By Jan Wahl–
When I meet a powerful woman like Kamala or Hillary, I’m not in awe but filled with admiration and (dare I say it?) identification. The journey to achieve as a bright woman is filled with pain and potholes. I know that achieving as a male is tough too, but being a woman brings with it specific hurdles. Getting through those without giving up is a miracle of fortitude and courage.
Working in network television in the 1970s as part of a crew was lonely. I was the second woman to take on the job of Associate Director (Assistant Director in film) at a network. This coveted job got me into the Directors Guild of America (DGA) and a position with benefits and good income. I bought my first car, an orange VW convertible bug, through the ABC credit union. It was a challenging gig, sitting next to the director in the booth giving orders to cameramen (all men back then) and some days being on the floor throwing cues at stars and supporting players. Pressure. But worse was the resentment of the men I worked with. To them, a young woman in her twenties did not deserve to make a salary meant for a family to live on.
This was also before the MeToo movement. We all look good in our twenties, and nothing stopped men like Richard Dawson, Lawrence Welk, and many guys on the crew from coming on to me. The good news is what I found out when I reported one of them to my Guild after a particularly nasty encounter. I was told to report every time I encountered this behavior, and I did. Soon word got around and I was left alone. I felt sorry for the other women I saw, mostly secretaries, makeup girls, and production assistants. I was lucky to have the DGA and then NABET (National Association of Broadcast Employees and Technicians) and SAG-AFTRA (Screen Actors Guild – American Federation of Television and Radio Artists).
As I climbed up in the industry, taking on producing and directing, I got tough. Virginia Mayo once told me she would never let her daughter be in show business because “if you’re a woman, you have to have the hide of an elephant.” I began to have that toughness, whether it was dating like a guy or swearing like a sailor. I still do the swearing thing!
I worked two jobs and rarely slept, winning a couple of Emmys and becoming “someone.” I was beginning to move in front of the camera, too. About this time, something happened to me I thought was totally impossible. I fell in love with a shy, quiet guy from small town Iowa whom I picked up on a plane. Even though my bosses and colleagues told me it was a huge mistake, I moved to the Bay Area with him and began again. I never thought I would put anything ahead of Manhattan and Los Angeles, the only places to climb even further in my career. Love won, and many years later we are still together.
Beginning again let me make choices. I went in front of the microphone and camera, carving out a nice career, just me and my hats. The world of broadcasting had changed, and I was no longer the only woman anywhere. Plus, I became active in the LBGTQ community, which has the most welcoming people in the world. I’m still working actively in it and loving communicating my passion for movies more than ever. Here are a few films that inspire me every day:
Hidden Figures is a 2016 movie set in the early sixties at NASA. Three African American women are working on the Mercury Program. They are mathematicians with a pivotal role in astronaut John Glenn’s launch into orbit. All three deal with racial and gender discrimination with courage and persistence. I can close my eyes and see determined Octavia Spencer, Taraji P. Henson, and Janelle Monae. This is a bold, profound, and uplifting film.
1996 gave us the quirky, sassy, and funny The First Wives Club. At their friend’s funeral, three women (Bette Midler, Diane Keaton, and Goldie Hawn) reunite. Together, they seek retribution on their men for having left them for younger women. Some of this is silly, but it is the strength of the three main characters that drives this fine film along, causing us to invest in them and root for their success on their own terms. Even though the film was a huge success and grossed 181 million worldwide, Hollywood decided not to make a sequel. Bette told me that all three women were up for it, but studios turned it down. How about now?
So many more films featuring strong female characters come to mind, such as Frida, Madame Curie, Iron-Jawed Angels, Norma Rae, and Fried Green Tomatoes, just to name a few. Onward and upward, sisters, and our brother allies. It is our time!
Jan Wahl is a Hollywood historian and film critic on various broadcast outlets. She has two Emmys and many awards for her longtime work on behalf of film buffs and the LGBTQ community. Contact her at www.janwahl.com
Off the Wahl
Published on September 19, 2023
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