In the late 1910s and early 1920s, the American film industry experimented with variety of new and timely female types which in some way challenged the sexual status quo, including the bohemian feminist, the madcap, the baby vamp and the flapper. Whether drawn from the headlines, adapted from best-selling novels or hot Broadway plays, or created for the screen, these characters had the potential to generate both strong box office, and controversy and censorship.