Virginia Tyler Hudson

Virginia Tyler Hudson (later known as Virginia Hudson Brightman; born January 7, 1886), was a prominent female journalist and screenwriter behind the scenes in the media industry in the early 20th century. Hudson had a long history throughout her life of writing for both print and film companies.

Raised in Kentucky, Hudson was the daughter of a well-known reverend and had two sisters named Blanche and Juanita. In her youth, she attended Millersburg Female College in Kentucky. Hudson attended Wesleyan College in Georgia upon graduating high school. After graduation, Hudson accepted a position writing for the Louisville Courier-Journal, a local paper that covered Kentucky and Indiana. Hudson was engaged to Indian Merchant Anand A. Advani, but the engagement fell apart. She later married Grant L. Brightman.

During her time working at The Courier-Journal, she often was recognized for her notable work. It was working here that Hudson met Colonel Henry Watterson, who at the time was the chief editor. He served as her mentor, and eventually advised that she move to Chicago permanently because there would be more opportunity for her to grow professionally in the city. Watterson recognized that Hudson had talent, and Hudson took his advice and made the move to Chicago.

During this time, it is unclear exactly when Hudson lived in each of the different cities she wrote for, but she worked for many different publications and periodicals, and at one point she worked as a press agent. Some of the popular papers she frequently wrote for included The Boston Journal, the Chicago Tribune, and The Kansas City Star. She covered high-profile news stories such as one of Franklin D. Roosevelt's campaigns, and also the election of Thomas Woodrow Wilson, the 28th president of the United States, but was not heavily involved in politics. Hudson began to shift her writing from writing news stories to taking a more creative route; she worked on plays, and shortly afterward, moved to writing films.

Hudson then spent time working for the motion picture company Thanhouser, where she developed her skills as a scenario writer. She worked at the company from 1915 to 1916. Her most accounted for films were Inspiration in 1915, and The Cruise of Fate, The Flight of the Duchess, and The Reunion in 1916. Inspiration was most likely Hudson's most recognized work, as it featured female nudity and may have been the first of its kind. After later leaving Thanhouser, she began to work for The World Film Association.

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