THE NEW LEADING LADIES WOMEN REIGN OVER THREE TOP ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY GUILDS.

Byline: Greg Hernandez Staff Writer

For the first time in Hollywood history, three of the entertainment industry's four major labor unions are simultaneously being led by women.

Less than 24 hours after Melissa Gilbert was re-elected president of the Screen Actors Guild on Saturday, Martha Coolidge became the first female president of the Directors Guild of America. They join Victoria Riskin, who has been president of the Writers Guild of America-West since last fall.

``I think all women working in executive ranks are happy to see that women are reaching the highest levels of guilds as well as the networks and studio system,'' said Dana Walden, president of Twentieth Century Fox Television.

But Walden and others caution that having these and other women in Hollywood in high-profile positions does not mean that females are even close to reaching parity with men in the industry on a percentage basis.

``The numbers of women working behind the scenes in the top 250 films has remained at 17 percent for the last three years - including all directors, writers, cinematographers, editors and producers,'' said Martha Lauzen, a professor of communication at San Diego State University.

Lauzen said she has not seen much growth among the rank and file in the eight years she has published two annual studies on the status of women in the film and television industries called ``The Celluloid Ceiling'' and ``Boxed In.''

``Certainly these women at SAG, the DGA and the WGA will have the opportunity to highlight the discriminatory practices that still plague women as well as people of color both on the screen and behind the screen if they are so inclined,'' Lauzen said. ``But I don't think we should leap to any conclusions that all of a sudden Hollywood has found gender equity.''

Coolidge, the first female president in the Directors Guild of America's 66-year history, officially replaced Jack Shea as president of the DGA on Sunday morning after a special national board meeting of the guild.

A guild member since 1983, Coolidge had been the DGA's first vice president since 1995 and co-chairwoman of the guild's Creative Rights Committee since 1992.

``I am extremely honored to succeed Jack Shea as president of the Directors Guild,'' Coolidge said in a statement. ``Jack's guidance has been a huge inspiration for me and, as president, I look forward to continuing the DGA's tradition of strong leadership.''

Shea, who stepped down in the middle of his third term as DGA president, had high praise for his successor.

``In addition to having an outstanding career, Martha has always worked tirelessly for the guild and I know her overwhelming passion and unique experiences will continue to provide the DGA with the dynamic leadership and strong vision we have always had.''

Coolidge is the director of such films as ``Ramblin Rose'' and ``Valley Girl'' as well as the acclaimed cable movie ``Introducing Dorothy Dandridge'' starring Halle Berry.

``Girls go!'' Berry said after learning of Coolidge's selection Saturday night at the DGA Awards dinner.

While Coolidge and Riskin are the first women to ever head their respective guilds, Gilbert is the third female SAG president, following in the footsteps of actresses Patty Duke and Kathleen Nolan. Riskin was elected to her post last September.

But of the three, it was Gilbert who had to travel the roughest road to her presidency, prevailing over main rival Valerie Harper in two bruising SAG elections within four months.

While Gilbert was first voted into office in November, the guild's election of national officers had to be held a second time after the union's election committee found that rules had been violated and the contest badly bungled.

Gilbert, who had remained in office on an interim basis between the two elections, will now serve out a full two-year term.

``I'm ready,'' she said after the results were announced over the weekend. ``I'm so pumped.''

Gilbert's decisive victory was a popular one among her peers who gave the actress a sustained ovation when she took the stage during the Screen Actors Guild Awards on Sunday evening.

Walden said the new guild leadership is reflective of women continuing to rise through the ranks of many fields.

``I think it's a natural progression of a trend that began a decade ago when women ... were trailblazing in executive ranks, as directors and as writers and started gaining prominence,'' she said. ``As there is turnover, unlike in years past, there are women waiting in the wings.''

CAPTION(S):

3 photos

Photo:

(1 -- color) GILBERT

(2 -- color) COOLIDGE

(3) RISKIN