Votes for Women
Synopsis
Named by historian Kevin Brownlow as âthe first important suffrage filmâ, this melodrama follows suffragist May Fillmore in her fight to sway Senator Herman, whose vote could pass a key reform bill. After exposing him and his fiancĂ©e Jane Wadsworth to the dire living conditions of a motherless tenement familyâunsanitary housing, child labor, and workplace exploitationâJane turns against her negligent fiancĂ© and joins the suffrage cause. Ultimately, both Herman and Janeâs father are persuaded to support reform, and the film ends with the characters proudly taking part in a suffrage parade. (Note: This silent narrative film is distinct from Edisonâs Votes for Women (1913), a Kinetophone short that recorded real suffragist leaders delivering speeches.)
Where to watch
Not currently available to stream in United States.
