Customer Reviews

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

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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.

I first noticed Florence lawrence when I bought a copy of Daniel Blum's "Pictorial History of the Silent Screen". So many of the pictures in that book were of Florence that my curiosity was piqued. Who was this woman? Thank goodness Kelly Brown wrote such an entertaining and scholarly biography. I wish there were more bios out there on early and perhaps forgotten stars. Bravo, Kelly Brown! And thank you for all your hard work!

This slender volume is fascinating because it finally paints a well-researched picture of the long forgotten Florence Lawrence. I've always been fascinated by her after seeing publicity stills of her from the mid-1900s. She appeared to be warm, charismatic and fascinating. Her greatest tragedy is that none of her films have been shown in eighty years. I have one of her shorts, "Flo's Discipline" which only lasts about twelve minutes but it gives you a hint of how dazzling she was before the cameras. While her cohort, Mary Pickford, went onto a spectacular career that included mind-boggling salaries and a world-famous Hollywood castle, Pickfair, poor Lawrence was living in a small, hotel room, being paid a few dollars a week as an extra at MGM. Her life would make a wonderful movie--and a cautionary tale about the pitfalls of how fleeting fame is, and how fickle is the public when it comes to remaining faithful to the flavor of the month.

Author Brown has given film buffs a highly readable biography of filmdom's first star, Florence Lawrence. Both her personal life and career are well covered.In response to the first review of this book, it appears that the reviewer is unaware of most film related magazines, for McFarland does a thorough job of advertising their titles, including sending catalogs to 60,000 libraries across the country. They also have an outlet in Great Britain. True, they don't use glossy paper, but I would hardly say their photos are "poorly reproduced."

Florence Lawrence was "big" before there were movie stars. She was the original "Biograph Girl" before Mary Pickford was given that name by movie fans. After losing her job at Biograph, she was hired by Carl Laemmle's IMP company (later Universal). As a publicity stunt, Laemmle started a rumor that she was dead. Then she made a personal appearance in St. Louis and was mobbed by fans.

Unfortunately she was pretty much out of work in five years. Poor managemet by her husband Harry, as well as a painful injury forced her into bit parts. She was still acting in very small parts into 1938, when she gave up on life and committed suicide.

Kelly Brown has done an incredible research job. Using Florence's surviving correspondence, as well as trade magazine artices and advertisements, she has reconstructed Florence's life. The book has many footnotes noting sources, and there is a very detailed filmography. Instead of a book full of dry facts, Ms. Brown keeps Florence's story interesting. If you are interested in early cinema, or even important women actresses, you should definitely read this book.

Florence Lawrence was an enigma I had always wanted to know about, having been interested in silent films for many years. Information on her was scarce, save for some still photographs in silent movie history books. Kelly Brown really did her homework, in what must have been a difficult task, digging up information about a star whose heyday was almost 90 years ago! Congratulations, Kelly, on a job well done! I can't recommend this book highly enough!

I always enjoy a good biography, especially those of the nearly forgotten silent screen stars. This biography of Florence Lawrence was well researched and had many wonderful photos. The author did a good job with the resources available. Most of the films and people involved in silents are gone now, so the job is doubly difficult. Although pricey, this biography is well worth reading.

I adored the book for finally telling me the whole true story of Florence Lawrence, a mystery lady for so long... Excellent research! I understand there will be soon be a novel based on her life, imagining that she survives the ant poison and lives til today under an assumed name.

A nicely researched and insightful biography of Florence Lawrence, one of the most shadowy yet important figures of early cinema. Many things about Florence's life and career will perhaps always remain vague, but Kelly Brown gives a worthy account of America's "first movie star." It is refreshing to know that Flo is finally getting the recognition she deserves. This book is a must for the true film buff.

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!