Mary Ellen Bute facts for kids

Mary Ellen Bute (born November 21, 1906 – died October 17, 1983) was an amazing American film animator, producer, and director. She was a true pioneer, meaning she was one of the very first women to make experimental films. She even created the first film images using electronic technology!

Her special talent was making "visual music." This means she created films that looked like music. Between 1934 and 1958, in New York City, Mary Ellen Bute made 14 short films. These films were abstract, meaning they used shapes and colors instead of telling a story.

Many of her musical films were shown in regular movie theaters. Places like Radio City Music Hall would play her films before a big movie. Some of her abstract films were part of a special group called her Seeing Sound series.

Early Life and Education

Mary Ellen Bute was born in Houston, Texas. She loved art and studied painting in Texas and later in Philadelphia. She attended the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts.

After that, she went to Yale University to study stage lighting. This taught her how to use light in creative ways. She also learned about color organs, which were machines that could "paint" with light.

Influences and Collaborations

Mary Ellen Bute worked with famous inventors like Leon Theremin and Thomas Wilfred. She was also inspired by the abstract animated films made by Oskar Fischinger. These experiences helped shape her unique filmmaking style.

Filmmaking Career

Mary Ellen Bute's films can be divided into two main types. First, she made a series of abstract films. These films explored how sound and images work together in movies.

Her second type of work focused on how language and movies connect. She adapted stories from books into films. Mary Ellen Bute started her film career by working with Joseph Schillinger. They created animated visuals for music.

Working with Ted Nemeth

Later, Mary Ellen Bute made films with her cinematographer, Ted Nemeth. They worked together on many projects. She and Ted Nemeth got married in 1940.

Later Projects and Recognition

In the 1960s and 1970s, Mary Ellen Bute worked on two films that were never finished. One was based on a play called The Skin of Our Teeth by Thornton Wilder. The other was about the poet Walt Whitman.

Her last completed film was Passages from Finnegans Wake. This was a live-action movie inspired by the writer James Joyce. Mary Ellen Bute produced and directed it. The film took almost three years to make, from 1965 to 1967. It even won an award at the famous Cannes Film Festival!

Mary Ellen Bute was also one of the people who helped start the Women's Independent Film Exchange. This group supported women filmmakers. She chose film historian Cecile Starr to help share her short films with more people.

Mary Ellen Bute passed away on October 17, 1983, in New York City. She was almost 77 years old. Just six months before she died, the Museum of Modern Art held a special event to honor her and show her amazing films.