Lois Weber

Lois Weber

Directing

June 12, 1879 — November 13, 1939Allegheny City [now Pittsburgh], Pennsylvania, USA

Lois Weber (1879 - 1939) was a true American auteur on par with D. W. Griffith. A director, actress, screenwriter, and producer of mostly silent films, she was the first American woman to direct a full-length feature film (1914's The Merchant of Venice), the first American woman director to own her own film studio, and one of the first film directors to experiment with sound. Weber pioneered the split-screen technique in the 1913 short film Suspense, and Hypocrites featured the first non-pornographic full-frontal female nude scene in 1915. Many of her films tackled social issues like abortion, poverty, discrimination, and religion, drawing the attention of censors. Only a fraction of her films, estimated to number between 200 and 400, were preserved. In 2022, the American Film Institute announced a new initiative titled "Behind the Veil," after one of Weber's lost films. The initiative "will document 6,000 short films from the silent and early sound eras to uncover the innovative contributions of female and BIPOC storytellers."

Known for

Suspense.

Suspense.

1913

Hypocrites

Hypocrites

1915

Where Are My Children?

Where Are My Children?

1916

The Blot

The Blot

1921

Shoes

Shoes

1916

Tarzan of the Apes

Tarzan of the Apes

1918

The Dumb Girl of Portici

The Dumb Girl of Portici

1916

How Men Propose

How Men Propose

1913

Too Wise Wives

Too Wise Wives

1921

Discontent

Discontent

1916

Directing59

White Heat

White Heat

1934

Director

The Angel of Broadway

The Angel of Broadway

1927

Director

Sensation Seekers

Sensation Seekers

1927

Director

The Marriage Clause

The Marriage Clause

1926

Director

A Chapter in Her Life

A Chapter in Her Life

1923

Director

What Do Men Want?

What Do Men Want?

1921

Director

The Blot

The Blot

1921

Director

Too Wise Wives

Too Wise Wives

1921

Director

What's Worth While?

What's Worth While?

1921

Director

To Please One Woman

To Please One Woman

1920

Director

Forbidden

Forbidden

1919

Director

Home

Home

1919

Director

Mary Regan

Mary Regan

1919

Director

A Midnight Romance

A Midnight Romance

1919

Director

When a Girl Loves

When a Girl Loves

1919

Director

Borrowed Clothes

Borrowed Clothes

1918

Director

For Husbands Only

For Husbands Only

1918

Director

The Doctor and the Woman

The Doctor and the Woman

1918

Director

The Price of a Good Time

The Price of a Good Time

1917

Director

The Hand That Rocks the Cradle

The Hand That Rocks the Cradle

1917

Director

Even as You and I

Even as You and I

1917

Director

The Mysterious Mrs. M

The Mysterious Mrs. M

1917

Director

The People vs. John Doe

The People vs. John Doe

1916

Director

Idle Wives

Idle Wives

1916

Director

Saving the Family Name

Saving the Family Name

1916

Director

Shoes

Shoes

1916

Director

The Eye of God

The Eye of God

1916

Director

Where Are My Children?

Where Are My Children?

1916

Director

John Needham's Double

John Needham's Double

1916

Director

The Flirt

1916

Director

Hop - The Devil's Brew

Hop - The Devil's Brew

1916

Director

The Dumb Girl of Portici

The Dumb Girl of Portici

1916

Director

Discontent

Discontent

1916

Director

A Cigarette - That's All

A Cigarette - That's All

1915

Director

Scandal

Scandal

1915

Director

Betty in Search of a Thrill

Betty in Search of a Thrill

1915

Director

Captain Courtesy

Captain Courtesy

1915

Director

Sunshine Molly

Sunshine Molly

1915

Director

Hypocrites

Hypocrites

1915

Director

It's No Laughing Matter

It's No Laughing Matter

1915

Director

False Colors

1914

Director

Lost by a Hair

Lost by a Hair

1914

Director

The Pursuit of Hate

The Pursuit of Hate

1914

Director

The Spider and Her Web

The Spider and Her Web

1914

Director

The Merchant of Venice

The Merchant of Venice

1914

Director

The Jew's Christmas

The Jew's Christmas

1913

Director

How Men Propose

How Men Propose

1913

Director

Suspense.

Suspense.

1913

Director

The Rosary

The Rosary

1913

Director

A Japanese Idyll

A Japanese Idyll

1912

Director

The Troubadour's Triumph

The Troubadour's Triumph

1912

Director

Eyes That See Not

Eyes That See Not

1912

Director

Fine Feathers

Fine Feathers

1912

Director

The Price

The Price

1911

Director

Fate

1911

Director

On the Brink

On the Brink

1911

Director

The Twins

The Twins

1911

Director

From Death to Life

From Death to Life

1911

Director

A Heroine of '76

A Heroine of '76

1911

Director

Writing50

White Heat

White Heat

1934

Writer

Topsy and Eva

Topsy and Eva

1927

Adaptation, Screenplay

Sensation Seekers

Sensation Seekers

1927

Writer

The Marriage Clause

The Marriage Clause

1926

Writer

A Chapter in Her Life

A Chapter in Her Life

1923

Adaptation, Screenplay

What Do Men Want?

What Do Men Want?

1921

Writer

The Blot

The Blot

1921

Writer

Too Wise Wives

Too Wise Wives

1921

Story, Screenplay

What's Worth While?

What's Worth While?

