Alice Guy Blaché (1873–1968)

Alice Guy Blaché (or Guy-Blaché), née Guy, was born in Paris, France. Although obscure today, she was a groundbreaking pioneer filmmaker, being one of the first to make a narrative fiction film, and she was the first woman known to direct a film. From 1896 to 1906, she was probably the only female filmmaker in the world. She directed, produced, and supervised more than 1,000 films, first as head of production for the Gaumont film company, and then at The Solax Company in the USA, which she started in 1910 with her husband, cameraman Herbert Blaché. Among her innovations were experimenting with Gaumont's Chronophone sync-sound system, which synchronized the filmed image with sound recorded on a wax cylinder, and with color-tinting and special effects. After a divorce from her husband, Alice returned with her two children to France, where she was unable to find work in the film industry. As time passed, she discovered that many of her accomplishments had been forgotten or, worse, credited to one of her male colleagues. The French government eventually acknowledged her achievements with the Legion d'Honneur in 1953. In 1964, she returned to the USA, where she remained until her death. Her memoir, Autobiographie d’une pionnière du cinéma, 1873–1968, was published in 1976. The English edition, The Memoirs of Alice Guy Blaché, appeared in 1986. Only a handful of her films survived.