Frances Marion: Pioneer Screenwriter of Early Hollywood

Frances Marion and the Rise of Women in Early Hollywood

A true Renaissance woman with a background in art, acting, photography, and journalism, Frances Marion positioned herself at the forefront of early filmmaking in Hollywood. Her legacy lives on through more than 300 films in her portfolio and two screenwriting Academy Awards, and yet her name lacks the notoriety of many of her contemporaries. Marion's work in filmmaking helped propel Hollywood from the era of silent movies to the world of "talkies," which was roughly the time businessmen and major studios began taking over the once-bohemian industry from early pioneers like Marion.

Marion also rose to prominence during a period when filmmaking boasted genuine gender equity in its ranks. Women in the silent era "directed, produced and edited hundreds of silent movies," and by some estimates more than half of all silent films were made by women (Blakemore, 2016). Sisterhood — a conscientious effort to support other women in the industry and create a collaborative environment — undoubtedly aided Marion, and she in turn helped other women achieve their filmmaking goals. When the major motion picture studios began to usurp women's power in the industry, Marion grew disillusioned with the changing tenor of the business. She "walked away" by the late 1930s, claiming that screenwriting "offered no creative control and little credit for anyone less than a writer-producer" (Blakemore, 2016). Yet by then, Marion had already established her presence in Hollywood and amassed hundreds of films in her impressive portfolio.

Formative Years: Background and Bohemian Influences

Born Marion Benson Owens into an upper-middle-class white family in San Francisco, Marion was practically destined to succeed as a multifaceted creative. Her parents actively encouraged her creative pursuits, unconventional social norms, and a worldly outlook. When she was still a teenager, Marion traveled with her parents to Mexico, where she went trekking in the mountains with a group of Yaqui Indians — something virtually unheard of for women in the early twentieth century (Beauchamp, 1997).

Marion also came of age in San Francisco, where half of all residents had been born on foreign soil and another third were the direct children of immigrants (Beauchamp, 1997). Fascinated by people and cultural diversity, she became an astute observer of the world around her. She rode streetcars for pleasure and learned several languages, including French and Spanish, with fluency (Beauchamp, 1997). The broad body of work credited to Marion is due in part to this worldly background and her early exposure to cultural and economic diversity.

In 1906, Marion's formerly prosperous family lost nearly everything in the San Francisco earthquake and the fires that followed. Her encounters with lean times only deepened her entrenchment in the burgeoning artist and bohemian community of Berkeley, where she met her first husband, an art teacher. Surrounding herself with artists and fellow creative thinkers, Marion subverted gender norms from an early age. She spoke freely of having a sexual relationship with her boyfriend before they married, and when they divorced a few years later, she discussed the breakup without shame or guilt (Beauchamp, 1997). Marion married four times in total and had numerous lovers throughout her lifetime, yet her career never depended on men. She built her filmmaking career from the ground up, relying not on male patronage but on other women for mentorship and professional guidance.

Early Mentors and the Power of Female Solidarity

Marion had two early mentors who laid a firm foundation for her later success. The first was the actor Marie Dressler, whom Marion first met as a reporter for the San Francisco Examiner. Dressler was old enough to be Marion's mother and helped the young reporter secure her first story for the theater section of the paper (Beauchamp, 1997). Marion would have a chance encounter with Dressler years later in Los Angeles, after both women had begun establishing themselves in the budding motion picture industry. When Marion's success eventually surpassed even Dressler's, Marion was credited with "resurrecting" Dressler's career by writing roles specifically for older women (Blakemore, 2016). Similarly, Marion assisted struggling female screenwriters such as Lorna Moon in advancing their careers ("Profile: Frances Marion," n.d.). Once again, the success of women in Hollywood depended on sisterhood and mutual support.

The well-documented, long-lasting friendship between Marion and actor Mary Pickford stands as further evidence that women in early Hollywood relied on one another. Pickford personally appointed Marion as her screenwriter (Zeidel, 2009), a relationship that benefited both women's careers and exemplified the collaborative spirit that characterized the silent film era.