Malone - Backwards & in heels: the past, present and future of women working in film

Copyright 2018 Alicia Malone

Published by Mango Publishing Group, a division of Mango Media Inc.

Cover Illustration & Design : Hema Patel

Layout Design : Elina Diaz

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Backwards and in Heels: The Past, Present and Future of Women
Working in Film

Library of Congress Cataloging

ISBN: (print) 978-1-63353-776-7, (ebook) 978-1-63353-618-0

Library of Congress Control Number: 2017910268

BISAC category code : PER004030 PERFORMING ARTS / Film & Video / History & Criticism

Printed in the United States of America

For my fellow movie geeks.

Alicia Malone gives me hope for the future of film appreciation.
Her knowledge and curiosity are matched only by her enthusiasm for all things cinematic.

Leonard Maltin

Alicia is a wonderful human whose voracious appetite for, and knowledge of, cinema and its history is immense and passionate.
I cant think of anyone more suited to dig into this very important part of the story of film.

Elijah Wood

Alicia Malone has opened my eyes to stories and stats about women in film, making me recognize the constant prejudices and imbalances that occur in the film industry even today, but also the ways in which women have been and continue to be celebrated. Proud to be a fellow feminist for film!

Maude Garrett , Founder of GeekBomb.com

Over the years since we both moved here from our respective home countries to report on film, Ive watched Alicia Malone grow more and more passionate about the roles women play in the modern movie industry, and what she can do to help better this. Alicia is talented and has a natural love of cinema, to be sure, but shes also dedicated to sharing her insights and knowledge in such a way that you cant help but fall in love with film all over again!

Nadia Neophytou, Entertainment Reporter

A fresh and passionate voice that makes us fully aware of the tremendous contributions of women to movies, while giving urgent notice to the stubborn slights and oversights of the film industry and reminding us of the job that remains to be done. A timely and important work of cultural criticism.

Molly Haskell, Film Critic and Author of From Reverence to Rape

Alicia is one of those movie lovers equally adept at discussing Neo from The Matrix and Italian Neorealism. Her enthusiasm is infectious; I cant imagine anyone better equipped to welcome a new generation of young women into the world of movies. With Backwards and in Heels , shes done it.

Ben Mankiewicz , Primetime Host, Turner Classic Movies

Alicia Malone is the champion heroines of cinema deserve. Illuminating, insightful, occasionally maddening, Backwards and in Heels is required reading for anyone who wants to call themselves a film fan.

Sasha Perl-Raver , Host, FX Movie Download

Alicia Malones expert perspective and inspired, informative take on film history make Backwards and in Heels a must read. An outspoken advocate for women in film and an ardent lover of cinema, here she is actively changing the conversation around womens achievements in the business with wonderful insights, wisdom and wit.

Miri Jedeikin , Host, Uproxx

Women have been creators in the film industry since its inception. In Backwards and in Heels , you can feel Alicia Malones passion for highlighting the trailblazers who have deserved this kind of notoriety for decades. Any lover of film will appreciate this celebration of important figures who have made massive contributions to the art form.

Tiffany Vazquez , Saturday Daytime Host, Turner Classic Movies

Theres a slow but steady shift finally sweeping the industry to invest more in female voices. Having a tool like this fantastic book is invaluable for the continued growth and hope of future generations of creative women. Alicia Malone has been a true champion of female artists, exemplifying the passion, intelligence and class needed to bring people together and create positive change.

Amirose Eisenbach , Radiant J Productions

Alicia is one of the most knowledgeable film fans I know. Her passion is infectious! Excited that so many people will get to experience that joy in her new book! Go read it in your heels!

Tiffany Smith , TV Host and Actress

No one lives and breathes film like Alicia. Her passion and enthusiasm for these notable women is infectious and evident on every page.

Josh Horowitz , MTV

Backwards and in Heels will leave you shocked by the behind scenes stories of misogyny and racism, inspired by the resilience women, and hopeful for next 100 years of female filmmakers.

Jacqueline Coley , Black Girl Nerds

Table of Contents

Debbie Reynolds & Carrie Fisher:
Mother-Daughter Icons

By writing this book, Alicia Malone has cast an important spotlight on women who deserve to be known for their incredible contributions to film and to society as a whole. The artists and businesswomen that you will read about in these pages, women like Dorothy Arzner, Ida Lupino, and Mary Pickford among other incredible women, deserve all of the credit we can give them because that is something that has been stolen from them.

We owe them our consideration, we owe them respect, and we owe them our thanks for chipping hard at that glass ceiling and leaving behind art works that, thanks to a book like this, continue to live on.

I was inspired to pick up my camera again after reading this book.

I hope you are, too.

Rose McGowan

Dear reader,

Thank you for reading this special hardcover edition of my book Backwards and in Heels . A little time has passed since the release of the original paperback version in August of 2017, yet it still excites me to type the words my book. Writing has long been a passion of mine, but I wasnt sure Id ever get the chance to see my name on a front cover. Putting this book together meant a lot of work in a few short months, but my belief in supporting women in film kept me going. I feel incredibly lucky to have been given the opportunity.

At the time of the original editions release, there was already conversation about women in Hollywood. Newspapers, websites, social media, and blogs covered the lack of female filmmakers and the inequality of pay and opportunities for actresses. Then, a few months before my book was published, came Wonder Woman . This was the first standalone female superhero film released since Iron Man ushered in a new craze for comic book movies in 2008. Directed by Patty Jenkins and starring Gal Gadot, Wonder Woman was considered a risk. Here was a big budget action film with a female protagonist and a female filmmaker. But the movie defied any expectations, becoming the third biggest box office hit of 2017. There was a hunger amongst audiences and critics for a new type of hero. And my heart melted at seeing photos of young girls and young boys dressing up as Wonder Woman. Representation on screen is vastly important.