Dorothy Arzner, director
Vintage photograph on the set of Dance, Girl, Dance (USA; 1940)
Vintage still from Dance, Girl, Dance, with Lucille Ball
The legendary Dorothy Arzner was the most well-known female director during Hollywood’s
Golden Age. Arzner began her film career as a screenwriter, eventually rose through the ranks
as an editor, and finally became a feature film director. Helming studio comedies and
melodramas, Arzner’s heroines often were characterized by their fierce independence.
Never hiding her lesbianism, Arzner went against feminine expectations of the time by often
donning mannish suits and sporting short hair.
Publicity still from Dance, Girl, Dance
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