The Girls in the Picture: A Novel

I do not have much interest in Hollywood. However, I decided to read this book because I have found through reading 3 other Melanie Benjamin books (The Swans of Fifth Avenue, The Aviator's Wife, and the Autobiography of Mrs Tom Thumb) that Ms. Benjamin brings her characters to life like few other authors.

This story vividly captures not only the long friendship of actress Mary Pickford and scenarist Frances Marion, but also the advent of silent movies followed by the transition to "talkies." Actors Charlie Chaplin, Douglas Fairbanks, and Fred Thomson are also key characters who are brought to life by Ms. Benjamin. The difficulties faced by women working in Hollywood are woven into the story line and unfortunately, some of the same issues faced by Marty and Frances are challenges still today.

Historical fiction is my favorite genre and this book did not disappoint.. It is a very good story and I learned some history - - a win, win!

I so enjoyed Melanie Benjamin’s last book, The Swans of New York, about Truman Capote’s relationship with Babe Paley and other leading ladies of Manhattan society, that I was excited to read Benjamin’s take on two of early Hollywood’s leading figures. But while there is a lot to admire in this new book, Benjamin doesn’t carry off the story of the relationship between America’s Sweetheart, Mary Pickford, and screenwriter Frances Marion.

Benjamin does a terrific job with the sense of time and place. I was particularly struck with an early scene of Frances Marion stumbling upon the filming of a silent movie chase on the street near her home. Benjamin really conveyed the magic of moviemaking and how it Frances Marion succumbed hopelessly as a result of that one chance view. Benjamin also vividly describes Mary Pickford’s tough early years on the stage, struggling to support her mother and two siblings, and then her years in the movie business, as she became one of the few actors and sole woman in those first years to battle the studio system and take control of her own work and career. Frances Marion’s experiences as a correspondent in Europe during World War I are evocatively depicted as well. And there is just so much in the book about the technical side of moviemaking in those days and the transformation in the lifestyles of those actors like Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks who became suddenly famous all over the world and rich beyond all their imagining.

The real focus of the book, though, is the relationship between Mary Pickford and Frances Marion. Marion had come to Los Angeles with her second husband, who soon left her. What was she to do with herself now? Happening upon that filming and meeting Mary Pickford introduced Frances Marion to her lifelong passion, screenwriting. For years Mary and Frances worked together, and for years they didn’t, for reasons detailed in the book. And yet there was always a connection between them that couldn’t be cut.

The relationship story should have been just as fascinating as the rest of the novel, but it just wasn’t. It’s repetitive and the imagined dialog is often as melodramatic as a B-picture. It kept me interested enough to keep reading, but I just wasn’t emotionally engaged by it. In fact, for a lot of the middle of the book I wasn’t even particularly interested.

Worth reading, but not as good as it could have been.

Stories about Hollywood's beginnings are like catnip to me and this story is about two powerful women with a strong friendship. Mary Pickford the silent film actress and Marion Frances a screenwriter or scenarist as they were called then dream and work together and along the way become string friends and achieve lots. Most people will recognize Mary's name but Marion is based on a real person as well. I was surprised at how closely Benjamin sticks to the facts while necessarily imagining the women's interactions.

From its beginnings movies were haphazardly thrown together with art a kind of red haired second cousin but gradually that began to change with Mary and Frances in the vanguard. They had to fight being pegeonholed as women but strangely the field was so wide open at its inception that they were able to sneak in and create at is until the New York money took notice and began to control the product. That's when things became more difficult. The story includes Frances's experiences in WWl when she went to Europe to film the nurses and other women involved in the war. Also included is Mary's struggle to find happiness with her all time love Douglas Fairbanks. The Girls in the Picture is equally sad and exhilarating but it's always fun to read.

When artist/writer, Frances Marion, is introduced to silent screen star, Mary Pickford, it is a meeting of souls. Two ambitious women working in a man’s world in 1914, dream of success and riches and the ability to call their own shots. Alone, neither may have had the courage to succeed, together as a team, they are unstoppable. And so begins a journey of both a great friendship and great success.

