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Backwards and in Heels Lib/E: The Past, Present, and Future of Women Working in Film
"After all, Ginger Rogers did everything that Fred Astaire did. She just did it backwards and in high heels." -Ann RichardsWomen have been instrumental in the success of American cinema since its very beginning. One of the first people to ever pick up a motion picture camera was a woman, as was the first screenwriter to win two Academy Awards, the inventor of the boom microphone, and the first person to be credited with the title Film Editor. Throughout the entire history of Hollywood women have been revolutionizing, innovating, and shaping how we make movies. Yet their stories are rarely shared.This is what film reporter Alicia Malone wants to change. Backwards & in Heels tells the history of women in film in a different way, with stories about incredible ladies who made their mark throughout each era of Hollywood, from the first women directors to iconic movie stars and present-day activists. Each story shares the inspiring accomplishments of women, while also highlighting the obstacles women have had to face.Backwards & in Heels combines research and exclusive interviews with influential women and men working in Hollywood today, such as Geena Davis, J.J. Abrams, Ava DuVernay, Octavia Spencer, America Ferrera, Paul Feig, and many more, as well as film professors, historians, and experts. Join Alicia as she champions Hollywood women of the past and present, and looks to the future with the hopes of leveling out the playing field.
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First published August 15, 2017
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About the author
Alicia Malone
16 books99 followersAlicia Malone is a film reporter, host, writer and self-confessed movie geek. She first gained notice hosting movie-centric shows and reviewing films in her native Australia, before making the leap to Los Angeles in 2011.
Since then, Alicia has appeared on CNN, the Today show, MSNBC, NPR and many more as a film expert. Currently, she is a host on FilmStruck, a cinephile subscription streaming service run by the Criterion Collection and Turner Classic Movies, and she is the creator and host of the weekly show, Indie Movie Guide on Fandango.
Alicia is passionate about classic films, independent movies and supporting women in film. In 2015, Alicia gave a TEDx talk about the lack of women working in film and why this is important to change. In 2017, she was invited to give a second TEDx talk, where she spoke about the hidden stories of the earliest women working in Hollywood. Alicia has also spoken at conferences around America, and because of this, was named of one the 100 Worthy Women of 2016.
Alicia has traveled the world to cover the BAFTAs, the Oscars, the Cannes Film Festival, Toronto Film Festival, Sundance Film Festival, Telluride Film Festival and SXSW. She is a member of the Broadcast Film Critics Association, and over the years has interviewed hundreds of movie stars and filmmakers.
She also wrote this bio, but knew it would sound way less egotistical if written in third person.
Since then, Alicia has appeared on CNN, the Today show, MSNBC, NPR and many more as a film expert. Currently, she is a host on FilmStruck, a cinephile subscription streaming service run by the Criterion Collection and Turner Classic Movies, and she is the creator and host of the weekly show, Indie Movie Guide on Fandango.
Alicia is passionate about classic films, independent movies and supporting women in film. In 2015, Alicia gave a TEDx talk about the lack of women working in film and why this is important to change. In 2017, she was invited to give a second TEDx talk, where she spoke about the hidden stories of the earliest women working in Hollywood. Alicia has also spoken at conferences around America, and because of this, was named of one the 100 Worthy Women of 2016.
Alicia has traveled the world to cover the BAFTAs, the Oscars, the Cannes Film Festival, Toronto Film Festival, Sundance Film Festival, Telluride Film Festival and SXSW. She is a member of the Broadcast Film Critics Association, and over the years has interviewed hundreds of movie stars and filmmakers.
She also wrote this bio, but knew it would sound way less egotistical if written in third person.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 120 reviews
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September 21, 2017I've regretfully decided to give up on this. No offense to anybody who enjoyed it or the author herself, but content-wise at halfway through there was barely anything I didn't already know (which may be due to the fact that women in film is a topic I care and read about). The fact that the chapters on each lady are kept fairly short to include a lot of them certainly doesn't set the stage for a more in-depth look, and though I'm sure that style was chosen to give an overview of as many women as possible, it ultimately feels lacking and unsatisfying.
