June Mathis
June Mathis was a prominent American screenwriter during the silent film era, born in 1892 in Leadville, Colorado. She emerged as a significant figure in Hollywood, known for her impactful screenplays that contributed to the success of notable films and launched the career of actor Rudolph Valentino. After beginning her career as an actress, Mathis transitioned to screenwriting, believing she could improve upon the quality of silent films. Her first major success came with the adaptation of Vicente Blasco Ibáñez's novel, "The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse," which earned substantial box office success and solidified her reputation in the industry.
Mathis's work included adaptations that were often faithful to their original sources, with notable films such as "Ben-Hur" and "Blood and Sand" showcasing her talent. Throughout her career, she collaborated closely with director Rex Ingram and wrote several screenplays specifically for Valentino. Tragically, Mathis's life was cut short when she died unexpectedly at the age of thirty-five while attending a theater performance in 1927. Her legacy continues to influence the film industry, reflecting the vital role women played in shaping early Hollywood.
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Subject Terms
June Mathis
Screenwriter
- Born: June 30, 1892
- Birthplace: Leadville, Colorado
- Died: July 26, 1927
- Place of death: New York, New York
Biography
During the nine years she wrote screenplays for silent films, June Mathis not only turned out some of the most celebrated films of her genre but also became one of the most powerful forces in Hollywood. She launched the career of the relatively unknown Rudolph Valentino by insisting that he be cast in the leading role in her adaptation of Vicente Blasco Ibáñez’s novel, The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, one of the many films for which she provided scripts between 1918 and 1927.
Born in Leadville, Colorado, in 1892, Mathis was the daughter of two theatrical parents. When her father died at an early age, she moved to California, working as an actress to support herself and her mother. She appeared in vaudeville and acted in several plays, even sharing the stage with Julian Eltinge, one of the most noted actors of his day.
Rankling at the inferior quality of silent films, Mathis was convinced she could do better. Because she had no credentials in writing and had a limited educational background, she decided to save enough money to take two years off and educate herself in screenwriting. Moving to New York with her mother, she embarked on a routine of studying all day and seeing as many films as she reasonably could at night.
In 1918, Mathis entered a scriptwriting contest. Although she did not win, her entry caught the attention of Metro Studios, resulting in her being offered a job as a writer. Her first film, To Hell with the Kaiser, was a propagandistic motion picture that was not well received, but Mathis was encouraged to keep writing. The noted silent film actress Alla Nazimova came to be associated with Mathis’s films, resulting in a more successful critical reception than her first effort had elicited.
In her adaptations for the screen, Mathis firmly believed in remaining faithful to the original source, although she did not always succeed in fulfilling this aim. Her adaptation of Ibáñez’s The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, however, remained true to its source and was one of the most resounding successes in the history of silent films, earning $4.5 million in the United States and almost as much money in foreign distribution.
It was this film that launched Valentino’s career, but it also marked the beginning of Mathis’s fruitful association with director Rex Ingram. Valentino appeared again in Mathis’s The Conquering Power, which received critical kudos for its screenplay. Mathis wrote three more films specifically for Valentino, but he acted in only two of them.
Having provided scripts for some of Hollywood’s most celebrated silent films, including Ben-Hur, Blood and Sand, and Three Wise Fools, Mathis, while attending a performance of The Squall with her mother in New York in 1927, was stricken with an attack that caused her to cry out, “I am dying, I am dying.” She fell to the ground and was declared dead on the spot at the age of thirty-five.