Dr. Rosanne Welch

Great Review of Rosanne’s Chapter in “Stories of the Holocaust: Art for Healing and Renewal, Volume II: On Screen and in the Gallery” This week, this review of the books came out last week.  I felt quite honored that out of over 20+ chapters, the Kirkus Reviewer chose to mention mine: “Dr. Rosanne Welch, executive director of the MFA program at Stephens College in Columbia, Missouri, offers a scholarly exploration of cinematic and theatrical representations of Anne Frank.”    https://rosannewelch.com/2026/03/02/holocaust-volume-2/ #books #history #writing #review #annefrank #stageplay #plays #film #script

A Master of Musical Romances: The Screenwriting Career of Dorothy Kingsley – Dr. Rosanne Welch, Script Magazine, February 2026 In honor of Valentine’s Day it’s time to celebrate a female screenwriter who managed to take bubble-gum parts for actresses and give them more gumption, gravitas, and giggles inside the light musical genre films she was assigned. Born in New York City in 1909, Dorothy Kingsley could be called a nepo-baby as her mother Alma Hanlon became a silent film star a few years later. Hanlon acted for 4 years from 19150-1919. By then she had left her husband Walter J. Kingsley (press agent to Florenz Ziegfeld), married again and moved young Dorothy to Michigan. Eventually, Kingsley found her way back into the industry but this time by moving herself and her 3 children to Los Angeles where radio was king. There she met Constance Bennett who like her mother had been a big silent film star in the 1920s but now hosted a radio show. Bennett began buying Kingsley’s jokes for her monologues which lead to a place on the writing staff of the The Edgar Bergen Show. Read More https://rosannewelch.com/2026/02/24/scriptmag-202602/ #script #screenwriting #history #women #writing #writer #column #essay #film #movies #tv

Trusted to Write for the Greatest Stars of the Silent Screen: The Screenwriting Career of Ruth Cummings – Dr. Rosanne Welch, Script Magazine, January 2026

Though born in 1894 in Washington, D.C., the family business was theatre, not the politics of President Grover Cleveland’s administration.  With an actor for a father - Henry Dupree Sinclair – the future Ruth Sinclair would also begin her career on the stage before turning to film, where she wrote for silent stars such as Lillian Gish, Greta Garbo, and Joan Crawford.

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https://rosannewelch.com/2026/01/27/scriptmag-202601/

#script #screenwriting #history #women #writing #writer #column #essay #film #movies #tv

Rosanne Presents “Creative Play #8: Emotional Monologues Written By A Few Accomplished Female Television Writers” – Screenwriting Research Network

I was pleased to be asked to host a session of the Creative Play Working Group of the Screenwriting Research Network (SRN), chaired by Professor Chris Neilan of Edinburgh Napier University.

Read/Watch More
https://rosannewelch.com/2026/01/24/creative-play-8/

#write #writing #writer #screenwriting #screenwriter #tv #television #film #women #video #speaking

Dr. Rosanne Welch Presents on “Shaping Global Cultures Through Screenwriting” – Stephens College [Video]\

Recently, I was asked to make a short presentation to the faculty of Stephens College about the newest book I edited alongside my dear friend and Screenwriting Research colleague Rose Ferrell. Shaping Global Cultures Through Screenwriting: Women Who Write Our Worlds.I was happy to discuss the inspiration for the book, which came from a conversation Rose and I had during a conference. That’s one of the best things about gathering for conferences - the casual conversations that create new collaborations.

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https://rosannewelch.com/2025/12/22/sgc-book/

#education #speaking #video #screenwriting #book #writing #editing #movies #film #culture #global

Sexual Liberation 1920s Style: The Screenwriting Career of Josephine Lovett – Dr. Rosanne Welch, Script Magazine, December 2025

In the Silent Era, before the existence of the Hays Code (and largely a cause for it), many female screenwriters wrote heroines who flouted the brazen sexual freedom of the new century, a specialty of Josephine “Jo” Lovett. Born in October 1877 in San Francisco Lovett would spend some time as a lead actress on the Broadway stage before moving to Los Angeles to both act and write what were called scenarios for the bulk of her career.

https://rosannewelch.com/2025/12/20/sexual-liberation-1920s-style-the-screenwriting-career-of-josephine-lovett-dr-rosanne-welch-script-magazine-december-2025/

#script #screenwriting #history #women #writing #writer #column #essay #film #movies #tv

From Missouri to Musicals: The Screenwriting Career of Dorothy Yost – Dr. Rosanne Welch, Script Magazine, November 2025

