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The Girls in the Picture
A Novel
by Melanie Benjamin
Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine

Delacorte Press
Historical Fiction
Pub Date 16 Jan 2018


I am reviewing a copy of The Girls in the Picture Through Delacorte Press and Netgalley:


In 1914 twenty five year old Frances Marion has left her second husband and her Northern California home for the lure of LosAngeles, where she is determined to live independently as an artist. But what is enthralling everyone is the silent movies called Flickers. In this town she'll meet stars like Mary Pickford, who will help her build her career. Mary Pickford and Frances would become fast friends.


Mary Pickford was not always Mary, she had once been Glady's, a little girl who did not often get invited to birthday parties.


In this new industry of films, offers her a career in scriptwriting. Writing stories for this amazing new medium, helps her to build a name for herself.


But they live in an age when Gender is accounted for, and all of their success comes with a price.


Will the price be to much?

Find out in The Girls In the Picture:


Five out of five stars!


Happy Reading!

Hollywood 1914. "movie Star " friends navigate the roads of stardom. Wonderful story of friendships at the beginning of the century. Atmospheric enjoyable read.

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!

I expected much more from this book. I was interested at first, but the offensive language was more than I could stand. I understand it was commonplace for the characters and their situations and it was my mistake for requesting it.

I chose this book to request because I didn't really know a lot about the early days of the film industry and I thought it would be interesting to see it from the beginning. Yowza, I had no idea how this book, written before the Hollywood on-going scandal, would resonate with what's going on with HW and others from LaLa Land.

The book was written about the careers of Mary Pickford and Francis Marion. Pickford, a great actress who also had good decisions for movies and how to make them and Marion, who was one of the biggest female screenwriters to come out of Hollywood.

Their tale was very eye opening. These women were up and coming and the men in the industry did not like it and tried to do everything they could to push these women out. Especially, the smart ones.

Benjamin has delivered another great historical fiction read that I thoroughly enjoyed. I sped through this, for the most part. There were a few speed bumps, but for the most part, I found it very informative and entertaining.

Thanks to Random House/Ballantine and Net Galley for providing me with a free e-galley in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.

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.

I have been drawn to historical fiction novels lately. I truly believe that there is a lot to learn from the past, and reading about other people's lives, and knowing that these events happened, is simply fascinating to me.

Of all the books I've read lately The Girls in the Picture is by far my favorite.

Let me start by saying that Melanie Benjamin is an incredible writer. I have never been interested in old Hollywood before but Ms. Benjamin had a way of pulling me into this early teens and 20's era and allowing me a glimpse into that world. She brings to life a story of two women who made incredible strides not only in the cinematic world, when gender barriers abounded, but also in their personal lives, and to show that women were more than just mere housewives and mothers, but could be true voices and make a real difference in the world.

It's 1914 and moving pictures, or "flickers" are in their inception. Frances Marion has just left her second husband and moves to Los Angeles for a fresh start. She is immediately mesmerized with this new medium and finds herself writing stories for this new, blossoming industry in Hollywoodland. A young actress catches her attention and before long she befriends the adorable Mary Pickford, who shares her vision for a world where stories could be told and to make art and not just entertain people.

The Girls in the Picture is the story of Mary and Fran's incredible friendship. Their love for each other runs deep and keeps them bound throughout their entire lives, despite turmoil and heartache.

Fran deals with fighting to be more than just Mary Pickford's scenarist, and longs to write screenplays that make a difference in people's lives. Mary, on the other hand, has quickly become America's Sweetheart, and the rush to stardom is a little more than overwhelming, seeing her struggle to adjust to the spotlight. Both women long for true love and find their soulmates, only for tragedy to strike, just like in the movies.

I couldn't put this incredible book down. Your heart aches for both Mary and Fran as they fight against gender prejudice in the industry, as well as the waves that each of their personal lives take. I've never been interested in early Hollywood history or silent movies before but I can truly say that has all changed thanks to The Girls in the Picture.

