Lois Weber (June 13, 1879 – November 13, 1939) was an American silent film actress, screenwriter, producer, and director, who is considered "the most important female director the American film industry has known",[1] and "one of the most important and prolific film directors in the era of silent films".[2][3] Film historian Anthony Slide asserts that: "Along with D.W. Griffith, Weber was the American cinema's first genuine auteur, a filmmaker involved in all aspects of production and one who ut