Noshing With Thomas J. Slater – May 22, 2025

Photo by Mary Slater Ira dives into Hollywood history with author Thomas J. Slater, whose new book, "June Mathis: The Rise and Fall of a Silent Film Visionary"(University Press of Kentucky), sheds light on one of early cinema’s most overlooked trailblazers. In this fascinating conversation, Thomas reveals why June Mathis—a powerhouse screenwriter and the first woman executive at MGM—captured his attention from a long list of forgotten female film pioneers. He shares how he unearthed a treasure trove of ar-chival material at USC, including scripts and personal papers, and how silent film star Colleen Moore’s 36 meticulously kept scrapbooks—stuffed with reviews, clippings, and memorabilia—provided a vivid glimpse into Mathis’s prolific career from 1921 to 1936. Thomas was stunned by the sheer volume of work Mathis produced—she was, quite lit-erally, always writing. He discusses how her spiritual, emotionally rich storytelling brought a distinctly female voice to the silver screen—a counterbalance to the brash ex-cesses of the Jazz Age. He also explores the erasure of women like Mathis from film his-tory, describing it as a deliberate act. The episode touches on her personal legacy as well, with insights from her grandniece Diane Mathis Madsen, who contributed family letters and rare photographs. And of course, there’s the story of how Rudolph Valentino credited Mathis with launching his career—and why the tides turned for her as studio control gave way to outside financial interests after 1920. Discover the remarkable rise—and haunting fall—of a visionary who helped shape early Hollywood, only to be written out of its story. (Also Watch Full Podcast Video)