I do have to warn that this novel does have adult language but other than that it was an imaginable read. When I finished, I did some more research on Mary Pickford and Frances Marion to see how much of the story was true and was pleasantly surprised! Melanie Benjamin was extremely accurate with the exception of omitting some facts about each woman's life, which she explains in her author's note at the end of the novel. You finish the book with complete satisfaction and thankfulness for these two women who "paved the way for the women working in film today." Mary and Frances, you will not be forgotten.

he Girls in the Picture is a fascinating historical novel by Melanie Benjamin. At the center of the novel is silent screen superstar Mary Pickford and the friendship she forms with screenwriter Frances Marion. Pickford helps Marion establish a career in Hollywood and Marion becomes the most renowned female screenwriter of the 20th century. Benjamin skillfully develops the friendship between the two women and poignantly describes the fluctuations in their bond. Although Pickford and Marion are major players in Hollywood, they are also two women looking for love and happiness. You don't have to be a major TCM viewer or celebrity watcher to enjoy this book. Reading about women in power is always enjoyable. Thanks to Delacorte Press for an ARC of this book.

Reviews shared on Goodreads, V's Reads, Amazon and B & N: https://vsreads.com/2018/01/16/looking-back-on-the-girls-in-the-picture-a-review/

Mary Pickford and Frances Marion, not two names I’d say ring loud for contemporary movie aficionados, like me. This historical novel centered on their lives and friendship weaves a 60-year experience into a rich and textured story that left me emotionally hollowed and filled, by turns.

Mary Pickford was an actress at age 5, responsible for earning a living that supported her mother and two younger siblings once her father died. She gave up her childhood to be on the stage, and earn money, and later star in “the flickers” short silent movies that were shown in storefront “theaters” known as nickelodeons. As her career progressed, she became creatively involved, writing, staging and editing her own films.

Frances Marion, a twice-divorced sketch artist, fell in love with the movies when she moved to LA from San Francisco during her second marriage. It was a chance meeting with Mary’s philandering first husband that brought Mary and Frances in contact. Frances wanted to learn all about making movies, and never wanted to be an actress–a plus for building ties with Mary. Mary’d learned some very basic lessons about humanity in her years as a performer, but she recognized Fran for being a solid woman who might be a confidant, and friend, in the business. Mary had few of them in her life. Together, they made a powerful creative team, once Fran got the hang of writing for the screen–a skill Mary helped her cultivate.

I don’t want to divulge too much of the plot. The lives of these ladies intersected professionally and personally a great deal. Fran wrote exclusively for Mary’s films for a time, and helped rocket Mary to stardom, in some ways. Mary, a standoffish person, had trouble believing people were on her side, and lived in mortal fear that making personal choices, like divorcing her cad of a husband, would upset her fans and she’d be back to the poverty she grew up in. What was remarkable was the struggles Mary and Fran suffered professionally still exist for women today. They were fierce women looked down upon by the men who held the money and power in the fledgling world of film. They were pinched, and overruled, and groped, and belittled, and had to keep cheery smiles for the camera–so many of their professional pictures reflected their isolation as the only women in the picture. They did have falling outs, and reunions. Their relationship isn’t all sunshine and Academy Awards. No, they had disappointments and jealousy and needed to lift each other, and themselves, up many a time. They had uncaring husbands, and abusive partners and alcoholism to contend with, but they left a mark on the business that they helped to create and this was beautifully captured in print, not celluloid. Mary was a founding member of United Artists and AMPAS, as well as being the second woman to win an Oscar. Fran helped to form the Screen Writers Guild, and both weathered the transition from silent film to “talkies” in different ways. I’ll admit to being captivated throughout by the resilience of these women. Fran was the first American woman to cross the German Frontline in WWI as she helped film women assisting the US forces. Mary supported her entire family for decades, through famine and feast, from the age of 5 or 6. Astonishing.

I’ll be honest, I’d only barely heard of Mary Pickford, and I’d never heard of Frances Marion before opening this book…and I’m a fan of older movies. My father and I passed many an evening watching AMC Classics when I was younger, yet, I hardly watched any silent film. There’s a reason for that, which the book makes clear: lots of those movies were lost to the vagaries of time and poor storage. Still, I’m a fan of movies, and historical fiction, and stories about strong women, so I began my second Melanie Benjamin book with high hopes that were completely exceeded.

The premise seemed simple, read about the beginnings of Hollywood as told through the lives and friendship of two women who were there at the start. Wow. What an understatement of this reading experience. I know it’s a novelization, and the author clearly states that she fabricates some scenes, but I still feel awed by the lives of Pickford and Marion. They were pioneers, and tried to create an egalitarian Hollywood that struggles to exist today. I remember thinking how the sexism Mary and Fran experienced is reflected daily in the tabloids on my grocer’s checkout. To borrow an adage from my father: the more things change, the more they stay the same. (He surely borrowed that from someone, but I don’t know whom.) And that’s a pretty sad commentary on how far we haven’t come in terms of sexual equality since Fran met Mary in 1914.

