Actor-director Francis Ford signed with Victor Kremer Film Features to direct a series of eight pictures starring Western star Texas Guinan, as stated in the 31 Dec 1920 Wid’s Daily. George Calahan was credited with facilitating the deal. I Am the Woman was the first entry in the series. Three weeks later, the 22 Jan 1921 Motion Picture News reported that Guinan had recently arrived in Los Angeles, CA, to begin work on the films, which had already been pre-sold to states’ rights exchanges throughout the U.S. The 5 Feb 1921Motion Picture News noted that the first production in the series was to be The Girl Sheriff, but it was postponed because it required “a great number of locations.”
       According to the 12 Feb 1921 Moving Picture World, Guinan had a near-death experience when she was thrown from her horse while performing a riding stunt. This prompted company president Victor Kremer to insure the actress for $50,000 per picture, requiring policies with several different companies, as none would cover the entire series. A separate policy, valued at $100,000, was issued to cover other members of the cast and crew in the event of an injury. The amount of $500,000 in total insurance benefits was considered to be among the highest in the film industry to date.
       A press screening of the film was held in New York City in late Feb or early Mar 1921, as noted in the 12 Mar 1921 Motion Picture News. Weeks later, the 29 Apr 1921 Var reported that the Pennsylvania Board of Censors condemned the picture for depicting “too much crime.” Independent exchanges responded by declaring that “all films to be marketed for Western Pennsylvania and West Virginia” had to be approved by the Board prior to sale. Regardless, I Am the Woman opened on 5 May 1921 at the Bentley Theatre in the Western Pennsylvania town of Monongahela.
       Other openings followed on 30 May 1921 at the Tremont Theatre in Galveston, TX, on 3 Jun 1921 at the Paramount Theatre in Connellsville, PA, and on 8 Jun 1921 at the Royal Theatre in Fayetteville, AR.
       An item in the 12 Feb 1921 Motion Picture News revealed that another film, provisionally titled I Am the Woman, was currently in production. It was later released as I Am Guilty (1921, see entry).
       Available sources indicate that Guinan never completed the other seven films in the series, although she did star in a number of short subjects for other companies throughout 1921.
       The National Film Preservation Board (NFPB) included this film on its list of Lost U.S. Silent Feature Films as of October 2019.