Author Melanie Benjamin captures the era and the larger-than-life characters perfectly in her new novel, The Girls in the Picture. Using both fact and fiction, we follow each woman through her successes and failures, and watch as they each obtain the careers and lives they dreamt about, only to find that one should be careful what they wish for. Benjamin writes wonderfully fleshed out characters in a well thought-out story, and intrigues the reader with the highs and lows these women experience. I highly recommend to star-struck readers who love stories of old Hollywood.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book about the beginning of the film industry, and especially about the friendship between Mary Pickford and Frances Marion. Of course I knew about Mary and her time as the darling of early films, especially silent pictures, and I knew of her "fairy-tale" romance with Douglas Fairbanks, and their reign as the dream couple of Hollywood. My mother told me of seeing them at the movies and snippets about them. However I knew nothing of Frances Marion and her fame as a screen writer. (In the early days most of the writers WERE women, unlike subsequent years when the men came to dominate in all management phases of the industry.) But Melanie Benjamin really brought them to life in this book, from early struggles to fame and fortune to hard times again in different ways. I liked this even better than The Swans of Fifth Avenue, her previous book. It was a very interesting trip through the changing values of women in a man's world and quite pertinent today.

I read "The Swans of Fifth Avenue" by Melanie Benjamin a couple years ago and enjoyed it, so I was happy to pick up another book by her. I was especially excited because the book takes place in Hollywood in the early years of the movie business. Hollywood and its stars have always fascinated me and I'm always looking for novels that take place in Hollywood.

Overall, I enjoyed the story. It features Mary Pickford, who most movie enthusiasts have heard of, and Frances Marion, a screenwriter that maybe not that people know of. I've familiar with Mary Pickford but I believe that I hadn't heard of Frances Marion before this novel. I liked reading about a strong female friendship relationship. I really liked both Frances and Mary and was rooting for both of them. Sometimes that can be hard to find in novels. As in Melanie's other book, the writing is very strong in this story. It was a quick read for me because the writing and story had me hooked.

Highly recommended for movie fans and fans of historical fiction.

This beautifully written book by Melanie Benjamin is a work of historical fiction about the friendship between screenwriter Frances Marion and actress Mary Pickford. The reader will recognize many names of Hollywood legends who played a role in their story. The film history interwoven into this novel makes it even more interesting.

Frances and Mary are both strong women but they do not have equal success as the film industry moves from silent films to “talkies” and they experience this change differently. Still, even as their Hollywood success and jealously intervenes you feel that they sense the bond between them.

Ms. Benjamin is a new author to me. However, while this is the first of her books that I have read I am sure that it will not be the last.

I received an advance readers copy from NetGalley. My review is completely voluntary.

Frances Marion is fascinated by the flickers. When she visits a movie set, she meets Mary Pickford, a star of the silent moving scene. Frances and Mary become close friends, sharing confidences and working together in the pictures. Frances at first runs errands, plays a few bit parts, and then finds her niche writing screenplays. Mary takes on roll after roll as a child, playing up her golden girls and youthful appearance. This book follows them through adulthood and into old age.

The entire book had a slow, sad feel to it. It alternated between Fran and Mary, who were both interesting characters. I'm curious were fact and fiction align, the entire book seemed like a well-written memoir. I look forward to reading the next book from Benjamin. Overall, highly recommended.

What an interesting perspective on the original queen of the silent movie era, Mary Pickford. Mary Pickford and Frances Marion (her scenarist) were women involved in a man’s industry and they did not let that tiny fact hold them back from very successful careers. The book was easy to read, informative, and paid homage to the original actors and actresses and studio heads who created the modern day vision we now know to be Hollywood. Prior to reading The Girls in the Picture, I had little knowledge of the silent film industry but the author paints quite a picture of what it took to ‘make it’ during such a tumultuous time, factoring in World War I and the introduction to talkies. I enjoyed this book as it entertained me with wonderful stories about the big names in Hollywood and how glamorous couples ruled from their California castles.

The Girls in the Picture by Melanie Benjamin is a free NetGalley ebook that I read in late January.

I'm already big fan of Melanie Benjamin's expertly crafted historical fiction novels, so this one is no different, yet also very much stands on its own merit with its story of friendship/estrangement of Mary Pickford-Fairbanks (nee Gladys Smith) and Frances Marion-Thomson (nee Marion Benson). Each of their self-doubts, career advancements, personal relationships, and inner turmoils reach through the page, as well as the sheer jealous, selfish brashness of Douglas Fairbanks (who I'll now be looking at differently, the needy mank).