In combination with the style of the actual writing itself, the chapters come across as a mixture of someone summarizing wikipedia entries and writing a blog post. Strange style breaks from an objective third person narration to a subjective first person 'conclusion' certainly don't help and make it all sound rather amateurish.
For someone who's looking for an intro into interesting women in the history of Hollywood, this book certainly offers that, but for anyone who knows more and is looking for something they haven't already seen before, I'm sure there are other books out there to satisfy that need.
In combination with the style of the actual writing itself, the chapters come across as a mixture of someone summarizing wikipedia entries and writing a blog post. Strange style breaks from an objective third person narration to a subjective first person 'conclusion' certainly don't help and make it all sound rather amateurish.
For someone who's looking for an intro into interesting women in the history of Hollywood, this book certainly offers that, but for anyone who knows more and is looking for something they haven't already seen before, I'm sure there are other books out there to satisfy that need.
August 25, 2017
The film nerd in me loved this book. I only wish it dove in to more stories, but such a great overview on women in film.
July 30, 2018
A full review will be featured on my blog! For now I'll share that Alicia Malone writes on a topic needing more exploration, and I'm glad she tackled it; more women, particularly young women, are going to pick up her book for knowledge they are thirsty for.
I wish her book had gone through one more revision, and that's not because of the rare typo or wrong word choice. Sometimes her book is an introductory, trade book written for beginners. I can imagine it being used in English AP or lower level film courses. Other times she could've used the additional pages a textbook or historical tome would've been granted to cover her subjects and their time periods more in-depth. It's obvious she is knowledgeable, but outside of her profiles of specific women, she didn't have enough space to place them in context, even though she alternates groups of profiles with essays explaining eras, their contemporary cultures, and any shifts and advancements of women.
I suspect Malone would've received more rigorous guidance if she had worked with a traditional publishing house versus one specializing in net celebrities. I'd love to read what she produces when paired with the right publisher and editor!
I wish her book had gone through one more revision, and that's not because of the rare typo or wrong word choice. Sometimes her book is an introductory, trade book written for beginners. I can imagine it being used in English AP or lower level film courses. Other times she could've used the additional pages a textbook or historical tome would've been granted to cover her subjects and their time periods more in-depth. It's obvious she is knowledgeable, but outside of her profiles of specific women, she didn't have enough space to place them in context, even though she alternates groups of profiles with essays explaining eras, their contemporary cultures, and any shifts and advancements of women.
I suspect Malone would've received more rigorous guidance if she had worked with a traditional publishing house versus one specializing in net celebrities. I'd love to read what she produces when paired with the right publisher and editor!
Read
September 21, 2025Took me a long time to finish this one, it’s a good book with lots of interesting stories about women in the film industry :)
I don’t know how to rate nonfiction.. so yeah👍
I don’t know how to rate nonfiction.. so yeah👍
August 19, 2017
I've been following Alicia Malone's indie film reviews for many years, it's great to see that she can bring her strengths to writing as well. The book is thoroughly enjoyable and accessible even if you're not a film historian. I was most intrigued by the bits about women in early Hollywood and the gender disparity in the modern film industry, especially in the behind-the-scenes roles. Spoiler alert: the numbers are a lot worse than I thought. I also appreciate the intersectionality that permeates the discussion.
Why 4(.5) stars? It could have been longer, I wanted even more stories from more viewpoints. And maybe some more on the author's own experiences, I think she's a bit too modest here.
And the text isn't justified (aligned left), which bothered me at first :D But that's my personal demon to fight.
Why 4(.5) stars? It could have been longer, I wanted even more stories from more viewpoints. And maybe some more on the author's own experiences, I think she's a bit too modest here.
And the text isn't justified (aligned left), which bothered me at first :D But that's my personal demon to fight.
May 25, 2018
This book was such a joy to read! Alicia Malone has been one of my favourite film people since I first came across her in an interview she gave on Criterion Now. She’s so passionate about cinema and this comes across in her role as a host and interviewer on FilmStruck, and the videos she posts to YouTube, and really does a good job at enticing viewers to watch more great films.
