Go West, Young Women!. Hilary Hallett

      UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA PRESS

      Berkeley • Los Angeles • London

      University of California Press, one of the most distinguished university presses in the United States, enriches lives around the world by advancing scholarship in the humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences. Its activities are supported by the UC Press Foundation and by philanthropic contributions from individuals and institutions. For more information, visit www.ucpress.edu.

      University of California Press

      Berkeley and Los Angeles, California

      University of California Press, Ltd.

      London, England

      © 2013 by The Regents of the University of California

      Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

      Hallett, Hilary A.

      Go west, young women! : the rise of early Hollywood / Hilary A. Hallett.

      p. cm.

      Includes bibliographical references and index.

      Includes filmography.

      ISBN 978-0-520-27408-2 (cloth : alk. paper) —

      ISBN 978-0-520-27409-9 (pbk. : alk. paper)

      eISBN 9780520953680

      1. Women in the motion picture industry—California—Los Angeles—History—20th century. 2. Motion picture actors and actresses—California—Los Angeles. 3. Motion pictures and women—United States. 4. Hollywood (Los Angeles, Calif.)—History—20th century. I. Title.

      PN1995.9.W6H23 2013

      791.43'6522—dc23

      2012027596

      Manufactured in the United States of America

      21 20 19 18 17 16 15 14 13

      10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

      In keeping with a commitment to support environmentally responsible and sustainable printing practices, UC Press has printed this book on Rolland Enviro100, a 100% postconsumer fiber paper that is FSC certified, deinked, processed chlorine-free, and manufactured with renewable biogas energy. It is acid-free and EcoLogo certified.

      For my boys—Miles, Jackson, and Christopher

      Contents

      List of Illustrations

      PART ONE. ALONG THE ROAD TO HOLLYWOOD

      Prologue I. Landscapes

      1. “Oh for a girl who could ride a horse like Pearl White”: The Actress Democratizes Fame

      2. Women-Made Women: Writing the “Movies” before Hollywood

      PART TWO. MELODRAMAS OF HOLLYWOOD’S BIRTH

      Prologue II. The Postwar Revolution in Morals and Manners, Redux

      3. Hollywood Bohemia

      4. The Movie Menace

      5. A Star Is Born: Rereading the “Fatty” Arbuckle Scandal

      Conclusion: The Girl from Hollywood

      Filmography

      Notes

      Acknowledgments

      Index

      Illustrations

       Frontispiece: Ruth Roland at the beach.