(MA) That's an interesting question, Tom. Women did participate in the early days of motion-picture making. One of the most outstanding is Lois Weber. She is credited as the first consistently successful woman film director.

In the early 1900's, when she first arrived in Hollywood, Ms. Weber made a series of experimental sound films. Now this was almost 20 years before modern "talking pictures" were developed. The dialogue for her movies was recorded on phonograph records and then synchronized with the action on the movie screen --- very innovative for that time.

In addition, Weber felt that movies should be educational as well as entertaining. She made several highly controversial movies that dealt with the moral and social issues of her day. And some of her most controversial work addressed issues of particular interest to women. Unfortunately, Weber died in 1939 just as Hollywood was beginning to make films aimed primarily at female audiences... which brings me to my next point.