Born on April 25, 1899 in St. Louis, Missouri to Alice Kern and Robert M. Yost, Dorothy moved to Los Angeles to work in the burgeoning film industry and clearly succeeded in that goal.  By the time she died in 1967 Yost had written over 80 films and achieved what many other writers did not – thriving in both Silent Films and into the Sound Era. Interestingly, it was her foray into film that brought her journalist brother Robert Yost into the film industry after she found her footing there. Her first screenwriting credit came in 1920, his in 1935 after some years on the staff of local newspapers, as publicity director for Fox West Coast Studios and finally head of the scenario department for Fox.

https://rosannewelch.com/2025/12/20/from-missouri-to-musicals-the-screenwriting-career-of-dorothy-yost-dr-rosanne-welch-script-magazine-november-2025/

#script #screenwriting #history #women #writing #writer #column #essay #film #movies #tv

Rosanne Interviewed on "TV we Love" on the CW

This season the CW has been airing a new documentary-style series called TV We Love which has covers a popular TV show from each decade from I Love Lucy for the 1960s to Happy Days for the 1970s and Dynasty for the 1980s. The last of 8 episodes covered Touched by an Angel (where I served as a Writer-Producer for 6 years). I show up a few times in the hour, discussing writing for the show and why we think it still resonates.

Read more
https://rosannewelch.com/2025/12/03/rosanne-interviewed-on-tv-we-love-on-the-cw/

#tv #television #history #interview #cw #tvwelove #screenwriting #1990s #series

Book Recommendation: "The Last Secret Agent: My Life as a Spy Behind Nazi Lines” by Pippa Latour with Jude Dobson

It’s the story of Pippa Latour, the last surviving female radio operator who was parachuted into occupied France to travel from hidden radio to hidden radio, sending back information to help the Allies land in Normandy on D-Day. She wasn’t going to tell her story until her sons convinced her it would help people understand those times and the ultimate sacrifice many other radio operators made.

https://rosannewelch.com/2025/11/16/book-recommendation-the-last-secret-agent-my-life-as-a-spy-behind-nazi-lines-by-pippa-latour-with-jude-dobson/

#book #recommedation #Reading #history #women #wwII

When Women Write What They Say, They Say So Much More: Powerful Actress-writer-producers Past, Present & Future with Dr. Rosanne Welch, SRN 2025, Adelaide, Australia [Video]

In another example of my love for a good, long, alliterative title, I name this year’s Screenwriting Research Network (SRN) presentation:

“When Women Write What They Say, They Say So Much More: Powerful Actress-writer-producers Past, Present & Future”.

https://rosannewelch.com/2025/10/29/when-women-write-what-they-say-they-say-so-much-more-powerful-actress-writer-producers-past-present-future-with-dr-rosanne-welch-srn-2025-adelaide-australia-video/

#film #history #writer #screenwriter #screenwriting #research #academic #srn #video #speaking #conference #tv #television

Eleanore Griffin’s Gentle Americana Style Earned the Oscar for ‘Boys Town’ – Dr. Rosanne Welch, Script Magazine, October 2025

Boys Town (1938) not only opened up a more dramatic career for child star Mickey Rooney, it made Spencer Tracey the first man to win 2 consecutive Best Actor Oscars and won Eleanore Griffin and her co-writer Dore Schary the Oscar for Best Writing, Original Story. The film also shared the story of Father Edward J. Flanagan, his mission to change the way America cares for children and families, and his philosophy that “there's no such thing as a bad boy” to the attention of millions around the world such that Boys Town is still in operation.

Born in 1904 in St. Paul, Minnesota, Oscar-winning screenwriter Eleanore Griffin began writing as a journalist in her twenties. The skill came in handy for the many historical stories she would later write.  In 1937 Griffin joined the writing pool at Universal Studios and turned out treatments with Time Out for Romance the first to become the basis for a completed film.  Similar to screenwriter Robert Riskin’s multiple-Oscar-winning It Happened One Night (1934) Griffin told the story of a runaway bride who falls in love with the man who helps her escape. She next earned Story By credit for having her short story Class Prophecy adapted into the film When Love is Young (1937) after being published by McCall’s magazine.