The girls in the picture by Benjamin_ Melanie
This story follows the life of Mary Pickford and her screen writer, Frances = Lady Marion. Love how it starts when they are young when the movies are just starting out.
Love affairs and journey to the war to cover it and keep the morale of the troops high.
Like the women's connection and how they stick to their guns.
Alternating chapters between the two women.
Like behind the scenes whether it's about the movies or the war.
Have read other books by this author, very detailed and she does her homework!
I received this book from National Library Service for my BARD (Braille Audio Reading Device).

I received an advanced copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. This is a new author to me, but I have to say that I will be looking for more by her! This was a GREAT book! This is based on the true life friendship of Frances Marion (a Hollywood Writer) and Mary Pickford (who was one of the original stars of Hollywood). They had a chance meeting when movies were silent. They became friends and through all of life’s wierdness in Hollywood, they managed to have a friendship. They were close at times, at not so close. They had marriages and divorces. They had children, they made movies. Frances won awards, BIG awards! I learned a LOT about the early days of Hollywood and LOVED every minute of it! This is a definite MUST read!

The Girls in the Picture by Melanie Benjamin is a free NetGalley ebook that I read in late January.

I'm already big fan of Melanie Benjamin's expertly crafted historical fiction novels, so this one is no different, yet also very much stands on its own merit with its story of friendship/estrangement of Mary Pickford-Fairbanks (nee Gladys Smith) and Frances Marion-Thomson (nee Marion Benson). Each of their self-doubts, career advancements, personal relationships, and inner turmoils reach through the page, as well as the sheer jealous, selfish brashness of Douglas Fairbanks (who I'll now be looking at differently, the needy mank).

The author dedicates this book to Benjamin Dreyer, who she thanks “for rescuing this novel from the slush pile.” Ben, you shoulda left it in the slush pile. I am abandoning this book at 30% read mainly because I cannot bear to encounter one more anachronism. It’s 1915 so NO ONE says “leave your ego at the door” or “wrap my head around” or “process the disconnect.” UGH.
There is no way to immerse oneself in a historical novel whose author and editors have shown such sloppy, lazy disregard for historical accuracy of language. Ben, you did us no favor.

I was captivated by this story, The story of Mary Pickford and Francis Marion. This is historical fiction and I can't wait to look deeper into the work of these two great women. In a world that still marks the accomplishments of men while forgetting to acknowledge women, this novel speaks of the 2 women who were key players in the revolution of Cinema. I never really thought of how movies originated: those original Flickers as they were known, then came the talkies and look at where we are today. This was a welcome heartwarming look at the birth of Hollywood.
However this book also speaks to friendship and how peoples lives affect each other. The impact Mary and Fran had on each others lives and careers lasted their lifetime. This was truly a story that I am very glad to have read.
Thank you to Melanie Benjamin for this novel.

Terrific historical fiction tailor made for those who like to read the "back story" of famous women. There are any number of examinations of old Hollywood and Mary Pickford figures in many of them. How many of us know about Frances Marion? I didn't and I enjoyed learning not only about how she forged the way for women screenwriters, but also about her life. The book is told in alternating chapters between Frances and Marion, who are both at a turning point because of changes in the industry. Nicely written and wholly entertaining. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. Try this if you are interested in Hollywood or just a good story.

I really loved this novel, which tells the story of Mary Pickford the Queen of Motion Pictures and her best friend Frances Marion, the best scenarist, or film writer of early motion pictures. Wonderfully imagined are the conversations between the two women, which show how their friendship ebbed and flowed over the years as Hollywood went through its infancy of silent films to talkies and through WWI. Mary marries her prince charming, Douglas Fairbanks and rides out a turbulent marriage. Melanie Benjamin captures the times and the characters in such realistic clarity.

I absolutely love movies from the early days of Hollywood, so this book was right up my alley. It tells a fictionalized version of how Mary Pickford became the queen of Hollywood, partly due to Frances Marion, one of the most famous early screenwriters. The book follows their journeys from the first silent movies, through World War I, and all the way to the point when "talkies" became all the rage. While the conversations and motivations have been invented by the author, she keeps in enough actual historical details to tell how these women's lives really played out.

