Voting Station

Dorothy Arzner

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Filmmaker

The Resume

    (January 3, 1897-October 1, 1979)
    Born in San Francisco, California
    Directed 'Ten Modern Commandments' (1927), 'Get Your Man' (1927), 'The Wild Party' (1929), 'Sarah and Son' (1930), 'Honor Among Lovers' (1931), 'Christopher Strong' (1933), 'The Bride Wore Red' (1937), 'Dance, Girl, Dance' (1940) and 'First Comes Courage' (1943)

Why she might be annoying:

    She was a pre-med major before dropping out of college.
    She usually wore men's suits and ties.
    She never explained why she stopped directing feature films after 1943.
    Asked which of her films was her favorite, she replied, 'I was always so critical of my own work that I could hardly consider any one a favorite. I always find too many flaws.'

Why she might not be annoying:

    She drove an ambulance during WWI.
    She started as a stenographer at Paramount Pictures, and worked her way up to continuity girl, scenarist, screenwriter, editor and finally director.
    She was the first film editor, of either gender, to get a screen credit.
    In order to allow star Clara Bow freedom of movement on the set of 'The Wild Party,' she had a microphone attached to a fishing pole, creating the boom mike.
    She was the first (and for a long time only) female member of the Directors Guild of America.
    She taught screenwriting and directing at UCLA film school.
    After years of obscurity, her films were rediscovered by feminist critics in the 1970s.

Credit: C. Fishel


Featured in the following Annoying Collections:

Year In Review:

    In 2023, Out of 4 Votes: 0% Annoying
    In 2021, Out of 7 Votes: 85.71% Annoying
    In 2020, Out of 4 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2019, Out of 1 Votes: 100% Annoying
    In 2017, Out of 1 Votes: 0% Annoying
    In 2016, Out of 5 Votes: 80.0% Annoying
    In 2015, Out of 3 Votes: 100% Annoying
    In 2014, Out of 17 Votes: 64.71% Annoying
    In 2013, Out of 7 Votes: 57.14% Annoying