Alice Guy-Blaché
- Known for
- Directing
- Born
- July 1, 1873
- Died
- March 24, 1968
- Birthplace
- Saint-Mandé, Val-de-Marne, France
Alice Guy-Blaché (July 1, 1873 – March 24, 1968) is generally considered to be the world's first female director. French-born Alice Guy entered the film business as a secretary at Gaumont-Paris in 1896. The next year Gaumont changed from manufacturing cameras to producing movies, and Guy became one of its first film directors. She impressed the company so much with the output (she averaged two two-reelers a week) and quality of her productions that by 1905 she was made the company's production director, supervising the company's other directors. In 1907 she married Herbert Blaché, an Englishman who ran the company's British and German offices. The pair soon went to the U.S. to set up the company's operations there. In 1910 she set up her own production company in New York and built a studio in Fort Lee, New Jersey. After a period of critical and financial success, her company's fortunes declined and she eventually shut down the studio. Although she secured work directing films for several major Hollywood studios, she returned to France in 1922 after her divorce from Blache. She was never able to secure any directorial jobs there, and never made a film again. In 1964 she returned to the U.S. and lived in Mahwah, New Jersey - not far from where her original studios were - with her daughters, where she died in 1968.
Filmography
- Shadows of the Moulin Rouge
Shadows of the Moulin Rouge TBA
Director, Writer, Producer
Alice Guy - 13 Courts-métrages TBA
Director
Fantastic Flowers 2025
Director
Imitation of Waves - Guy's Visions 2025
Cinematography
Alice Guy, the First Female Filmmaker 2021
as Self - Filmmaker (archive footage)
Be Natural: The Untold Story of Alice Guy-Blaché 2018
as Self (archive footage)
The Women Who Run Hollywood 2016
as Self (archive footage)
- Butterfly Dances
Butterfly Dances 2007
Director
Gaumont Treasures 1897-1913 2005
Director
The Lost Garden: The Life and Cinema of Alice Guy-Blaché 1995
as Self (archive footage)
Qui est Alice Guy? 1976
as Self
Tarnished Reputations 1920
Director, Producer
The Great Adventure 1918
Director
Behind the Mask 1917
Director
When You and I Were Young 1917
Director
House of Cards 1917
Director, Writer
- A Man and the Woman
A Man and the Woman 1917
Director, Screenplay
The Empress 1917
Director, Writer
The Adventurer 1917
Director
The Ocean Waif 1916
Director
The Scarlet Woman 1916
Director, Producer
What Will People Say? 1916
Director
Barbara Frietchie 1915
Producer
My Madonna 1915
Director, Writer
The Song of the Wage Slave 1915
Director
The Vampire 1915
Director, Producer
Heart of a Painted Woman 1915
Director
The Tigress 1914
Director
The Lure 1914
Director, Writer
The Woman of Mystery 1914
Director, Scenario Writer, Producer
- The Monster and the Girl
The Monster and the Girl 1914
Director
The Dream Woman 1914
Director, Screenplay
- The Rogues of Paris
The Rogues of Paris 1913
Director, Producer
The Pit and the Pendulum 1913
Director
Matrimony's Speed Limit 1913
Director, Producer
- Kelly from the Emerald Isle
Kelly from the Emerald Isle 1913
Writer
A House Divided 1913
Director, Producer
A Severe Test 1913
Director
Dick Whittington and His Cat 1913
Writer, Director
Burstup Homes' Murder Case 1913
Director
Officer Henderson 1913
Director
- Napoleon
Napoleon 1913
Director
- Burstup Homes
Burstup Homes 1913
Director
The Thief 1913
Director
The Coming of Sunbeam 1913
Director
Cousins of Sherlocko 1913
Director
Beasts of the Jungle 1913
Writer, Producer
The Roads That Lead Home 1913
Director, Producer
- The Woman Behind the Man
The Woman Behind the Man 1912
Director
- Hearts Unknown
Hearts Unknown 1912
Director
The Girl in the Arm-Chair 1912
Director, Producer
The Hater of Women 1912
Director
- The Face at the Window
The Face at the Window 1912
Director
A Comedy of Errors 1912
Director, Producer
- The New Love And The Old
The New Love And The Old 1912
Director, Producer
Making an American Citizen 1912
Producer, Director, Writer
The High Cost of Living 1912
Director
Canned Harmony 1912
Director, Producer
- The Love of the Flag
The Love of the Flag 1912
Director
- Treasures on the Wing
Treasures on the Wing 1912
Director
The Fight in the Dark 1912
Director
Dublin Dan 1912
Producer
Playing Trumps 1912
Director
- Phantom Paradise
Phantom Paradise 1912
Director
His Double 1912
Director
- The Equine Spy
The Equine Spy 1912
Producer
The Strike 1912
Director
Two Little Rangers 1912
Director
Broken Oaths 1912
Director
For Love of the Flag 1912
Director
Fra Diavolo 1912
Director, Writer
In the Year 2000 1912
Director
Souls in the Shadow 1912
Director
- The Wooing of Alice
The Wooing of Alice 1912
Director
- The Reformation of Mary
The Reformation of Mary 1912
Director, Producer
The Sewer 1912
Producer
- Child of the Tenements