I received this book from Library Thing Early Reviewers and so appreciative. This was an amazing story about two women who became successful at the time when silent movies were just starting out. It was the story of their lives, what roles they played in the movies but also how the movies framed their lives. There was joy, love, sorrow and regret. After all it is about actual people, Hollywood and WWII. The story was well written and captured so much history, it was difficult to put down. It was obvious the author did a significant amount of research to capture just the right amount of detail for the story. Thank you Library Thing Early Readers! Amazing story, worth taking the time to read.

This book is a delightful visit to cinematic Hollywood in it's infancy. It's a story of two women, one famous and one not so famous. It's about their friendship more than about their careers. It is also very much about the growth of the movie industry. This is a long novel, but it certainly doesn't seem that long. It's easily read in two days...one if you're a voracious readeer. It's a book men will enjoy as well as will women. However you look at it, this is a terrific book filled with real characters. You don't have to be a movie fan to enjoy this. The story of two strong women stands out above the story of Hollywood itself.

I received a copy of this from NetGalley and this is my honest review. I adore this book! If I could give more accolades and stars I would. Set against the beginnings of TinselTown and the movies, this is a fictionalized version of the lifelong friendship between Frances Marion and Mary Pickford. I really felt that I was there throughout the book and when I had to put the book down, it took a minute to remember where I was. I definitely recommend this to everyone looking for a good read!

An utterly fascinating book about early Hollywood, as seen through real life friends:the iconic actress Mary Pickford and the lesser known but remarkable screen writer Frances Marion. Melanie Benjamin is an excellent researcher and writer, who made these women come alive for me. If you love old movies of the type shown on Turner Classic Movies this book is a natural for you. It is also excellent in looking at female friendship and loyalty in a profession where it often depends upon what one can do for another rather than true feelings.Highly recommended!

An interesting look at two of the film industry greats: Mary Pickford and Frances Marion. Although a novel, the author based much of the story on the lives of these two ladies. Before reading this, I never realized how powerful and influential women were in the early movie days. The story also reveals the evolution of film, which is a story in and of itself. I had to research both of these women's lives after reading this novel; my interest was definitely piqued.

I'm a fool for historical novels -- at least when they're done well. In the context of a story about engaging characters, I learn about a place and time about which I know little. When the tale is about real people, it's even better. All those characteristics describe The Girls in the Picture.

The novel is about two real women: the first movie star, Mary Pickford, and one of the earliest Hollywood screenwriters, Frances Marion. It tracks their friendship and creative relationship from 1914 -- the heart of the silent movie era -- to the 1960s. The storytelling captures the women's lives (at work and elsewhere) as well as the world of early moviemaking, when "movies" referred to the people who worked in the films and no self-respecting stage actress would lower herself to perform in a movie. It would be fascinating historically, even if I didn't care about the book's characters themselves. Yet the people are no less fascinating.

I was aware of Mary Pickford previously, but only in a vague way and after she achieved success (she has a few walk-on scenes in the always-fun-to-reread Bride of the Rat God (which takes place in the 1920s). About Frances Marion, I confess, I knew nothing -- although she won Academy Awards for her screenplays of The Big House and The Champ, and helped define Hollywood’s Golden Age.

Benjamin writes their story with the creativity of "I made up these people" (I mean that in a good way). The two women and their circle of friends were instrumental in defining Hollywood, in every sense, and I learned a lot of stuff that was wholly new to me. (I had no idea that United Artists was formed by, well, artists uniting, much less that they included Pickford and Charlie Chaplin.) It's also about people and the roles they play, not always with a camera running. "We were molding Mary into a child," thinks Frances, "and not just any child. THE child, America's cherished little girl, the embodiment of innocence and playfulness and vulnerability and spunk; a person the entire audience wanted to wrap up in its arms after each and every film to cherish and protect."

The result is a good, page-turning story that I fell into, and from which I emerged only reluctantly. This isn't any kind of "important" novel that you must read. But it'd be a good choice for a beach read or a long plane flight, when you want to escape from the world for a while.

I really enjoyed learning about the 1920s silent film star Mary Pickford, who was one of the original founders of United Artists Studio, and her friendship with Marion Davies, a “scenarist” or screenplay writer. Very interesting tidbits abt the uphill battle women faced in a male dominated studio system.

