‘Top Secret Rosies: The Female Computers of WWII’ screening set Sept. 14

The Rehoboth Beach Film Society celebrates the success of this summer’s Barbenheimer craze with a special screening of the documentary “Top Secret Rosies: The Female Computers of WWII.”

In celebration of Lewes resident and filmmaker LeAnn Erickson, the screening is set for 7 p.m., Thursday, Sept. 14, at the Cinema Art Theater in Lewes. The film shares one little-known story of female mathematicians who helped win a war and usher in the modern computer age. Erickson will take part in a question-and-answer session following the screening.

In early December 1941, Betty Jean Jennings was a freshman completing her first semester at a rural Missouri college. In Philadelphia, Doris and Shirley Blumberg were seniors at Girls’ High, and Marlyn Wescoff was completing a minor in business machines at Temple University.

In an era of limited career opportunities for women, these bright students anticipated low-paying jobs as schoolteachers or bookkeepers. But on Sunday, Dec. 7, the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor and changed the lives of these young women forever. With Pearl Harbor suddenly drawing the U.S. into World War II, the Army desperately needed to recalculate ballistics tables for all current and newly developed weapons. To do this, they launched a frantic national search for women mathematicians, and Betty Jean, Doris, Shirley and Marlyn joined nearly 100 women who signed on for the duration. 

Erickson is a professor at Temple University and has been an independent filmmaker for more than 35 years. Her work has appeared on television and in galleries, and has won international recognition in film festivals. Currently, she is developing a television series pitch based on the story of the Top Secret Rosies, and distributing an animated documentary short that shares her coming-out story with humor and pathos.

The special event is free to Rehoboth Beach Film Society members and $5 for general admission. Online registration is required at rehobothfilm.com.

The film “Oppenheimer’ will open Friday, Sept. 15, at the Cinema Art Theater.

For more information about the documentary, go to topsecretrosies.com.