The Girls in the Picture is a fictionalized account of the friendship between silent movie star Mary Pickford and her scenarist Frances Marion from the time they met until around the mid-1930s and the waning of Pickford's popularity. The novel actually chronologically starts shortly before they met so we get a chance to learn a little about both women before they meet. This establishes the dynamic of their friendship with Mary being one of the biggest stars of early Hollywood and Frances the outsider brought into Hollywood by Mary. While the ups and downs of their friendship is the focus of this book, readers do get a glimpse of what it was like to be a woman in Hollywood during its earliest days. Even the title of the book, "The Girls in the Picture" refers to the power imbalance between the men who control Hollywood and the women in front of and behind the scenes. It doesn't flinch from from this imbalance including the existence of "the casting couch," where male executives and directors insist on women sleeping with them in order to get a job. Benjamin covers the milestones in each women's lives, especially Pickford's marriage to Douglas Fairbanks, and successfully fill in the gaps of their known lives with events and confrontations that informed their known actions. Both characters and the men in their lives come off as a sympathetic even when they perform actions that are not in their best interests. Pickford in particular may come off as spoiled and needy at times but readers also get an understanding of who she is which makes it easy to sympathize with. Benjamin does a good job of painting a picture of early Hollywood, which judging from recent news reports, probably haven't changed as much as it should.

This was a very good read and I am grateful to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC.

Going into this book, I knew very little about Mary Pickford and absolutely nothing about Frances Marion. I had had a class in high school on film and its origins and how it advanced over the years, so I have seen Mary Pickford on the "big screen" and knew of some of the movies they talked about [especially "Poor Little Rich Girl"], but her backstory I was clueless about. And, I had no idea that so many of them were written by a woman and that that woman was also Mary's closest friend [or as close a friend as Mary could tolerate]. Frances Marion's story is simply amazing. The things that she overcame and the prejudices that she fought against daily and won against is simply a Hollywood story unto itself.

I absolutely loved Fran's story - she was so very brave, and even though she drew off of Mary's talent [initially] and strength, she later proved that she was worth all the accolades that were being showered upon her and she deserved every one of them [watch "The Champ" with Jackie Cooper; that is a great movie and really shows off her writing skills]. Even in her sorrow, she kept fighting and for me, she is a huge roll model to all those who think they will never make it through the struggle.

Mary, on the other hand, was a spoiled, obnoxious woman who truly only lived for the fame - she was an absolute product of her environment. Her upbringing was horrible and her longing for real love and also a life made her ultimately, a very unhappy, vain alcoholic who died very much alone.

I really enjoyed how this book was written - Mary, with her artificial, shallow life, could never have carried off the first person narrative; having Fran carry that part was pure genius. Her life, and her experiences [which were much more varied and expansive than Mary's] made the book so very interesting and having it written as first person was perfect.

I highly recommend this book; it was a great read and proof that Melanie Benjamin has really got it in regards to excellent historical fiction.

I’m a big fan of classic movies, historical novels, and the ways in which our experiences shift us, so choosing “The Girls in the Picture” by Melanie Benjamin was an easy choice. I wasn’t disappointed.

You may know of Mary Pickford, the darling of the silent era. But you likely don’t now the name Francis Marion, one of the top screenwriters, back from before movies had ratings or even sound. Women from the early days of Hollywood, surprisingly feminist in their views and their experiences and views appealed to this modern woman. They built a friendship in challenging industry not really designed for trusted friends.

The story alternates between the stories of Frances (told in the first person) and Mary (told in 3rd person). Both views give an honest and often vulnerable view of their lives: managing stress, their careers, their husbands, children, and maintaining their appeal as the world (and Hollywood) progresses.

I liked this book despite the edges of melancholy here and there. What won me over from those edges was the lifetime of friendship and love. Love does endure.

If you enjoy historical novels, tales of growing Hollywood, friendships, or well-told stories, you’ll enjoy this book. A solid 4 stars.

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

The Girls in the Picture is a book that I knew that I wanted to read as soon as I saw it. I love reading historical fiction about movie stars, or stories that in one way or another takes place in Hollywood. Especially around the Silent movie era and when the talkies came. I had only previously read Reckless Hearts: A Story of Slim Hawks and Ernest Hemingway by Melanie Benjamin, but she has written several books that I want to read.