‘Backwards & in Heels’ has many familiar stories within it to film fans, but many of these stories are less familiar and Malone finds a good way to bring all these stories together. Although the book is far from comprehensive and isn’t so interested in addressing women in film as a global industry, Malone provides a strong series of empowering biographies (some a couple of pages, some closer to ten) written in an accessible way that encourages the reader to both read (and watch!) more. Although some of the names from the silent era ‘golden age’ such as Alice Guy Blanche, Lois Weber, Katharine Hepburn, Marilyn Monroe and Bette Davis are all familiar names, Malone really hits her stride when she approaches the current era of filmmaking, addressing not only directors and actors but activists, producers, screenwriters, editors, cinematographers and so on. Many of these names might be overlooked because of the male director or lead overshadowing their contributions, but these names should be remembered for shaping the films as they are.
With the most recent edition, Malone ties in the events of late 2017 and 2018, not only addressing Oscar wins and films such as ‘Moonlight’, ‘Mudbound’ and ‘Black Panther’ (among others), but tackles with the events following The New York Times investigation into Harvey Weinstein and what this means for the film industry as a whole. It’s a reminder that we need to support the work of female creatives (with films such as ‘The Lure’, ‘Desert Hearts’ and ‘Smithereens’ joining the largely male dominated Criterion Collection and FilmStruck), but also support the voices of the wide array of female critics out there such as Malone, Angelica Jade Bastien, Kat Ellinger, Kim Morgan, Amy Taubin, Lindsay Ellis and so on given the number of powerful male critics. Additionally, we need to pressure the industry to make real change.
So many of the stories in this book has an element of tragedy to them, from stories about women who lack agency or control, or where manipulated by men, or failed to get the roles or due credit to support their careers. Hearing about Carrie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds still makes me so emotional. But hopefully, we can make a change.
Although Malone doesn’t address narrative content so much, this is another thing we need to consider when talking about and examining women in Hollywood. Representation isn’t just made from depicting strong and empowered women on screen outside of sexist and misogynistic tropes, images and stereotypes, but in shifting the culture and placing women within creative positions to have an impact on how these stories are told.
‘Backwards & in Heels’ has many familiar stories within it to film fans, but many of these stories are less familiar and Malone finds a good way to bring all these stories together. Although the book is far from comprehensive and isn’t so interested in addressing women in film as a global industry, Malone provides a strong series of empowering biographies (some a couple of pages, some closer to ten) written in an accessible way that encourages the reader to both read (and watch!) more. Although some of the names from the silent era ‘golden age’ such as Alice Guy Blanche, Lois Weber, Katharine Hepburn, Marilyn Monroe and Bette Davis are all familiar names, Malone really hits her stride when she approaches the current era of filmmaking, addressing not only directors and actors but activists, producers, screenwriters, editors, cinematographers and so on. Many of these names might be overlooked because of the male director or lead overshadowing their contributions, but these names should be remembered for shaping the films as they are.
With the most recent edition, Malone ties in the events of late 2017 and 2018, not only addressing Oscar wins and films such as ‘Moonlight’, ‘Mudbound’ and ‘Black Panther’ (among others), but tackles with the events following The New York Times investigation into Harvey Weinstein and what this means for the film industry as a whole. It’s a reminder that we need to support the work of female creatives (with films such as ‘The Lure’, ‘Desert Hearts’ and ‘Smithereens’ joining the largely male dominated Criterion Collection and FilmStruck), but also support the voices of the wide array of female critics out there such as Malone, Angelica Jade Bastien, Kat Ellinger, Kim Morgan, Amy Taubin, Lindsay Ellis and so on given the number of powerful male critics. Additionally, we need to pressure the industry to make real change.
So many of the stories in this book has an element of tragedy to them, from stories about women who lack agency or control, or where manipulated by men, or failed to get the roles or due credit to support their careers. Hearing about Carrie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds still makes me so emotional. But hopefully, we can make a change.