Read More
https://rosannewelch.com/2025/10/17/eleanore-griffins-gentle-americana-style-earned-the-oscar-for-boys-town-dr-rosanne-welch-script-magazine-september-2025/

#screenwriting #history #women #writing #movies #film #tv #education #column #article #script #scriptmagazine

Focused on Sin and Redemption Before the Hays Code: The Screenwriting Career of Alice D.G. Miller – Dr. Rosanne Welch, Script Magazine, September 2025

The first thing you need to know about Alice Dorothea Georgianna Miller is that she is NOT the daughter of famed feminist novelist and poet Alice Duer Miller, even though IMDb says she is. Alice Duer Miller, whose writing influenced the politics of her day, was born to a rich family in Staten Island in 1874 and died in New Jersey in 1942.  Alice D. G. Miller was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in 1894 to parents who divorced early. In 1919 her mother moved to Hollywood with Alice (aged 24) and her brother in tow.

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https://rosannewelch.com/2025/10/04/focused-on-sin-and-redemption-before-the-hays-code-the-screenwriting-career-of-alice-d-g-miller-dr-rosanne-welch-script-magazine-september-2025/

#screenwriting #history #women #writing #movies #film #tv #education #column #article #script #scriptmagazine

WGA Panel on "Writing Bold and Complex Young Women" Now Streaming [Video]

One of the fun-nest things I get to do during each MFA Workshop is moderate a panel of working writers at the Writers Guild of America, which is recorded and presented on the WGA Foundation YouTube channel.
 
Now available to stream is our latest panel, “Unapologetically Herself: Writing Bold and Complex Young Women”. I always try to include one of our MFA alums who have gained spots on TV shows so this one has  Alexandra Fernandez who has been on the writing staff of Station 19. Other panelists for this event were Karen Joseph Adcock (Yellowjackets), Beth Appel (The Sex Lives of College Girls), and Stephens alum!!, and Autumn Joy Jimerson (Forever).

https://rosannewelch.com/2025/10/04/wga-panel-on-writing-bold-and-complex-young-women-now-streaming-video/

#wga #wgafoundation #panel #live #stephensmfa #stephenscollege #writing #writers #education #learning #industry #losangeles #california #video #youtube

A boxful of books arrives. What could it be? – On Screenwriting and Media with Dr. Rosanne Welch

It’s always exciting when a new box of books arrives on our doorstep. I’m proud to say I’ve been working on so many projects that I sometimes don’t know which book will be in the box during my unboxing.

https://rosannewelch.com/2025/09/04/a-boxful-of-books-arrives-what-coudl-it-be/

#book #books #history #women #writing #editing #writer #screenwriter #screenwriting #culture #editor #writer

From Paris to Columbus to California: Screenwriter Grace Cunard Was the Ultimate Hyphen as an Actress-Writer-Director (And Sometimes Editor) – Dr. Rosanne Welch, Script Magazine, August 2025 – On Screenwriting and Media with Dr. Rosanne Welch

Born Harriet Jeffries in 1893 in Paris, the future screenwriter Grace Cunard grew up in Columbus, Ohio. At 13 she began to perform in stock companies in nearby Cleveland, a major stop for both the legitimate theatre and vaudeville travelling shows in which she took part. She would eventually star in over 150 films, write nearly 100, and direct nearly 20.  No full record exists of how much editing work she did on many of those films. There is also no clear record of when she changed her name so we will refer to her as Grace Cunard for the rest of the column.

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https://rosannewelch.com/2025/08/23/from-paris-to-columbus-to-california-screenwriter-grace-cunard-was-the-ultimate-hyphen-as-an-actress-writer-director-and-sometimes-editor-dr-rosanne-welch-script-magazine-august-2025/

#screenwriting #history #women #writing #movies #film #tv #education #column #article #script #scriptmagazine

Dr. Welch To Judge 2025 Moonshot Initiative Film Challenge

I’m proud to have been asked to serve as a judge for this year’s Moonshot Initiative Film Challenge, designed to help students “Make a short film in one weekend and meet women and gender-expansive people in every role of production”. It takes place in October 2025, in New York. 