A bit repetitive but readable. Interesting that Pickford's roles included playing children, up until the age of 30. "Little Mary" is what her fans wanted. I'm looking at the cover, and wondering why the designer wasn't more creative. The dark-haired woman resembles Frances, so why not the other woman with golden curls, like Mary?

Received from NetGalley. Having read Melanie Benjamin’s The Aviator’s Wife and The Swans of Fifth Avenue, I was looking forward to reading The Girls in the Picture. Melanie Benjamin delivered. This piece of historical fiction features Old Hollywood with Mary Pickford and Frances Marion. The chapters alternate between these two strong women. I was entertained and learned so much about the making of our first movies.

Author Melanie Benjamin has a talent for highlighting a period of history through the lives of individuals living in that time period. In this fascinating novel, the early 20th century world of movie-making is featured through the lives of America's Sweetheart - the Girl with the Curls - Mary Pickford and her on and off again best friend, writer Frances Marion.

The early days of moving pictures were a heady time. In hindsight, movies' success and impact on our culture seem inevitable. At their inception, moving pictures, or flickers, seemed like a bold, brash and risky experiment. Would an actor damage their career by switching from the stage to film?

Mary Pickford was one of the earliest, and perhaps most successful, actors to make that leap. She moved to California and acted in short, largely improvised, films. When she met Frances Marion, something clicked and the two women became great friends and made movies together. Marion would often take popular stories and recreate them on film with Pickford playing the female lead. What a fun, spontaneous adventure it was then.

This novel chronicles the development of movie-making, and the impact on these two women, their lives, their work, their relationship, their love affairs and history. The story is narrated by the two women in alternating chapters. As powerful men moved in and tried to control the production and distribution of films, Pickford and Marion staked out their independence and were producing, writing, directing and distributing their own films. You see the early sexism and sexual exploitation of women actors which is a topical subject today.

Although Pickford played a child-like young woman, she was keen on managing the business side of her films. Pickford founded United Artists with Douglas Fairbanks, Charlie Chaplin and others. Marion helped to found the Screenwriter's Guild. You see the impact of these women on history when Pickford sold the most War Bonds during WWI, and Marion documented and filmed women's contribution to the war effort in Europe.

Of course, when "talkies" came in during 1928, talking films convulsed the film world. How would these two women succeed in this new world? Could Pickford transition from the Girl with the Curls to a bobbed, sophisticated flapper? Could Marion write dialogue which captured the modernity and sophistication of the Jazz Age and beyond?

And how would they fit husbands and family into their working lives? It's a bittersweet tale of the early days of Hollywood, its evolution as a powerful influencer of culture and business, and its intersection with these two women's lives. Pickford and Marion are unusual, strong and talented women who make brave choices. Theirs is a compelling story which Benjamin dramatizes in a lively and entertaining fashion. This novel would provoke good discussion in a book group.

The subject matter of the development of the film industry and the creative women who participated in its creation should be a very engaging topic. However, this book is full of cliches, thinly developed dialogue, and so entrenched in "women's" talk the story beyond boring and very stilted. I was gritting my teeth, as I read the interactions between the main characters. They are portrayed in such a shallow way. These women would have been vibrant, assertive, intelligent, and talented, but the author presents them as nincompoops. Unable to finish this book.

Actual rating 3.5 stars.

Mary Pickford started as a silent "flicker" actress and continued acting when "talkers" were introduced. She made her stardom as portraying the "little girl with the curls." One day early in her career a young woman from San Francisco, Marion Frances, entered her acting trailer and life for both changed drastically. Marion wanted to be behind the camera and Mary wanted to be in front. This allowed Marion to write the screenplays that Mary could act in. We follow their lives as they intertwine and separate over the years of 1914 to 1969.

I was very excited to get an advanced copy to read as I did not know much about Mary Pickford, other than she was an actress and I had never heard of Marion Frances (who I think was the real star of the two). While I think this book is very interesting, it has many parts that just seemed to lack excitement and drug on for way too long. I would be reading and really into it and then I would hit a section that I had to force myself to get through. This is my main reason for a 3.5 rating and not a 4.

