June Mathis was, for a few years, the most important woman in Hollywood. She was the first female executive at Metro Goldwyn Mayer and at the age of 35 was the highest paid executive in Hollywood. In 1926, she was voted the third most influential woman in Hollywood, behind Mary Pickford and Norma Talmadge. Even as these votes were being tallied, her influence was waning and within a year she had died.
In the years before Hollywood had a glass ceiling, Mathis was one of the power players in the film industry. She discovered Rudolph Valentino and made him a star. Among the assignments which bolstered her name and power in Hollywood was her work on the film Greed. She was charged with the job of editing Erich von Stroheim’s masterpiece film Greed from a staggering running time of over ten hours to a watchable two and half hours. Ultimately she was given full authority to bring Ben-Hur to the silver screen. From the beginning this production was troubled and she was ultimately fired. With her removal from Ben-Hur, the glass ceiling in Hollywood was put in place for much of the rest of the 20the century.
The General Lew Wallace Study & Museum will host nationally renowned silent film expert, Dr. Thomas Slater from Pennsylvania, at 7 p.m. Thursday in the Carriage House for a program on Mathis and the 1925 Ben-Hur. Seating is limited. For more information or reservations, call 765-362-5769.
