The Women Who Built Hollywood

March 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.