It is extremely interesting that there is a section that Marion talks about the sexual harassment she experienced in Hollywood and while she was a correspondent during World War One. With the movement going on the last couple of weeks regarding sexual harassment I find myself believing that Marion would have been one of the first to speak out in favor of equality and women telling their stories.

If you are an avid Hollywood fan and want to learn about how it got started this is a great historical fiction based on real people. Ms. Benjamin did an excellent job researching each character and keeping as much as she could true to fact.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing for an advanced copy in exchange for a review in my own honest words.

It was interesting to read about this era. But this was not a compelling book. I felt many parts were flat and many things were glossed over, e.g when Frances meets her husband, so quick I couldn’t really buy it. Some storylines were not dealt with. Why at big events just mentioned briefly?
I did find the history interpreting but sometimes could not get past the dialogue. Seemed contrived and sometimes cheesy, especially the one between husband and wife. It was disappointing.

The Girls in the Picture tells two intersecting stories, that of the lifelong though bumpy friendship between actress Mary Pickford and movie screenwriter Frances Marion, and that of the birth of the movie industry, mostly the early years. The parts about making movies were the most interesting. Mary and Frances’ friendship was less involving, maybe because Mary came across as a user, insecure, and jealous, and by the end of the book, I didn’t much like Mary. The author kept stressing her poor, sad upbringing as if that was an excuse but she was still unlikable. I wondered if that was a true depiction of her deterioration at the end of her life or whether it was author’s discretion filling in blanks.

Based on the notes at the end of the book, this friendship was based in historical fact and it seemed to be thoroughly researched.

Recommended for: Cinemaphiles, early Hollywood devotees; Pickwick/Fairbanks fans

*ARC via netgalley*

Received from NetGalley. Having read Melanie Benjamin’s The Aviator’s Wife and The Swans of Fifth Avenue, I was looking forward to reading The Girls in the Picture. Melanie Benjamin delivered. This piece of historical fiction features Old Hollywood with Mary Pickford and Frances Marion. The chapters alternate between these two strong women. I was entertained and learned so much about the making of our first movies.

Author Melanie Benjamin has a talent for highlighting a period of history through the lives of individuals living in that time period. In this fascinating novel, the early 20th century world of movie-making is featured through the lives of America's Sweetheart - the Girl with the Curls - Mary Pickford and her on and off again best friend, writer Frances Marion.

The early days of moving pictures were a heady time. In hindsight, movies' success and impact on our culture seem inevitable. At their inception, moving pictures, or flickers, seemed like a bold, brash and risky experiment. Would an actor damage their career by switching from the stage to film?

Mary Pickford was one of the earliest, and perhaps most successful, actors to make that leap. She moved to California and acted in short, largely improvised, films. When she met Frances Marion, something clicked and the two women became great friends and made movies together. Marion would often take popular stories and recreate them on film with Pickford playing the female lead. What a fun, spontaneous adventure it was then.

This novel chronicles the development of movie-making, and the impact on these two women, their lives, their work, their relationship, their love affairs and history. The story is narrated by the two women in alternating chapters. As powerful men moved in and tried to control the production and distribution of films, Pickford and Marion staked out their independence and were producing, writing, directing and distributing their own films. You see the early sexism and sexual exploitation of women actors which is a topical subject today.

Although Pickford played a child-like young woman, she was keen on managing the business side of her films. Pickford founded United Artists with Douglas Fairbanks, Charlie Chaplin and others. Marion helped to found the Screenwriter's Guild. You see the impact of these women on history when Pickford sold the most War Bonds during WWI, and Marion documented and filmed women's contribution to the war effort in Europe.

Of course, when "talkies" came in during 1928, talking films convulsed the film world. How would these two women succeed in this new world? Could Pickford transition from the Girl with the Curls to a bobbed, sophisticated flapper? Could Marion write dialogue which captured the modernity and sophistication of the Jazz Age and beyond?

And how would they fit husbands and family into their working lives? It's a bittersweet tale of the early days of Hollywood, its evolution as a powerful influencer of culture and business, and its intersection with these two women's lives. Pickford and Marion are unusual, strong and talented women who make brave choices. Theirs is a compelling story which Benjamin dramatizes in a lively and entertaining fashion. This novel would provoke good discussion in a book group.

