June Mathis: The master class

Abstract

This article examines June Mathis’s skill as a screenwriter with two case studies: adaptations of Vicente Blasco Ibáñez’s Blood and Sand and The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. In addition to her skill in collaboration, adaptation, constructing compelling melodrama and progressive casting, Mathis also excelled at several screenwriting techniques. Indeed, an analysis of these two scripts ‐ against the novels from which they were adapted ‐ offers a kind of master class in the art of constructing a compelling universal theme that appeals to a mass audience in popular culture; introducing the protagonist in an intriguing manner that communicates with the audience via subtext; selecting an appropriate point of attack to launch the story; creating a likable hero with a satisfying arc; streamlining the plot; and constructing an emotionally impactful closing image that underscores the theme. In both films, Mathis used these techniques to craft a powerful polemic against violence in all its forms. Thus, she did indeed consider social change on a global scale contrary to the criticism that has been levelled against her and other women writers working in early Hollywood.