1921

Writer

To Please One Woman

To Please One Woman

1920

Writer

Forbidden

Forbidden

1919

Writer

Home

Home

1919

Writer

Mary Regan

Mary Regan

1919

Scenario Writer, Screenplay

A Midnight Romance

A Midnight Romance

1919

Writer

When a Girl Loves

When a Girl Loves

1919

Writer

Borrowed Clothes

Borrowed Clothes

1918

Writer

For Husbands Only

For Husbands Only

1918

Adaptation, Screenplay

The Doctor and the Woman

The Doctor and the Woman

1918

Writer

Tarzan of the Apes

Tarzan of the Apes

1918

Writer

The Price of a Good Time

The Price of a Good Time

1917

Writer

The Hand That Rocks the Cradle

The Hand That Rocks the Cradle

1917

Writer

The Mysterious Mrs. M

The Mysterious Mrs. M

1917

Writer

The People vs. John Doe

The People vs. John Doe

1916

Writer

Wanted- A Home

Wanted- A Home

1916

Story

Idle Wives

Idle Wives

1916

Writer, Adaptation

Saving the Family Name

Saving the Family Name

1916

Writer

Shoes

Shoes

1916

Writer

The Eye of God

The Eye of God

1916

Scenario Writer, Writer

Where Are My Children?

Where Are My Children?

1916

Writer

The Flirt

1916

Writer

Hop - The Devil's Brew

Hop - The Devil's Brew

1916

Scenario Writer, Screenplay

The Dumb Girl of Portici

The Dumb Girl of Portici

1916

Adaptation

Discontent

Discontent

1916

Writer

Jewel

Jewel

1915

Writer

Scandal

Scandal

1915

Writer

Sunshine Molly

Sunshine Molly

1915

Writer

Hypocrites

Hypocrites

1915

Writer

It's No Laughing Matter

It's No Laughing Matter

1915

Writer

False Colors

1914

Screenplay

The Opened Shutters

The Opened Shutters

1914

Scenario Writer

Lost by a Hair

Lost by a Hair

1914

Writer

The Spider and Her Web

The Spider and Her Web

1914

Scenario Writer

The Merchant of Venice

The Merchant of Venice

1914

Writer

The Jew's Christmas

The Jew's Christmas

1913

Writer

Suspense.

Suspense.

1913

Writer

The Picture of Dorian Gray

The Picture of Dorian Gray

1913

Screenplay

The Troubadour's Triumph

The Troubadour's Triumph

1912

Writer

The Price

The Price

1911

Writer

On the Brink

On the Brink

1911

Story

The Twins

The Twins

1911

Writer

Acting30

The Women Who Run Hollywood

The Women Who Run Hollywood

2016

Self (archive footage)

Early Directors on Directing

Early Directors on Directing

2009

Self

The Hand That Rocks the Cradle

The Hand That Rocks the Cradle

1917

Mrs. Broome

Alone in the World

Alone in the World

1917

Idle Wives

Idle Wives

1916

Anne

The Eye of God

The Eye of God

1916

Renie

Hop - The Devil's Brew

Hop - The Devil's Brew

1916

Lydia Jansen

Scandal

Scandal

1915

Daisy Dean

Sunshine Molly

Sunshine Molly

1915

Sunshine Molly

False Colors

1914

Mrs. Moore

Lost by a Hair

Lost by a Hair

1914

Summer Girl

The Pursuit of Hate

The Pursuit of Hate

1914

Diana Grave

The Spider and Her Web

The Spider and Her Web

1914

Madame DuBarr

The Merchant of Venice

The Merchant of Venice

1914

Portia

The Jew's Christmas

The Jew's Christmas

1913

Leah - Isaac's Daughter

How Men Propose

How Men Propose

1913

The Maid

Suspense.

Suspense.

1913

The Wife

The Rosary

The Rosary

1913

The Soldier's Sweetheart

The Picture of Dorian Gray

The Picture of Dorian Gray

1913

A Japanese Idyll

A Japanese Idyll

1912

Eyes That See Not

Eyes That See Not

1912

The Millionaire's Wife

Fine Feathers

Fine Feathers

1912

Mira, the Artist's Model

The Price

The Price

1911

Ann

Lost Illusions

1911

Grace - The Wife

Sherlock Holmes, Jr.

Sherlock Holmes, Jr.

1911

Mrs. Brown

Fate

1911

Flora Brown

On the Brink

On the Brink

1911

Tess

The Twins

The Twins

1911

The Twin Sisters

From Death to Life

From Death to Life

1911

Aratus' Wife

A Heroine of '76

A Heroine of '76

1911

The Tavern Keeper's Daughter

Production13

The Blot

The Blot

1921

Producer

Too Wise Wives

Too Wise Wives

1921

Producer

What's Worth While?

What's Worth While?

1921

Producer

For Husbands Only

For Husbands Only

1918

Producer

The Hand That Rocks the Cradle

The Hand That Rocks the Cradle

1917

Producer

The People vs. John Doe

The People vs. John Doe

1916

Producer

Wanted- A Home

Wanted- A Home

1916

Producer

Idle Wives

Idle Wives

1916

Producer

Shoes

Shoes

1916

Producer

Where Are My Children?

Where Are My Children?

1916

Producer

The Dumb Girl of Portici

The Dumb Girl of Portici

1916

Producer

Hypocrites

Hypocrites

1915

Producer

How Men Propose

How Men Propose

1913

Producer

Editing1

The Price of a Good Time

The Price of a Good Time

1917

Editor