3.5 stars.

About a century ago, actress Mary Pickford and scenarist Frances Marion were best friends as their young careers were just taking off. Together, they forged new paths for women in their industry, with Mary forming United Artist's studio with husband Douglas Fairbanks, and Frances being the best and highest paid female screenwriter. With today's spotlight on Hollywood's so-called casting couch, this story was quite timely in detailing how that term started, when these two women were in their thirties, their careers winding down. Despite the strides made by these women, men still held the power and got away with pinching and feeling up whatever female body parts they desired. Actresses who had babies, even those who were married, risked outrage from their fans, while actors and studio heads could sire a dozen or more children with no such risks.

Told in alternating chapters from each of the women's points of view, the book was certainly interesting, but not in a "can't wait to get back to that book" way. It is honest and forthcoming, which makes for a likeable historical fiction tale. It tells of two friends who grew estranged for different reasons, but were together courageous pioneers in their fields and impacted the film industry just as much as any of the studio heads of their time. Unfortunately, I thought it a bit repetitive and on the longish side. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advance copy.

5 epic, huggable, flickering stars to The Girls in the Picture ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Before reading this book, what I knew about Mary Pickford, America’s Sweetheart, was vague. I knew even less about her best friend and prolific screenwriter, Frances Marion. As I read this, I kept thinking this book is epic. An epic read, to me, is fully enveloping, engrossing, unputdownable, thorough, perfectly written. I can’t imagine two more fully-developed and well-crafted “characters” than Mary and Frances, and it’s a bonus that they were based on real life people and heaps of research carried out by the author.

Just as I knew little of Pickford and Marion, apparently, I knew even less about these early days of Hollywood. The silent flickers, Charlie Chaplin, the first movies, the first talkies, and the founding of major film studios. I love learning new things while I read, which is why historical fiction continues to be a favorite genre of mine. These things were just the cherry on top of the cake because the heart of the story was the ever-evolving, endearingly relatable, and complex friendship between Mary and Frances. Anyone who has had a lifelong friend will be able to relate to at least some of the waxing and waning, affection and strife, that the two experienced.

An important message was the role of women, especially strong, trailblazing women, in early Hollywood, as well as during World War I. It was interesting to read this book just after another WWI book (Last Christmas in Paris), which also featured a female journalist and war correspondent. It was also fascinating to read about Hollywood and the US during that war to get a different perspective from England and France who had no choice but to be fully immersed in the war from its inception.

If you are a fan of historical fiction, especially involving early Hollywood, this is an absolute must-read. Fabulous book!

I happen to have all of Melanie Benjamin’s backlist purchased previously and somehow languishing unread. After finishing this book, I’ll be making sure I carve out time to read each of her other books. I’m hoping for some more epic historical reads!

Thanks to Melanie Benjamin, Random House/Delacorte Press, and Netgalley, for the complimentary ARC.

The Girls in the Picture releases on January 16, 2018.

I have always been fascinated with "old Hollywood" and absolutely loved this book!

My Review of "The Girls in the Picture" by Melanie Benjamin, Random House Publishing Group, Ballantine, January 2018

I enjoyed reading "The Girls in the Picture" by Melanie Benjamin. The genres for this novel are Historical Fiction, and Women's Fiction. This is a story that starts in 1914 when silent movies were so important. This is also a novel that discusses friendships and the lifestyle in Hollywood.

Melanie Benjamin gives us a front row seat as she discusses the years in Hollywood as movies go from silent to talking, and the history of the Producers, Writers, Actors and Actresses and the Big Film Companies. Essentially as film producing gets more technical it seems to be a man's world. In this novel , the blurb says " there are cameos from such notables as Charlie Chaplin, Louis B. Mayer, Rudolph Valentino and Lillian Gish. The Girls in the Picture is, at heart, a story of friendship and  forgiveness." Other actors and actresses makes cameo appearances as well. 

