Florence Lawrence, the Biograph Girl: America's First Movie Star

Rating:
Summary: A Welcome Addition to Film History Chronicling
Review: Kudos to Kelly Brown, for having the insight and smarts to tackle a tremendously difficult challenge: introducing this generation to a woman, and a film legend, who should need no introduction at all. Florence Lawrence, call her what you will, be it The Biograph Girl or The Woman of a Thousand Faces, is very important to film history. She was, truly, the first movie star, the initial performer who SO intrigued her audience as to inspire the masses to demand to know her name (remember that, then, those on the screen were not afforded any publicity at all: the story, the writer, and the director, were the billed entities). Flo changed all that, and in so doing, became the first true movie star. She deserves remembrance, and Kelly Brown has given us a stellar memorial to learn from and enjoy. I had the honor of not only contributing the photo of the Lawrence grave, but answering Brown's incredibly insightful questionnaire, which balances out an important and worthy biography, a complete and detailed filmography, and an intriguing and rare glimpse at the private life of Florence Lawrence. This book belongs in the libraries of any person interested in cinema history, as well as those who want to learn how to do exemplary and careful research. No doubt that Flo is grateful for Kelly Brown's work: so are we.

Rating:
Summary: A Book Well Worth Looking For
Review: Well-written, entertaining and scholarly biography of the first movie star, the tragic Florence Lawrence, who made her first movie in 1907, remained a star till the early 1910s, then was reduced to extra work (and suicide) by the 1930s. A book that was along time coming, and Brown has done an excellent job! My only complaint is that it was published by McFarland, which is only one baby step above a vanity press: poor production values, few (badly-reproduced) photos, no promotion or distribution. One wishes that at least a good university press could have taken this book, rather than throwing it away on a fourth-rate company like McFarland. Oh, well, at least it got published, and if you like film history, grab this one!