Although Malone doesn’t address narrative content so much, this is another thing we need to consider when talking about and examining women in Hollywood. Representation isn’t just made from depicting strong and empowered women on screen outside of sexist and misogynistic tropes, images and stereotypes, but in shifting the culture and placing women within creative positions to have an impact on how these stories are told.
April 30, 2020
I heard of Alicia Malone through the Screen Junkies YouTube channel where she appears on Movie Fights, where she competed against other contestants on modern topics. She has been a proponent of "old cinema" and I thought her book would be an exciting read, only to be slightly disappointed at how much this book resembled a wikipedia article rather than short stories about the famous women who contributed to cinema. Her book is divided into chapters of different eras of cinema, leading back to its dawn in the 19th century, and each chapter has quick biographies of notable women of the time, written in a conversational, candid, and light tone.
The first few chapters were often a slog to read through because I was less interested in the older figures than modern filmmakers. The book also should have had a more thorough editor, allowing for quicker pacing, tighter chapters, and a better format (or perhaps that was just the fault of a poor format for Kindle). The book did not need to be placed in a chronological timeline as it is, as many of the modern women had influences that went back. If the book had been written with an interwoven format, where modern women and influences were mixed with older ones, the book would've been more interesting, keeping the reader engaged as well as connecting different women through the ages. But ultimately, this book felt like a reference PBS Special, where you would see images of women and their accomplishments, with a voiceover by Gwen Ifill (rest in peace) narrating their accomplishments, rather than a book that brought these women to life. Still, I enjoyed Alicia's tone guiding me through women that contributed greatly to film, but were forgotten. The most notable thing I learned was how women disappeared from important positions in cinema over the years, and came to be considered mainly sex objects in a male-driven industry. My favorite chapters were Alice Guy Blanche, Lois Weber, Rita Hayworth, and Marilyn Monroe. The last two were particularly awakening because we only know their public images.
I'm excited to see what Alicia comes up with for her follow up. I'm glad she wrote this.
The first few chapters were often a slog to read through because I was less interested in the older figures than modern filmmakers. The book also should have had a more thorough editor, allowing for quicker pacing, tighter chapters, and a better format (or perhaps that was just the fault of a poor format for Kindle). The book did not need to be placed in a chronological timeline as it is, as many of the modern women had influences that went back. If the book had been written with an interwoven format, where modern women and influences were mixed with older ones, the book would've been more interesting, keeping the reader engaged as well as connecting different women through the ages. But ultimately, this book felt like a reference PBS Special, where you would see images of women and their accomplishments, with a voiceover by Gwen Ifill (rest in peace) narrating their accomplishments, rather than a book that brought these women to life. Still, I enjoyed Alicia's tone guiding me through women that contributed greatly to film, but were forgotten. The most notable thing I learned was how women disappeared from important positions in cinema over the years, and came to be considered mainly sex objects in a male-driven industry. My favorite chapters were Alice Guy Blanche, Lois Weber, Rita Hayworth, and Marilyn Monroe. The last two were particularly awakening because we only know their public images.
I'm excited to see what Alicia comes up with for her follow up. I'm glad she wrote this.
September 16, 2017
Important subject, but the writing is underwhelming.
August 22, 2020
A great overview of women working in Hollywood through the years. It doesn’t delve too far into each of the women featured in the book but gives a great succinct summary of their careers and how that has influenced others and impacted the industry. You can really feel Alicia Malone’s passion with the way she writes about these incredible women which I loved. This book has also definitely inspired me to go and do further research into some of the figures that I didn’t know a lot about and it’s definitely added so many more movies to my watchlist! Overall it’s a great read for film geeks and anyone looking to learn a little more about women working in the film industry.
October 5, 2023
Feminism in the movies. In the beginning it was there. And now it is there to some extent. The major complaint is that it was basically missing in the middle.
In the beginning there were women directors and writers and recently there are women writers and directors, in addition to cinematographers and editors (I read about them last night). But in the period in between - they were missing.
I was surprised to read that the vast majority of extras are men, very few women. Percentage-wise very few female speaking parts. (Speaking parts mean parts with one word being spoken.)
For the most part this was an overview or survey book. But there was interesting information too.