Moonshot provides cinema-quality equipment courtesy of their sponsors, production insurance, stipends to submit to film fests, and more! 
You do have to be a member to apply and membership costs $112 a year. If accepted, it is FREE to participate in the challenge. Applications will be open from August 1-31.

https://rosannewelch.com/2025/08/19/dr-welch-to-judge-this-years-moonshot-initiative-film-challenge/

#moonshot #film #challenge #judge #judging #contest #media #movies #blog #apply #application

"Unapologetically Herself: Writing Bold and Complex Young Women" Panel at the Writers Guild Foundation – Friday, August 8, 2025, 7pm

During every MFA Residency Workshop I moderate a panel of writers – often proudly including one of our MFA alums – and this August we’re doing it again. Join us on Friday, August 8, 2025 from 7:00 PM 8:30 PM at the Writers Guild Foundation (7000 West 3rd StreetLos Angeles, CA, 90048) for: 

Unapologetically Herself: Writing Bold and Complex Young Women

We’ll explore how writers develop these strong characters, how to approach sensitive scenes intentionally, and how they navigate nuances of character personalities, behaviors, and motivations.

https://rosannewelch.com/2025/07/16/unapologetically-herself-writing-bold-and-complex-young-women-panel-at-the-writers-guild-foundation-friday-august-8-2025-7pm/

#tv #film #screenwriting #panel #disucssion #women #wgfoundation #writersguild #writing #event

Rosanne Talks "Why The Monkees Matter" on “Johnny D's Rock n Roll PhD” Podcast [Video]

I had a great conversation about Why The Monkees Matter with the two hosts of “Johnny D’s Rock n Roll PhD”. Often, I speak with people who know the music more than the show – or the show more than the music. Here, both hosts had strong knowledge about both, and then we found out he shared the same top 1 songs as our favs. 

Watch the video to learn about the many things the TV show taught us about friendship, going against authority and the patriarchy, and living a life full of passion for art above all things commerce – with lots of hidden nods toward the counter culture of the day (like rescuing a giant marijuana plant from misuse by supervillains who would corrupt its powerful fumes for evil). Yeah, they did a whole show about that!

https://rosannewelch.com/2025/06/29/rosanne-talks-why-the-monkees-matter-on-johnny-ds-rock-n-roll-phd-podcast-video/

#monkees #book #video #podcast #panel #discussion #youtube #show #tv #television #history #music

Daughter, Wife, Widow, Screenwriter: The Heroines’ Journey of Dorothy Davenport – Dr. Rosanne Welch, Script Magazine, June 2025

The Lunts and Barrymores may be more famous as theatrical families, but during their heyday, Dorothy Davenport’s parents, Alice and Harry, were also staples of the vaudeville circuit and expanded into motion pictures. Alice Davenport appeared in many films with Charlie Chaplin and Mabel Normand, and Harry appeared in more than 150 films through the 1950s.  Born in 1895, their daughter, Dorothy joined them on stage as a child, moved into acting in films where she met her husband, actor Wallace Reid. They married in 1913 and appeared together in nearly 100 short films. After Davenport gave birth to their son in 1917, she retired—or so she thought.  

Read More
https://rosannewelch.com/2025/06/11/daughter-wife-widow-screenwriter-the-heroines-journey-of-dorothy-davenport-dr-rosanne-welch-script-magazine-june-2025/

#screenwriting #history #women #writing #movies #film #tv #education #column #article #script #scriptmagazine

Lois Weber: More than a Writer-Director She’s the Auteur Activist of Early Cinema – Dr. Rosanne Welch, Script Magazine, April 2025

Film studies courses often still fawn all over Cecil B. DeMille and D.W. Griffith.  Rather than wallowing in the racist messages of Birth of a Nation, professors should focus on the work of Lois Weber, whose use of screenwriting in her activism lends continued relevance to her work. In an era where we bask in the social justice messages of Get Out, by writer-director Jordan Peele, it seems only right to connect the dots from Weber to Peele. So, to celebrate this 50th column, we’re celebrating Weber. 

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https://rosannewelch.com/2025/04/20/her-career-outlasted-the-hays-code-kathryn-scola-dr-rosanne-welch-script-magazine-march-2025/

#screenwriting #history #women #writing #movies #film #tv #education #column #article #script #scriptmagazine

Her Career Outlasted the Hays Code: Kathryn Scola – Dr. Rosanne Welch, Script Magazine, March 2025

In a career that first challenged - and then outlasted the Hays Code - Kathryn Scola succeeded in writing the kind of defiant women that major stars like Barbara Stanwyck longed to play – and often did.  Born in New Jersey in 1891 to immigrant parents (her mother from Ireland/ father from Italy) Scola saw women struggle financially in her early life. Perhaps their strength encouraged her to both try her hand at making a living as a writer and use that platform to elevate such female-focused stories.

Read More
https://rosannewelch.com/2025/04/20/her-career-outlasted-the-hays-code-kathryn-scola-dr-rosanne-welch-script-magazine-march-2025/

#screenwriting #history #women #writing #movies #film #tv #education #column #article #script #scriptmagazine