Women Who Run Hollywood
Kino Lorber
Video: 480p (NTSC) / 1.78:1
Audio: English Stereo
Subtitles: English with optional SDH
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by Jasmine Edwards, Staff Writer

The Movies: Excellent

Presented by Kino Lorber Studio Classics, Women Who Run Hollywood is a two-disc collection of four documentaries directed, produced and edited by sister filmmakers Clara and Julia Kuperberg, who founded their production company, Wichita Films, in 2006.

The first documentary, The Women Who Run Hollywood (2016), was selected for the Cannes Film Festival in 2016, due in part to the growing momentum of the “Me Too” movement. It focuses on the trailblazing female filmmakers of early Hollywood, exploring how, by 1925, they had almost completely disappeared from the scene. These women were largely forgotten until film historian Ally Acker was shocked to discover a box of archival photographs in 1986, prompting the question, “Who are these people... why aren’t we being taught any of this stuff?”

The success of this documentary led to the creation of three subsequent films featured in this collection: Mary Pickford, A Blessing and a Curse (2023), Dorothy Arzner: Pioneer, Queer, Feminist (2023) and Ida Lupino: Gentlemen and Miss Lupino (2021). This would not have been possible without the help of the Mary Pickford Foundation, film historian Kevin Brownlow and historian and archivist Mark Wanamaker, who helped the Kuperbergs gain access to rare audio recordings of these women who, despite living until the 1980s, were never interviewed.

Disc One: The Women Who Run Hollywood (2016) features commentary by historians Ally Acker and Cari Beauchamp, former CEO of Paramount Pictures, Sherry Lansing and more. They chronicle the evolution of women’s roles in Hollywood from its conception to the present day, and share their own journeys as women in the industry along the way.

Ida Lupino: Gentlemen and Miss Lupino (2021) outlines the significant impact made by director Ida Lupino, who began her Hollywood career as an actress during the 1930s-40s and transitioned into directing by 1949, becoming the first woman to direct a film noir, The Hitch-Hiker (1953), among other achievements. Her success was due in part to her femininity, artfully emphasized in order to not upset the fragile male egos around her. “Keeping a feminine approach is vital. Men hate bossy women. You do not tell a man, you suggest to them,” she said. Historian Ally Acker and author Julie Grossman feature.

Disc Two: Dorothy Arzner: Pioneer, Queer, Feminist (2023). Author Shelley Stamp, film historian Tony Marietta, director Francis Ford Coppola and more discuss the early life and later work of outlier filmmaker Dorothy Arzner, the only woman to maintain a successful directing career throughout the 1930s and 1940s as well as the first woman to join the Director’s Guild of America.

Mary Pickford, A Blessing and a Curse (2023) focuses on Mary Pickford, “the focal point of the entire industry” of Hollywood and the “most important woman of the first half of the 20th century.” Kathleen A. Feeley, Tracey Goessel, Tony Marietta and more discuss the ups and downs of the life of the first Hollywood star, pioneering businesswoman and mogul. “My whole life was wrapped up in the creative,” says Pickford, in a rare audio recording. “I had to assume a business role in order to protect what I loved: my work.”

The Packaging: Good

With actress-director Ida Lupino featured on the cover, this a simple, no-frills case containing two discs inside. Minimalistic physical media is so back.

The Video: Good

The documentaries, originally released in 2016, 2021, and 2023, feature a blend of archival photographs, interviews with industry insiders, authors and historians, and footage from classic films, including the silent era and Old Hollywood. The collection is presented in 480p resolution, which is standard quality for this kind of DVD.

The Audio: Good

The audio for the documentaries is presented in stereo, as indicated in the fine print of the descriptions for the 2021 and 2023 documentaries. However, the 2016 film, The Women Who Run Hollywood, does not specify the exact audio format, though it is likely also in stereo based on the standard practice for DVDs. The sound is clear, and I was able to follow along with or without the addition of subtitles.

Special Features: Average

Nothing really to see here, other than an Introduction and a couple of Trailers.

• Introduction by filmmakers Clara Kuperberg and Julia Kuperberg

• Theatrical Trailers: Mary Pickford, a Blessing and a Curse; Dorothy Arzner: Pioneer, Queer, Feminist; Ida Lupino: Gentlemen & Miss Lupino

In Summary: Must own!

Women Who Run Hollywood is an essential addition to any cinephile’s collection, offering a compelling and well-researched look at the pioneering women who shaped early Hollywood. The set not only highlights the incredible contributions of Mary Pickford, Dorothy Arzner and Ida Lupino but also serves as a reminder of the many women whose stories have been hidden for far too long. Rich with insight, this DVD is an excellent resource for film students, historians and anyone passionate about classic Hollywood and women’s contributions to the industry.

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