In the beginning there were women directors and writers and recently there are women writers and directors, in addition to cinematographers and editors (I read about them last night). But in the period in between - they were missing.
I was surprised to read that the vast majority of extras are men, very few women. Percentage-wise very few female speaking parts. (Speaking parts mean parts with one word being spoken.)
For the most part this was an overview or survey book. But there was interesting information too.
December 29, 2017
Give this book to all the film fans in your life, especially the high school aged women who love movies!! It is accessible and inspiring, and should galvanize a generation of feminists to transform the movie industry 🤞🏼
March 17, 2022
An entertaining intro to women in film. Structurally could have been better. Earlier timeline much stronger.
June 9, 2020
I’ve always been into the Golden Age of Hollywood (~20s-60s) so most names in the first part of the book were familiar and I especially loved those stories. I knew the Hollywood industry is/was sexist, but I really had no idea how fiercely feminist the early female writers, actors, and directors were.
Some stories fell flat compared to others, but overall, it’s a great collection filled with trivia tidbits on your favorites and an overview of how entertainment evolved with current events (wars, social justice issues, etc.). It’s about women, but it’s also about POC, LGTBQ+, and other minority communities and their fight to be represented in film, not only their roles in front of and behind the camera, but in the way their stories are told and represented. Women have made a larger stamp on the industry than I realized—even simply as an audience demographic. I enjoyed it more than expected and it's inspired me to learn and read more on this topic.
Some stories fell flat compared to others, but overall, it’s a great collection filled with trivia tidbits on your favorites and an overview of how entertainment evolved with current events (wars, social justice issues, etc.). It’s about women, but it’s also about POC, LGTBQ+, and other minority communities and their fight to be represented in film, not only their roles in front of and behind the camera, but in the way their stories are told and represented. Women have made a larger stamp on the industry than I realized—even simply as an audience demographic. I enjoyed it more than expected and it's inspired me to learn and read more on this topic.
April 18, 2021
I loved reading this book. Great overview of women in film. Food for thought as well. Quote: „The red carpet is a strange zone in the western world, one utterly untouched by feminism ... it is a place where there is a tacit agreement that both celebrities and the public are idiots and will be treated as such by entertainment journalists.“
According to the research described in the book this is about to change. Albeit slowly.
According to the research described in the book this is about to change. Albeit slowly.
June 5, 2018
Very interesting and inspiring read! I have so many new movies on my watch list because of this.
January 17, 2021
If you enjoy Alicia Malone's introductions on TCM, you should check this book out. I saw Malone talk about this on the last TCM Cruise, and I could listen to her go on and on about the topic.
The best part of this book are the profiles of little known women who, despite the forces of sexism arrayed against them, made important contributions to or marks on film history. Each profile left me wanting to know more: not of the stories I already know that are well-covered in books and documentaries of their own (Mae West, Marilyn Monroe, Ida Lupino), but those I'm not familiar with, like Dorothy Arzner who invented the boom mic when she saw how the stationary microphone limited Clara Bow's ability to move as she needed.
There aren't long, sustained theses in this book, but the short profiles and interstitial essays are good for quick dips into the topic.
The best part of this book are the profiles of little known women who, despite the forces of sexism arrayed against them, made important contributions to or marks on film history. Each profile left me wanting to know more: not of the stories I already know that are well-covered in books and documentaries of their own (Mae West, Marilyn Monroe, Ida Lupino), but those I'm not familiar with, like Dorothy Arzner who invented the boom mic when she saw how the stationary microphone limited Clara Bow's ability to move as she needed.
There aren't long, sustained theses in this book, but the short profiles and interstitial essays are good for quick dips into the topic.
August 30, 2022
I knew I would love this book, but I didn't realize how much. And I'm also mad at myself for taking this long to do so. Alicia Malone is extremely knowledgeable about films and film history and the way this book was written was well-researched and easily digestible. I could hear her voice the entire time which is a plus because she has such a fun accent! But really, going through the history of Hollywood and how it was actually better for women (ahem, white women) back then was eye-opening and maddening! As this book is a few years old, some examples haven't aged as well (a few Joss Whedon mentions, yikes) and it's not as inclusive as it could be if it was written today (more in terms of nonbinary/genderqueer identifying people), but I think she managed to cover a lot of different issues and did so with care. If you are a film fan, I would definitely read this book as soon as you can.