The author describes the two main characters Frances Marion, and actress Mary Pickford, or "America's Sweetheart" as complicated and complex. Mary Pickford's husband Douglas Fairbanks is discussed as well. Both Mary and Frances are ambitious, and aggressive in pursuit of the Hollywood dream. Mary becomes the famous actress commanding an  expensive salary, and Frances, a screen-writer, one of the most highly paid one in the industry. Eventually Mary becomes a partner in her own film studio. Both are friends and seem at times to be co-dependent on each other, and at other times seem to be competitive. This is a man's industry, and it is difficult for women to make their own path.

Of course Hollywood is known for drama, and the lifestyle causes disagreements, jealousy, blame  disappointment and heartbreak. This story also takes place during World War One,where Frances Marion goes hoping to get a story about women and war, and facing danger every step of the way.

I would recommend this novel for those reader that are interested in the "Glitz" and "Glimmer" of Hollywood  Production, Actors, Actresses and the industry itself. I received An Advanced Reading Copy for my honest review.

Two women trying to make a name for themselves in the entertainment business back in the early 1900's. Their struggles in a predominantly male industry, in love, and in relationships in general.

I thought this was an interesting look at the business especially with the #metoo campaign currently going on. This really wasn't my genre of book though and I really just couldn't get into it enough to keep going. Unfortunately I did not finish this book due to my preference but I do think the book was well writing I just need more suspense and mystery.

This is a fictionalized account of the careers and friendship of Mary Pickford and Frances Marion, pioneering women in Hollywood. Benjamin did a good job of encapsulating the history of film from the silent movies through the rise of talkies and the big studio era, highlighting the obstacles encountered by successful women.

I enjoyed Benjamin’s prior novels, especially The Autobiography of Mrs. Tom Thumb and The Aviator’s Wife. I thought this work a bit cloying, but still it made for an interesting and entertaining read.

I received this book from Netgalley, in exchange for a fair and honest review.

This was a most enjoyable read! The characters of Mary Pickford and Frances Marion were fascinating - both came off as real people, and their actions and motivations worked for me. The entire era was a fascinating one, as the movie industry was taking off, and seeing it through the eyes of these two very strong and talented women was a treat.

At first, reading some of their conversations, I thought it was somewhat anachronistic - the fact that they openly discussed wanting something more than traditional female roles, the fact that they were ambitious and somewhat driven. But, the reality is that they DID achieve beyond any traditional female roles, and it was clear that they did this on their own initiative, not as the tools of men in their lives. Hey, in their early days, even their financial manager was a woman, Mary's mother. And, realistically, a woman who was ambitious and powerful at that time even more needed to be strong and not too worried about traditional roles.

In addition to the personal lives, the early development of the movie industry was fascinating, particularly learning about the formation of United Artists. I knew very little about all this, and enjoyed learning about it. It was also interesting reading about the impact that the switch to "talkies" had on the industry.

And, in today's world, the account of the sexual harassment routinely suffered by women in the industry certainly sounded familiar!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I had the easiest time relating to Fran (as, I'm sure, was the point), but the other important characters were all interesting, even when they were not portrayed as particularly sympathetic. Ms. Benjamin did a wonderful job of adding conversation, motivation, etc. to the historical facts, so that it all made sense - but most important, it was a good read!

My review will be posted on goodreads (page linked to my NetGalley account) and my fb page (link at beginning of review) on Dec 17, 2017.

Read this and my other reviews at:
https://www.facebook.com/ghostwriterreviews/
What a delightful insight to a bygone era of Hollywood! Before reading this book, I honestly didn't think much of the "silent film" era and how Hollywood got it's start. It did start a little slow, and sometimes Mary acting like the little girl she was portraying than the young woman/adult she was, but I still enjoyed this book start to finish. And i love the how the title is brought full circle, or would it be how the book came to be titled?? at the end. The cover is perfect in my opinion as well. Some might not like it as much because the girls don't really resemble the real people, but one is blonde and one is black haired and even how they are posed can allude to the story. But maybe I'm just overthinking. All in all, I loved this book and recommend it to anyone that likes this genre or would like to try it for the first time.