What really struck me about this book was, despite, my deep love for silent movies, and old Hollywood classics is that Frances Marion was totally unknown to me. And she's behind several of my favorite movies, like A Scarlet Letter with Lars Hanson and Lillian Gish. Also, I had no idea that she was a close friend of Mary Pickford.

In this book, we get a fictional story about the friendship between Frances Marion and Mary Pickford. I enjoyed getting to know the women more and I especially enjoyed learning more about their lives. Both had great love stories, but neither had truly happy lives, despite, their success. Not all of their lives are written in this book, as Melanie Benjamin stated in her notes, just Mary Pickford relationship with her adopted children would fill a whole book. I personally had to take a break from the book several times to check up a name or a title, etc.

The Girls in the Picture is definitely a book to read if you, like me, love old Hollywood movies and are intrigued by the actors and actors from the golden era. I was charmed by the cameos, especially Charlie Chaplin's presence in the book. Made me eager to read a book about him or see his movies.

In The Girls in the Picture, author Melanie Benjamin not only tells the story of 1920s silent film star Mary Pickford and her "scenarist," Frances Marion, she highlights the way in which their unique friendship, throughout the years of 1914 to 1969, determined the path of their existence.

Along with recognizable names such as Cecil B. DeMille, Greta Garbo, Charlie Chaplin, and John Barrymore, Pickford and Marion, who alternately narrate the chapters, explore the transition between silent film and "speaking movies" or "talkies" in the late 1920s; this section was so fascinating! Many of the silent film stars were not cut out for speaking parts, leaving a huge gap in talent and opening up the industry for brand new faces.

"You either “had a voice” or you didn’t. And many of Mary’s contemporaries did not. Vilma Banky, who’d done so well with Goldwyn with her delicate blond beauty, playing against suave male stars like Valentino and Ronald Coleman, unfortunately had a guttural Hungarian accent and could barely speak English. She announced her “retirement” shortly after her sound test."

While the novel is not what I would consider conventional historical fiction, since Benjamin's writing brings contemporary relevance to period material, The Girls in the Picture is a highly entertaining way to learn more about the stars (and creative geniuses) who helped the American film industry to become the powerful influence that it is today. This would make for great vacation reading!

This was not the book for me. I did not finish it. The premise sounds interesting, but it is a slow, tedious read. While Melanie Benjamin is a gifted writer, the characters felt flat and boring and there just wasn't enough happening to sustain the plot. I will not post my review elsewhere. Thank you for the opportunity.

I am a big fan of old movies, and I've seen Mary Pickford in a few, therefore I was familiar with her prior to this book. However, I never heard of screenwriter Frances Marion. Well, not until a few days ago. And while reading the book (and doing my Wikipedia research) I learned that Frances Marian wrote many scripts to the movies I've seen and loved. Melanie Benjamin did an amazing job with this novel. Not only I enjoyed learning about female empowerment in early Hollywood days, but I also learned a lot about the movie industry. Well, not all from this book, but I researched every interesting detail I read in this novel. That is another reason why it took me longers than usual to read and finish this gem.

The book concentrates on a friendship of Hollywood "power couple", and no, I do not mean the first queen and king of Hollywood Mary Pickford and her second husband Douglas Fairbanks. I am talking about Mary Pickford and Frances Marion. And you will understand the meaning of it during the last chapter. Thru the book, we learn that their friendship survived their separate successes, broken marriages, and family losses. While both girls were a complete opposite of each other, their connection was strong. Opposite attracts, doesn't it?

The story in the book is being told by Frances and Mary in chronological order. Each character explains their view of the certain events/situations. While Frances is a strong character from the beginning, Mary is portraited as a weaker one. Even thru this book is fiction, it was good to learn what drove Mary Pickford into the state she remained during the last years of her life.

It's a great read, wonderful story of friendship, women empowerment, and early days of cinematography.

{My Thoughts}
What Worked For Me
Melanie Benjamin’s Storytelling – If you’ve never read Melanie Benjamin it’s time to start, and if you have, you’re in for another treat. This woman KNOWS how to build an entire drama around real people, expertly blending facts and well-researched fiction. With The Aviators Wife she gave us Anne Morrow Lindbergh. In The Swans of Fifth Avenue it was Babe Paley and Truman Capote. And now, Benjamin tells the story of young Hollywood through two of its brightest stars, actress Mary Pickford and screenwriter Frances Marion. Throughout The Girls in the Picture, Benjamin stays entirely focused on her characters. With incredible finesse she follows these two women through their struggles and triumphs, through their loves and losses, through their personal and professional relationships without ever straying. This is storytelling at it’s best!

