she had had during the 1930s and 1940s and they were going after her
The Hollywood blacklist cleaned a lot of women out of the industry, and she was one. Then historians and film critics erased her, because all theyve ever cared about is great male directors At McCalls death in 1986, aged 81, archives did not even want her papers, and she has simply been forgotten. Material relating to women was just deemed not worthwhile.
[...]
InfoView thread info, including edit history
TrashPut this thread in your Trash Can (My DU » Trash Can)
BookmarkAdd this thread to your Bookmarks (My DU » Bookmarks)
3 replies, 470 views
ShareGet links to this post and/or share on social media
AlertAlert this post for a rule violation
PowersThere are no powers you can use on this post
EditCannot edit other people's posts
ReplyReply to this post
EditCannot edit other people's posts
Rec (16)
ReplyReply to this post
3 replies
= new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight:
NoneDon't highlight anything
5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
![](du4img/smicon-reply-new.gif)
Credit at last for female screenwriter airbrushed from Hollywood history (Original Post)
sl8
Jul 14
OP
Xavier Breath
(4,451 posts)1. I'm a bit of a film buff and I never heard her name.
You'd have to scare a whole lot of people to get a moniker like that. Thanks for posting.
brush
(56,167 posts)2. Glad to hear it. I watch TCM a lot and don't recall hearing her name.
Joinfortmill
(15,681 posts)3. God, this pisses me off. Thank God for the book