The subject matter of the development of the film industry and the creative women who participated in its creation should be a very engaging topic. However, this book is full of cliches, thinly developed dialogue, and so entrenched in "women's" talk the story beyond boring and very stilted. I was gritting my teeth, as I read the interactions between the main characters. They are portrayed in such a shallow way. These women would have been vibrant, assertive, intelligent, and talented, but the author presents them as nincompoops. Unable to finish this book.

Actual rating 3.5 stars.

Mary Pickford started as a silent "flicker" actress and continued acting when "talkers" were introduced. She made her stardom as portraying the "little girl with the curls." One day early in her career a young woman from San Francisco, Marion Frances, entered her acting trailer and life for both changed drastically. Marion wanted to be behind the camera and Mary wanted to be in front. This allowed Marion to write the screenplays that Mary could act in. We follow their lives as they intertwine and separate over the years of 1914 to 1969.

I was very excited to get an advanced copy to read as I did not know much about Mary Pickford, other than she was an actress and I had never heard of Marion Frances (who I think was the real star of the two). While I think this book is very interesting, it has many parts that just seemed to lack excitement and drug on for way too long. I would be reading and really into it and then I would hit a section that I had to force myself to get through. This is my main reason for a 3.5 rating and not a 4.

It is extremely interesting that there is a section that Marion talks about the sexual harassment she experienced in Hollywood and while she was a correspondent during World War One. With the movement going on the last couple of weeks regarding sexual harassment I find myself believing that Marion would have been one of the first to speak out in favor of equality and women telling their stories.

If you are an avid Hollywood fan and want to learn about how it got started this is a great historical fiction based on real people. Ms. Benjamin did an excellent job researching each character and keeping as much as she could true to fact.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing for an advanced copy in exchange for a review in my own honest words.

It was interesting to read about this era. But this was not a compelling book. I felt many parts were flat and many things were glossed over, e.g when Frances meets her husband, so quick I couldn’t really buy it. Some storylines were not dealt with. Why at big events just mentioned briefly?
I did find the history interpreting but sometimes could not get past the dialogue. Seemed contrived and sometimes cheesy, especially the one between husband and wife. It was disappointing.

The Girls in the Picture tells two intersecting stories, that of the lifelong though bumpy friendship between actress Mary Pickford and movie screenwriter Frances Marion, and that of the birth of the movie industry, mostly the early years. The parts about making movies were the most interesting. Mary and Frances’ friendship was less involving, maybe because Mary came across as a user, insecure, and jealous, and by the end of the book, I didn’t much like Mary. The author kept stressing her poor, sad upbringing as if that was an excuse but she was still unlikable. I wondered if that was a true depiction of her deterioration at the end of her life or whether it was author’s discretion filling in blanks.

Based on the notes at the end of the book, this friendship was based in historical fact and it seemed to be thoroughly researched.

Recommended for: Cinemaphiles, early Hollywood devotees; Pickwick/Fairbanks fans

*ARC via netgalley*

A realistic look at the early movie making days. Many subjects are touched upon. WW I, women making their way in a man's world, the silent film era, and seeking to be a Hollywood star and film writer.
While a fascinating read, I found the chapters very long.

A wonderful story of friendship in early Hollywood. Frances Marion, founder of the Screen Writers Guild and Mary Pickford, the first movie star, become friends and colleagues . How they helped found an industry.

Really enjoyed this window into old Hollywood and what might have been in the life of Mary Pickford. A personal story of making it on your own and the ups and downs of friendship and loyalty. A perfect summer read.

I enjoy books about the golden age of Hollywood and I enjoy books written by Melanie Benjamin. This books mainly deals with the lives of Frances Marion, a screenwriter, and Mary Pickford, America's Sweetheart. Fast moving story of old Hollywood and the book also touches on the casting couch stories that we are still hearing about in present day. A good read.

I started reading this fictional account of Mary Pickford and Frances Marion with pleasure and enjoyment. Unfortunately, after a few chapters the writing turned trite and elementary. The whole novel reeked of mostly conversations between Mary and Frances. The settings disappeared and a commentary of the life of each of these amazing women disappeared. Melanie Benjamin does cover the beginning of the movies starting with the silent movies. The struggles of the actors and actresses wane in this telling. The book reads like a comic book with only words and little action.