Virginia Tyler Hudson

Virginia Tyler Hudson (later known as Virginia Hudson Brightman; born January 7, 1886, in Gratz, Kentucky), 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.

Personal life 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.

Career 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. and The Man Hunt (1918) among others.

Notable events In 1899, an article was published in the local Kentucky paper The Bourbon News about Hudson's supposed engagement to a millionaire merchant from India by the name of Anand A. Advani, who she met while working on a news stories in Chicago. She sued for $1,900.00, which was the part of her salary she would have obtained if the contract had been finished.

The case ended up going to the Supreme Court multiple times in the year 1919. It went back and forth before a final verdict was reached that said Hudson had been violated, but the amount owed to her was reduced by $300. The story was all over the media as it concerned one of the largest film companies in existence at the time. Hudson's gender, political past, array of experience with many high-profile entertainment companies very likely lead to the exposure and popularity of this case.