“Mary and I were these women; we were the girls in the picture, still. The girls whose brave and tender hearts were still beating beneath the wrinkled breasts, the old-fashioned nightgowns and sensible grandmother blouses. The girls we’d become the moment we’d said hello in that other dark room, so many years ago.”

Early Hollywood – I’m not a big follower of Hollywood, old or new, but I loved the Hollywood history lesson built into The Girls in the Picture. As the book opens Hollywood as we know it didn’t yet exist. Instead, there were a bunch of people running around the streets of Los Angeles trying to put together one-reel “flickers” for kicks and a little cash. The inside view that Benjamin provided through the lives of “America’s Sweetheart” and one of its first and most successful screenwriters proved to be fascinating. These two women had amazing triumphs in their careers, but the struggles, the chauvinism, and the fight for women’s opinions to matter made it clear that Hollywood still hasn’t strayed far from its roots.

A Hollywood Legend – Of the two women in the book, I actually liked Frances Marion more, but found Mary’s position as “America’s Sweetheart” fascinating. The very roles that made her famous, those of a sweet, funny girl, also trapped her. She grew weary of playing a child, but the public didn’t want to see her in any other roles, making it nearly impossible for Mary to follow her own desires. Hers was a sad story.

What Didn’t
Fiction vs. Nonfiction – Honestly everything about The Girls in the Picture worked for me. My only negative is one I find in all historical fiction based on real people. It’s difficult to stop myself from questioning the “fiction” part of the story is versus what is real. I start Googling events to see if they really happened or not. At times that can feel like a burden, and I found it especially true towards the end of The Girls in the Picture. Still, it’s my problem and not a problem of the book.

{The Final Assessment}
The Girls in the Picture proved to be an absolutely delightful surprise. I can highly recommend it to Hollywood buffs, lovers of historical fiction, and to those like me who might initially be a little skeptical. I can almost guarantee that by 20% you’ll be hooked. Grade: A-

Note: I received a copy of this book from the publisher (via NetGalley) in exchange for my honest review.

In 1914 , when movies were in their infancy, two women forged not just a friendship but a creative relationship and pioneered their way through the burgeoning motion picture industry. Mary Pickford had her start in the theater and after transitioning to movies quickly became a fan favorite with her trademark long blonde curls. Frances Marion did not want to be an actress, but found the “ flickers ” exciting and wanted to be a part of their creation. She arrived at the studios hoping her artistic skills might land her work, but a meeting with Mary led to greater opportunities; screenwriting. In an industry ruled by men, they learned how to break down barriers and get where they wanted to be as a team. Mary Pickford was the first international movie star and highest paid actress at the time and Frances Marion became the most in demand screen writer of her time. This was my first novel of 2018 and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Its a fascinating glimpse at the very earliest years of Hollywood and two women who took it by storm to become powerful forces in the industry. Starting with silent films and transitioning into “ talkies”, they paved the way, all the while, drawing strength from and supporting each other. They have their differences, struggles, tragedies, and men that come between them, which tests their friendship. The chapters alternate between Mary and Frances. Interestingly, Mary`s chapters are told in the third person, but Frances, the writer, tells her story in her own words. I`ve always loved old movies and enjoyed all the other characters who appear in the pages like, Charlie Chaplin, Rudolph Valentino, and Lillian Gish. The author refers to events and scandals that motivated me to read more online. If you read this, I encourage you to look on YouTube at the clip of Mary Pickford receiving her final Oscar, presented to her at Pickfair for a glimpse at the home she shared with Douglas Fairbanks. This is my third (and favorite) novel by Melanie Benjamin and I always appreciate the depth of research she puts in to her very real characters . She has made Mary and Frances very relatable and memorable as she introduces them to a new generation.
Thank you to @netgalley and @randomhouse for an ARC to review ! #partner

4.5/5 stars
This one does what historical fiction is supposed to do. I was drawn into a world about which I knew little and, honestly, cared less. Kudos to Benjamin for winning me over with such amazing character development. A story of brilliant women who refuse to allow the chauvinistic subculture to stop them is inspirational, whether it is the Hollywood of 1918 or 2018. The Girls in the Picture is another winner for Melanie Benjamin.