2025 Essays

Katharine Kavanaugh

Slater, Thomas J.

Katharine Kavanaugh was a prolific playwright, stage actress, songwriter, and screenwriter. Her work in the film industry consisted mainly of screenwriting during two separate periods: 1916-26 and 1936-40. Although she was with Metro Pictures from 1916-21, she took a year off in 1919 to return to her native Baltimore, Maryland, where she opened an acting school for stage and film, founded a production company, and produced and directed a three-reeler, Love’s Crossroads, using local talent and locations (Cook). For much of the 1916-26 period, she worked closely with June Mathis at Metro, Goldwyn, and First National as collaborator and assistant.