This was a well written book but rather slow. Definitely not a page turner but more of a well researched history of Mary Pickford and Francis Marion as the movie business evolves but also as women emerged from being beautiful objects to be pampered but rather disrespected for their courage and intellect. I thought it interesting but dull at times early on. Perhaps I have become jaded by some of the recent books that I have read and reviewed where you look at the clock and sadly note is’s super late but you hate to put it down and come back to the real world. I think once the book leaves the world of Hollywood and enter the horrors of World War One in France, the book becomes much better. It looks at the horrors of this rapidly changing means of warfare more from a woman’s perspective and speaks of the horrors the local people must have felt, seen and suffered through. You could almost smell the graveyards of the trenches with the rats trying to eat the bodies of the dead. The smell of gangrene, unwashed bodies, trenchfoot all seemed real. The sight of a single child’s shoe peaking out from the rubble was an especially powerful reminder of the realities of war not just for the soldiers fighting but for the people unfortunate to have made a war zone their home. These were powerful images and very well drawn. I found I warmed to this book. It was interesting, clearly well written. Francis Marion was the first American woman to cross into Germany as the tides of war changed. She was there to film the war from a woman’s perspective but also as a successful screen writer, to learn how to tell this story with honesty and reality. The world of the movie was rapidly changing from short rather simplistic stories to tales of truth and to have the ability to move people’s minds and hearts.

Surprisingly the history of sexual harassment and the casting couch was an issue even back over 100 years ago. Even a scene with the US President Wilson, a truly taciturn man, had a scene with him pinching a woman on her behind. For me that alone made this a more timely read than I would have expected. Women were subjected to humiliation and sexual exploitation even then. A producer or money man simply presumed that sex was his for the asking and a woman would simply not be hired if she refused or objected. Mary Pickford learned pretty early how to get what she wanted because she realized what the audience wanted and she gave it to them. She surrounded herself with quality actors, directors and most importantly, Francis Marion, one of the first Hollywood writers to understand the importance of character development, plot and the importance of real feelings coming across the screen. Pickford created magic and she learned that if she threatened to leave the men controlling the business early on, they would yield to her demands. She was smart and a terrific business woman who came to understand her own power in a man’s world.

Not a quick read but well done and interesting.

This excellent fiction based on fact novel about the friendship and co-dependency that colored the lives of Mary Pickford (Gladys Smith), actress, and Frances Marion, scriptwriter, from the birth of moving pictures in their 20's until they were in their 70's is an excellent eye on the world of film. These 'two girls' fought hard to make their place in pictures, leading the way for women into the male citadel that was the infant film industry. The Girls in the Picture is an interesting and very telling look the the costs both women paid for breaking that glass ceiling. A great deal of serious research went into the telling of this tale, and Melanie Benjamin shares it with us in a way that is completely captivating. I did not want to put this story down even to the very end.

My absolute favorite part was the actual public premier of Poor Little Rich Girl, after the moguls had castigated the ladies and pulled their privileged final editing rights from their contracts for adding a bit of 'slap-dash' to the film.

And it would have been very very hard to fault Mary Pickford for her life choices. She was sole support for her mother and siblings from the age of eight, when her father died. Her fears that her public would turn on her if she grew up were very real. The only 'childhood' she experienced was on the movie set where she played a child until she was in her late 20's. Nor can you find fault with Frances, for scripting those childhood years into the screenplays for Mary to bring to the screen. I felt Frances was the only true friend Mary had for many years. Both women paid a very high price for 'equality' in Hollywoodland.

I received a free electronic copy of this novel based on fact from Netgalley, Melanie Benjamin, and Delacorte Press in exchange for an honest review. Thank you all for sharing your hard work with me.

2.5 but cannot round up.

I really thought I would like this book--much more. I am a fan of historical fiction. And I enjoyed Benjamin's The Swans of Fifth Avenue. I am a movie buff. So I was poised to enjoy this read. Not so much. In fact, I was bored. Acclaimed? Not by me.