Child of the Tenements 1912
Director
Falling Leaves 1912
Director, Writer
- Blighted Lives
Blighted Lives 1912
Director
Algie, the Miner 1912
Producer, Director
- God Disposes
God Disposes 1912
Director
- Hubby Does the Washing
Hubby Does the Washing 1912
Director, Producer
A Terrible Lesson 1912
Director
The Detective's Dog 1912
Director
- Mrs. Cranston's Jewels
Mrs. Cranston's Jewels 1912
Director
- Mignon
Mignon 1912
Director
Frozen on Love's Trail 1912
Director
A Man's a Man 1912
Director
Parson Sue 1912
Director
- Someone's Luck Society
Someone's Luck Society 1912
Director
A Fool and His Money 1912
Director, Producer
- A Solax Celebration
A Solax Celebration 1912
as The Cause, Director
- The Violin Maker of Nuremberg
The Violin Maker of Nuremberg 1911
Director
His Mother's Hymn 1911
Director
Outwitted by Horse and Lariat 1911
Director
Starting Something 1911
Director
Greater Love Hath No Man 1911
Director, Writer, Executive Producer
Cupid and the Comet 1911
Director, Producer
Across the Mexican Line 1911
Director
Tramp Strategy 1911
Director
- From the Valley of Shadows
From the Valley of Shadows 1911
Director
Mixed Pets 1911
Director
When Marian was Married 1911
Director
What Is a Flag? 1909
Director
On the Barricade 1907
Director
The Banknote 1907
Director
The Race for the Sausage 1907
Director
Alice Guy Films a 'Phonoscène' in the Studio at Buttes-Chaumont, Paris 1907
as Herself, the director, Director
The Consequences of Feminism 1906
Director, Writer
Man Monkey 1906
Director
The Dirigible 'Homeland' 1906
Director
Dranem Performs "Five O'Clock Tea" 1906
Director
The Drunken Mattress 1906
Director
Anna, what are you waiting for? 1906
Director
The Stepmother 1906
Director
The Hierarchies of Love 1906
Director
A Sticky Woman 1906
Director
The Mouse in the Crinoline 1906
Director
Madame's Cravings 1906
Director, Writer
- The Druids
The Druids 1906
Director
- L'Honneur du Corse
L'Honneur du Corse 1906
Director
The Game-Keeper's Son 1906
Director
A Priest's Conscience 1906
Director, Writer
- Course de taureaux
Course de taureaux 1906
Director
- Mireille
Mireille 1906
Actor, Director
The Birth, the Life and the Death of Christ 1906
Director, Writer
An Obstacle Course 1906
Director
Ocean Studies 1906
Director
- Een kleine detective
Een kleine detective 1906
Director
- The Sock
The Sock 1905
Director
Esmeralda 1905
Director
- The Fairy of Spring
The Fairy of Spring 1905
Director
Tango 1905
Director
The Magician's Alms 1905
Director
The Statue 1905
Director
Spain 1905
as Self - Presenter, Director
The Bricklayers 1905
Director
Clown, Dog and Balloon 1905
Director
In a Bamboo Hut 1905
Director
The Malagueña and the Bullfighter 1905
Director
- Faust
Faust 1905
Director
Félix Mayol Performs "White Lilacs" 1905
Director
Félix Mayol Performs "The Trottins' Polka" 1905
Director
Félix Mayol Performs "Indiscreet Questions" 1905
Director
Dranem Performs The True Jiu-Jitsu 1905
Director
Polin Performs "The Anatomy of a Draftee" 1905
Director
Saharet Performs the Bolero 1905
Director
Le Cake-walk de nouveau cirque 1905
Director
- The Crime on Temple Street
The Crime on Temple Street 1904
Director
Token of Love 1904
Director
- The First Cigarette
The First Cigarette 1904
Director
Faust and Mephistopheles 1903
Director
How Monsieur Takes His Bath 1903
Director
An Untimely Intrusion 1902
Director
Midwife to the Upper Class 1902
Director, Producer
- Les malabares: Les acrobats
Les malabares: Les acrobats 1902
Director
- La Gigue
La Gigue 1902
Director
- Danse fantaisiste
Danse fantaisiste 1902
Director
Serpentine Dance 1902
Director
Eccentric Dance 1902
Director
Miss Dundee and Her Performing Dogs 1902
Director
Danse basque 1901
Director
- Coucher d'une Parisienne
Coucher d'une Parisienne 1900
Scenario Writer, Director
Dance of the Seasons: Winter, Snow Dance 1900
Director
At the Floral Ball 1900
Director
At the Photographer's 1900
Director
Automated Hat-Maker and Sausage-Grinder 1900
Director
- Gavotte directoire
Gavotte directoire 1900
Director
- Danse du papillon
Danse du papillon 1900
Director
The Cabbage-Patch Fairy 1900
Director, Writer
Pierrette's Escapades 1900
Director
The Landlady 1900
Director
Avenue de l'Opéra 1900
Director
- Entrée Et Sortie De La Mine
Entrée Et Sortie De La Mine 1899
Director
Wonderful Absinthe 1899
Director
At the Club 1899
Director
Surprise Attack on a House at Daybreak 1898
Director
The Turn-of-the-Century Blind Man 1898
Director
The Burglars 1898
Director
Disappearing Act 1898
Director
At the Hypnotist's 1898
Director
Ballet Libella 1897
Director
Danse Fleur de Lotus 1897
Director
The Fisherman at the Stream 1897
Director
Serpentine Dance by Mme. Bob Walter 1897
Director
Bathing in a Stream 1897
Director
The Cabbage-Patch Fairy 1896
Actor, Director of Photography, Director, Writer
Animated Portrait Shot by L and A Lumière 1895
as Herself
Credits from TMDB.