September 2, 2022
Either I've just gotten nerd academic about women in film and did too many presentations for my cinema club, or I've just soaked up a ton of knowledge but the whole large first part of this book felt like I had written it. It wasn't until it got to after the studio system that I was opened up to more about modern badass ladies. Despite knowing a lot of information prior, this is an excellent overview of important female icons behind and in front of the camera. She does state in her introduction that she had to leave many women out, and I agree-- it could have probably been at least double in length. I'd recommend to anyone wanting to have more information about film history pertaining to women. Was so happy she included Ida Lupino after having done a researched report on her myself.
January 25, 2018
Se va el primero del año.
Para los amantes de Hollywood y/o el cine en general este libro es imperdible; a grandes rasgos es una biografía express de este negocio, especialmente en California, contado en base a muchas historias de personas importantes que lo han llevado hasta donde estamos hoy.
Lo más interesante para mí es que todas estas personas pertencen a un mundo que jamás he sido parte, por eso ver los éxitos, fracasos, obstáculos, y apoyos que las mujeres mencionadas en este libro han creado me abre los ojos a la conversación que ha tomado fuerza en estos últimos años.
Para los amantes de Hollywood y/o el cine en general este libro es imperdible; a grandes rasgos es una biografía express de este negocio, especialmente en California, contado en base a muchas historias de personas importantes que lo han llevado hasta donde estamos hoy.
Lo más interesante para mí es que todas estas personas pertencen a un mundo que jamás he sido parte, por eso ver los éxitos, fracasos, obstáculos, y apoyos que las mujeres mencionadas en este libro han creado me abre los ojos a la conversación que ha tomado fuerza en estos últimos años.
January 30, 2020
actually made me angry cry cause there’s nothing i want more than to carve out a path for myself in the industry and this (small) compendium has once again made me hyperaware of how difficult and practically impossible that is gonna be. it’s a good overview of how blatantly sexist the business was and still is to this day. i knew most stories already from my classes (film minor here) but there’s still a lot of interesting details and connections i never caught before.
4/5
4/5
January 25, 2020
A highly intelligent exposition on the Timeline of Women's contribution to Cinema and how this contribution can be expanded to include all the arenas of Film from the top down and inside and outside the theaters of today and beneath the marques!
January 21, 2022
If you want a non fiction read on the story of women in cinema from the past to present, you may enjoy this. It doesn’t cover everything such as Greta Garbo, but mainly many feminists in Hollywood. Still an entertaining read.
May 21, 2019
I thought this was well written and great content. The history of film is a woman history but without the credit.
April 29, 2022
Some women I knew, some I didn’t, but all need to be remembered.
February 23, 2023
4 ⭐️’s (Great).
November 3, 2017
Inspiring!
September 9, 2017
This is a really interesting book that deals effectively with women in the film industry, both in front of and behind the camera. Structurally there were some elements that distracted me a bit, but overall Alicia pulls together very interesting stories of women, many of whom have been largely forgotten by history. She also pulls examples of exceptional people currently working, so it's got an optimistic twist!
June 26, 2024
Such an interesting read to learn about some women in film I’ve never heard about
March 14, 2023
1.5. no offense. and ultimately, you know what? i gave up at page 64. it was informative though albeit less-than-inspiringly written. fine example of the vital importance of form AND content. a book about the women foremothers of film deserves to sing off the page. this did not. and in 2023 we are not falling for the sunken cost fallacy and finishing dull books just for completion's sake. if it does not bring joy, we call it a respectful day!
January 13, 2019
A decent overview of the history of women in Hollywood, but generally it doesn't go into as much detail as I would have liked, and the writing style struck me as rather unsophisticated, so that much of it felt like reading a juvenile biography. Still, it covers a lot of ground and is an acceptable introduction to the subject.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 120 reviews