Nonetheless, kudos to Ms Benjamin for her extensive research.

The scenario:
"An intimate portrait of the close friendship and powerful creative partnership between two of Hollywood’s earliest female superstars: Frances Marion and Mary Pickford.... This is a novel about power: the power of women during the exhilarating early years of Hollywood, and the power of forgiveness. It’s also about the imbalance of power, then and now, and the sacrifices and compromises women must make in order to succeed. And at its heart, it’s a novel about the power of female friendship."

I JUST DIDNT CARE. AND FOR FAR TOO LONG; a bit more judicious editing should have been in order.

Occasionally a glimmer of hope that my interest would be sustained, but sadly not.

Note: I thought the book timely and topical because there certainly was a #me too element.

Sometimes the language turned me against it.

"... just for the regular assurance of the touch of a man's hard, warm body, his coiled muscles, thick hair to grab onto, rough, unshaven cheekes like a brand on my flesh."

and

"... she reluctantly felt herself stirring, felt herself rising up to meet him, her insides thawing until they started to melt, in a trickle, between her legs..."

But--contrasted with a few brief words that I quite liked: "I had an epic nigiht this morning."

Whatever.

This book just didnt do it for me. Considering some of the raves, perhaps one should give it a try and see for yourself.

Thank you to NetGalley and Delacorte Press for the opportunity to read and review this book. My honest opinion follows.

Mary Pickford and Frances Marion were the "It Girls" of Hollywood a century ago. Staring in silent movies they helped build and shape the industry that is so familiar today but so fresh and uncharted when they began their work in southern California so long ago.

This historical fiction tale follows the intertwined lives of Mary and Frances - one a beloved starlet, the other a notorious writer. They were best friends, women who came from nothing and built a fortune. They grow into adulthood together, reach fame together, and struggle to maintain their friendship. This sweeping story may seem to jump from point to point at times but the lives of Mary and Frances were fully lived and not easy to encompass in one book. Readers shouldn't expect full biographies but rather an E! True Hollywood Story type of overview.

This book may be about two women who were in their prime a hundred years ago but all they endured will seem current and relative still today. Scandals in Hollywood are taking over today's headlines, and this story shows the treatment of women in the movie industry is nothing new. Fans of historical fiction, movie history, or strong female characters won't want to miss this book.

Melanie Benjamin's newest book, The Girls in the Picture, tells the story of two women whose lives I knew terribly little about. In fact, while I was familiar with Mary Pickford, I don't know that I'd ever heard of Frances Marion, which is just shameful now that I know the contributions she made to early film writing and film making. Truly, I feel a little sad that it took until reading this book for me to realize how involved and prevalent women were in the early days of Hollywood.
The story is told from the perspectives of both Fran and Mary, and follows them through their decades of movie-making. It doesn't shy away from their difficulties- Mary's alcoholism and family problems, Fran's marriages and service in World War I, the advent of "talkies"- and by doing such manages to create two women who come across vividly on the page. Neither woman had a straight, uninhibited shot to the top, and both worked hard and were passionate about their art. Outside of their love for filmmaking, these two women were such polar opposites that it seems wondrous that they could have been such good friends, but with how passionate they were about movies, perhaps that was enough to solidify their bond.
While this is a book of historical fiction, it also demonstrates the challenges women have faced both historically and today in their fight to be recognized for their contributions to their industries, and in how difficult it is to be a woman who wants to put her career first and still have a full life outside that career. Fran and Mary struggle to maintain their hold on careers and relationships, their friendships, and to remain relavent in an industry that they saw through so many changes.

The Girls in the Picture is, without doubt, one of the best books I have read. The characters are fascinating as well as the depiction of the silent film era. As a fan of silent films, my interest has been piqued to read more about the stars and films who were a part of the early movie industry. A must read.

