“Golf is a game of coordination, rhythm and grace; women have these to a high degree.� -Babe Didrikson Zaharias
THE FOUNDERS WHY They were not supposed to be athletes. They were not supposed to get paid to play. They were not supposed to call the shots. But in 1950, thirteen women defied convention for the love of a game that most said had no place for them. Their decision to go pro was met not with fanfare, but derision; yet it proved to be a defining moment in women’s and sports history. With the creation of the Ladies Professional Golf Association, The Founders staked their claim on the green and forged a path for future female golfers to be celebrated and taken seriously. This is their legacy.
THE FOUNDERS THE STORY Of the 13 women who founded the LPGA, only four remain to give personal accounts of the struggles and triumphs that colored their quest to bring women’s golf to a place of sustainability. Although fierce competitors in an intensely individual sport, The Founders worked as a team to shift the public’s perception of what it meant to be a lady on the links. While their male counterparts drew adoring crowds and handsome purses for their athletic achievements, The Founders used money from their own pockets to stage tournaments in small, far-flung towns that questioned whether female golfers were even worth watching. Together, they logged thousands of miles a week—marketing equipment and themselves with hit parades, clown cars and boxing rings—just for the opportunity to tee off from courses that they also had to groom. Their love for the game and the ardent belief that they, as much as the men, deserved to be paid for it fueled the arduous journeys. From the glamour girl to the consummate athlete, from the shy sweetheart to the boisterous “it-girl,” The Founders’ personalities, talents and drive collectively made the noise necessary to gain the attention of a sport long considered only gentlemen’s territory. In the face of criticism, these women broke boundaries, set records and built a family. Today, the LPGA is the oldest continuing female professional sports organization in the United States, and through golf clinics, scholarship programs and thriving charitable foundations, The Founders still work to ensure that women have a lasting place on the green.
THE FOUNDERS HOW WE TELL IT A vintage 1950s aesthetic provides the visual backdrop to the sharp, heroic story of thirteen women who courageously pioneered the LPGA. Historic content and archival footage will wrap around our inperson interviews with the surviving founders and other legends from the PGA and LPGA. By showcasing mid-century America, we provide a lush, vibrant foundation against which we reveal the extraordinary obstacles the women conquered in their quest for equality and fair play. We recreate key scenes through fictionalized reenactment footage, produced with a vintage feel by both antique 8mm cameras as well as the modern Red Epic camera. At once dynamic and antique, we capture stolen moments shared between the surviving founders, set against the timeless beauty of the golf course, as the four women reminisce about the journey, the struggle, and the game itself. The film will be edited on Final Cut Pro and finished on DaVinci Resolve for color. When finished, The Founders will be broadcastready in HD full resolultion.
THE FOUNDERS Marilynn Smith: A surviving founder granting us a first-hand account of those early days on the green, Marilynn (a World Golf Hall of Fame Member) was a three-time president of the LPGA. Louise Suggs: A surviving founder, Louise was given her nickname, Miss Sluggs, by Bob Hope after he witnessed her driving ability. A golfer from age 10, Louise won 58 tournaments and 8 majors thanks to her revered swing. Shirley Spork: A surviving founder, Shirley helped establish the still thriving LPGA Teaching Division; she was the LPGA National Teacher of the year – twice. Marlene Bauer Hagge: A surviving founder, Marlene was the youngest golfer to join the tour at age 16. She won 26 tournaments, 8 in 1956 alone. Patty Berg: Patty, a lieutenant in the Marine Corps during WWII, still holds the women’s record for most majors won at 15. She was the first president of the LPGA. Mildred “Babe” Didrikson Zaharias: An Olympic track and field medalist, she was declared the “Woman Athlete of the Half Century” by the Associated Press. She won a grand slam in 1950 and a total of 82 golf tournaments. The Remaining Founders: Other players: Alice Bauer, Helen Hicks, Helen Dettweiler, Bettye Mims Danoff, Opal Hill, Betty Jameson, Sally Sessions
THE FOUNDERS Eleven11 films Documentary Team
Charlene Fisk Producer / Director
Layla Bozek
Associate Producer
Maggie McBride Creative Director
Dana Lee Writer / Story
Maureen Simpson Writer / Editor
THE FOUNDERS THE CREW // BIOS
Director & Producer Charlene Fisk
Associate Producer Layla Bozek
Writer / Editor Maureen Simpson
Charlene Fisk has filmed, edited and pro-
A graduate from the UCLA School of
A graduate of the Salt Institute for Docu-
duced film and television for over fifteen
Theater, Film and Television, Layla focuses
mentary Studies and Samford University
years. Through work on various cable and
on engaging audiences through dynamic,
School of Journalism, Maureen has written
public broadcasting endeavors (MTV, TLC,
artful production of non-profit and inde-
for a myriad of publications, including
Discovery, Lifetime, PBS), she’s won five
pendent documentary film. Our jack-of-all-
Southern Living magazine and the Wall
Regional Emmy’s, including Best Feature
trades, she edits, produces, and coordi-
Street Journal. While working as a features
Documentary and Best Editor (twice). Her
nates on a variety of projects, a true artist in
reporter on Hilton Head Island, she covered
work on “Margaret Mitchell: American
several aspects of non-fiction film.
the PGA’s long-revered Heritage Classic.
Rebel” appeared on American Masters on
She is passionate about the transforma-
PBS.
tive power of shared story and loves to be a part of any creative process that helps others realize the value and volume of what their lives have to speak.
Creative Director Maggie McBride
Writer / Story Dana Lee
Maggie McBride infuses her lifelong love
Dana Lee, a graduate of the Harvard Gradu-
for cinema into every aspect of her me-
ate School of Education, taught the craft of
ticulous design work. A graduate of The
narrative non-fiction through personal re-
Savannah College of Art & Design, she’s
search and storytelling for over ten years,
designed for film production, as well as
in addition to her own freelance writing. A
other design endeavors, for over seven
relative newcomer to film production, she
years. Maggie is an avid golfer with a per-
gives voice to the thirteen pioneers of the
sonal interest in the thirteen founders and
LPGA with humanity, vitality and grace.
the beautiful aesthetic of their mid-century American lives.
THE FOUNDERS FUNDING Eleven Eleven Films seeks a consortium of like-minded funders to complete production of The Founders. Our ideal funding structure brings together collaborators of all kinds – corporate, foundational, and individual – in a combined effort to share the legacy of the thirteen founders. We encourage everyone who feels as strongly as we do about the courageous pioneers of the LPGA to participate in bringing this story to audiences everywhere. Contact Charlene Fisk at Eleven Eleven Films with inquiries regarding donation and/or investment opportunities.
for funding & information please contact Eleven Eleven Films Charlene Fisk cefisk@gmail.com +1.404.788.5906 www.11-11films.com
“We persevered, did a lot of hard work, had plenty of heartache and a lot of happiness. What was really meaningful was that we were a family, all out there to help each other.” – Marilynn Smith