Elaine Loretta Madsen (née Melson; May 28, 1932) is an American author and

filmmaker Filmmaking (film production) is the process by which a motion picture is produced. Filmmaking involves a number of complex and discrete stages, starting with an initial story, idea, or commission. It then continues through screenwriting, castin ...

. She won an

Emmy Award The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the calendar year, each with the ...

in 1983 for producing the documentary ''Better Than It Has To Be''.

Personal life

Madsen was born Elaine Loretta Melson near

Romeoville, Illinois Romeoville is a village in Will County, Illinois, United States. The village is located southwest of Chicago on the Des Plaines River. Per the 2020 census, the population was 39,863. It is located in the southwest suburban area of Chicago near I ...

. She is divorced from Calvin Christian Madsen, a firefighter, with whom she had two children, actress

Virginia Madsen Virginia Gayle Madsen (born September 11, 1961) is an American actress and film producer. She made her film debut in ''Class'' (1983), which was filmed in her native Chicago. After she moved to Los Angeles, director David Lynch cast her as Pri ...

and actor

Michael Madsen Michael Søren Madsen (born September 25, 1957) is an American actor. He has starred in many films and television series, frequently collaborating with director Quentin Tarantino, most famously in the latter's debut film ''Reservoir Dogs'' (19 ...

. She originally embarked on a career in finance, later deciding to pursue more creative endeavors for herself. In the 1960s she became an acquaintance of

Roger Ebert Roger Joseph Ebert (; June 18, 1942 – April 4, 2013) was an American film critic, film historian, journalist, screenwriter, and author. He was a film critic for the ''Chicago Sun-Times'' from 1967 until his death in 2013. In 1975, Ebert beca ...

, who encouraged her to pursue a career in the film industry. Her grandson is actor

Christian Madsen Christian Lucas Madsen is an American actor. He is best known for his roles in the films ''Divergent (film), Divergent'' (2014) and ''Palo Alto (2013 film), Palo Alto'' (2013). Life and career Christian Madsen was born in Los Angeles to actors Mi ...

Career

In 1983, she produced a documentary titled ''Better Than It Has To Be'', for which she won an

. The documentary is about the history of filmmaking in the Chicago area. In 2007, Madsen co-authored with Douglass Stewart a book titled ''The Texan and the Dutch Gas''. Madsen published a book of original poems titled ''Crayola Can't Make These Colors'' in 2009. She has written for several magazines and also spent time as a film critic. In 2009, she partnered with her daughter to produce and direct ''I Know a Woman Like That'', a documentary featuring interviews with several women over 60 and how they defy age stereotypes. Featured interviews include

Rita Moreno Rita Moreno (born Rosa Dolores Alverío Marcano; December 11, 1931) is a Puerto Rican actress, dancer, and singer. Noted for her work across different areas of the entertainment industry, she has appeared in numerous film, television, and thea ...

, Lauren Hutton,

Elaine Kaufman Elaine Edna Kaufman (February 10, 1929 – December 3, 2010) was a restaurateur whose Manhattan restaurant, Elaine's, attracted a following among prominent actors, writers, and other celebrities. Life and career Kaufman was born in Manhattan, ...

, and

Eartha Kitt Eartha Kitt (born Eartha Mae Keith; January 17, 1927 – December 25, 2008) was an American singer and actress known for her highly distinctive singing style and her 1953 recordings of "C'est si bon" and the Christmas novelty song "Santa Ba ...

. She works with her daughter's film production company, ''Title IX Productions''. The name was chosen from the 1972 law that defends against gender discrimination.

References

External links

*
Official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Madsen, Elaine 1932 births Living people American documentary filmmakers 21st-century American novelists 21st-century American poets Film producers from Illinois American women novelists 21st-century American women writers People from Romeoville, Illinois American women documentary filmmakers