I loved this book. It started out a little slow and was hard for me to get in to at first. But you quickly become fascinated with the stories of Mary and Frances. I loved reading about this era in filmmaking and really loved how it celebrated women in the movies.

I was so excited to read “The Girls in the Picture” by Melanie Benjamin. Ms. Benjamin has become a favorite author of mine. I have read and recommended “The Aviator's Wife” (Charles and Anne Morrow Lindbergh), and “The Swans of Fifth Avenue” (Truman Capote and Babe Paley).

Melanie Benjamin writes in a distinctive genre that I love which is known as Historical Autobiographical Fiction. It is reading historical fiction from the perspective of a real-life main character whose memoir you are reading. To Ms. Benjamin’s credit her works are very well-researched as well as very well written. Hers is a very unique writing style that pulls me in every time. While the author is not aware of the actual thoughts of the characters, you feel that she has done such a wonderful job easily convincing you that she knows the main characters personally. Ms. Benjamin actually reminds the reader in her endnotes that no matter how knowledgeable the book may seem she has no idea of the actual thoughts of the characters.

“The Girls in the Picture” is a story of two visionary women in the early days of Hollywood. They were gifted in their own fields. They are extremely strong women, who were unaware that they started the movement to give women the credit the deserve in what was a man’s world. Told with a feminist bent, we are privy to the challenges and successes of two determined, intelligent, women rising to the top of their fields while dealing with sexual harassment, dislike and hostility. Their extraordinary friendship and the growth of the movie industry makes this novel a great read.

The two main characters are Mary Pickford, the first superstar actress and Frances Marion who was the highest paid scenerist/screenwriter and who won two Academy Awards. The novel alternates between the two women's perspectives. I thoroughly enjoyed learning about these two women and learning about the technical side of movie making in the early days. The time line of this book is generational. It follows the main characters from the early 1900's through the late 1960's.

I was thrilled to be given an Advance Review Copy (ARC) of Benjamin’s “The Girls in the Picture” This is a epic novel that we've come to know Melanie Benjamin will turn out. You will never think about Hollywood the same again. It's life-changing, moving, and I hope they make a movie of it. I would like to thank Melanie Benjamin, Delacorte Press and NetGalley for the ARC.

Well written and interesting Hollywood story. Well researched (again). I learned quite a bit about things I had never heard of regarding the founding of studios. Like it

Being raised on old Hollywood movies, and the lore involved with them, via family members who worked on the edges of the industry (and loved to tell their tales), I knew this book would be interesting for me and it was! But I think many readers will also enjoy the look back and see just how amazing these two women WERE. While it is a fictionalized account, it is based on facts, and those speak volumes! When you finish, you will want to go check out their movies, and see what they truly accomplished in their years of friendship and hard work! It also makes a great holiday for the movie buff, who loves the old movies!

I’m a huge Melanie Benjamin fan and love her writing style. This book was no exception and kept a good pace throughout.
The Girls in the Picture is told during the silent film era in Hollywood. Both Mary Pickford and her friend Frances Marion were well thought out characters that kept with the integrity of the time.
This will be a book I purchase to add to my book shelf.
Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC copy of this wonderful book.

I have loved all of Melanie Benjamin's previous books and this is no exception. She does an incredible job of researching without it bring dry or reading like a text book.

The year is 1914 and silent films are just getting started. Mary Pickford is the darling of the stage and Frances Marion is leaving San Francisco after two failed marriages and heading to LA. Frances is a budding artist and is invited to meet Mary Pickford and draw her portrait. The two meet and become fast friends. Frances gets hired by Lois Weber Productions and becomes a writing assistant. She then starts writing scripts for Mary.

Frances and Mary have many tumultuous years as friend and end up not speaking for a few years. This book follows their friendship through marriages, good and bad, the first world war and the invention of talkies.

Before reading this book, I was not aware how much influence Mary had in the development Of United Artists Studio's and that she was on of the 36 founders Of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. This book has made me want to go back and watch movies from the beginning of talkies.

Thank you NetGalley for sending this book in exchange for an honest review.