The Biograph Girl

by William J. Mann

Meticulously blending fact and real-life characters with fiction, this richly textured historical novel re-creates the life of Florence Lawrence, an early twentieth-century actress and vaudevillian who by 1910, was the "Biograph Girl," the world's first movie star. Reprint.

Genres: Fiction, Historical Fiction, Mystery, Film, Historical, Historical Mystery, Novels

457 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2000

About the author

William J. Mann is a New York Times bestselling author of The Contender: The Story of Marlon Brando, for which he was granted access to Brando’s private estate archive, as well as Kate: The Woman Who Was Hepburn (named a Notable Book of the Year by the Times); Hello Gorgeous: Becoming Barbra Streisand (praised by USA Today for its “meticulous research and insightful analysis”); Edge of Midnight: The Life of John Schlesinger, for which he worked closely with the Oscar-winning director; and The Black Dahlia: Murder, Monsters, and Madness in Midcentury America. His book Tinseltown: Murder, Morphine and Madness at the Dawn of Hollywood won the Edgar Allan Poe Award. Mann is a professor of film and popular culture at Central Connecticut State University.

source: Amazon

Also writes children's books under the pseudonym Geoffrey Huntington.

Reviews

[Michael · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book had been sitting on my shelf for an embarrassing amount of years, until I recently boarded a bandwagon of Hollywood historical fiction. The Biograph Girl, Florence Lawrence, was the first REAL movie star to have an impact on moving pictures. She had dozens of one reelers and was on everyone’s radar once the “flickers” began to garner attention. Unfortunately, her career was eventual reduced to uncredited bit parts, which led to her suicide in 1938. William Mann’s novel poses the question: what if she faked her death and was alive and kicking at the ripe old age of 107. Enter two brothers, one gay and one straight, who already have bad blood between them and are battling to see who can tell Florence’s story. Let’s start with the good: well researched, flawed characters, some believable dialogue. However, about 150 pages of this book could’ve been scrapped. It becomes repetitive in places, some scenes seem endless, not to mention unnecessarily long and tedious background information concerning characters who aren’t vital to the plot. Oh, and the name dropping. As a result of Florence’s newfound fame, she’s sought by everyone from Rosie, Regis and Kathy Lee, Oprah, and the list goes on. This came across as pretentious and arrogant. Simply stating her appearances on major television shows would’ve sufficed instead of pounding out several pages of banter between Florence and Rosie O’Donnell. That was where my rating dropped from four to three stars. William Mann is a decent writer. He just needs to dial it back a bit.

[John · Rating 1 out of 5]

I love Hollywood history. I don’t love bad books. I wanted this book to be good. I read every last page (perhaps not every last word). When I was doing research for my (unpublished) mystery novel I picked up William J. Mann’s Wisecracker, his autobiography of William Haines, Silent Star, Decorator and sort of Hollywood’s first Out star. Not the best written book but well researched. The Biograph Girl is a work of fiction based on the life of Hollywood’s first star, Florence Lawrence (I don’t make these names up). She’s known as the first star since prior to her film actors were not credited and were rather interchangeable but something about her called to audiences who demanded more films and to know something about her, The Biograph Girl. Mann’s novel is based on the supposition what if she hadn’t really killed herself with antpaste in 1938 and was discovered in a nursing home in her 100’s by a pair of twin brothers (one gay/one straight) one a failed filmmaker, one an aggressive journalist who wish to tell her story. But if she didn’t die in 1938, what happened, who did die? And ultimately, once you step in front of the spotlight and give yourself to an audience, who are you anymore? It could have been a great book but it couldn’t deliver on the promise.

[Elaine · Rating 4 out of 5]

The BIOGRAPH Girl is a fictionalized account of the life of "America's First Movie Star" Florence Lawrence aka "The BIOGRAPH Girl". In real life Ms. Lawrence, disillusioned and forgotten by Hollywood and the industry she helped to create, Florence committed suicide December 27, 1937 by ingesting ant paste and cough syrup. In this wonderful novel, the author rewrites history and the world finds out that the 107 year old lady residing in a Buffalo NY nursing home is none other than the actress once known as Florence Lawrence.

It seems that back in 1937 a hospital in Beverly Hills had mistaken another blonde woman who had succumbed to suicide for Flo. The former IMP girl seized the opportunity to walk away from her now miserable life and start anew.

Thanks to a curious investigative journalist, Florence true story begins to emerge and the 107 yr old is once again in the spotlight. However if Ms Lawrence is indeed alive, who is the blonde woman interred at Hollywood Memorial Park and what happened to her?

The author does a wonderful job fictionalizing one of young Hollywood's first tragedies. We meet D.W. Griffith, Linda Arvidson. Clara Bow and a host of Hollywood legends. A must read

[Dawn · Rating 1 out of 5]

I really tried to like this book - it has an interesting premise and the genre is right up my alley. However, it skips time periods way too much and the editing is horrible. I read one paragraph four times before I realized that it was a mistake. I realize that no one is perfect, but isn't this why authors have book editors? I usually don't mind skipping around in time periods but this was too much. It would go from present day to the early 1900's to the 1930's back to the late 1890's and so on. One period would be very interesting but by the time the author came back to that time to finish the story, I had forgotten or lost interest in what was going on then.

[Janet · Rating 3 out of 5]

Longer than it needed to be

But other than that it was pretty enjoyable. I liked reading about the early days of the movies, about the reporters ( who, it seems, weren’t so very different from those of today), and I particularly enjoyed the character of Flo herself. Some of the sub-plots, however, particularly the modern ones, felt quite unnecessary and made the book at least a hundred pages too long. Better editing should have tightened that up.

[Aunttammie Pogue · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was mistakenly classified as Biography at the Atlanta Peachtree library, so I thought I was getting a bio of Florence Lawrence. It's kind of a clunky read--lots of back and forth with modern characters who aren't nearly as interesting as "Flo." I kept wishing he'd just skipped the chapters about the jealous twin brothers and let Flo tell her story.

[Graceann · Rating 5 out of 5]

What if Florence Lawrence hadn't actually committed suicide in 1938? What if she had survived well into her centenarian years and could tell us what happened in a long and interesting life? I love these sorts of stories, and this one was masterfully handled. Loved every page.

[SuLaine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall, I liked this book. I liked the aspect of mixing the historical aspect with fiction and the unexpected ending. The book would have greatly benefited from better editing, smoothing out redundant information, and awkard passages.

[Anne McMullen · Rating 1 out of 5]

Can I give it ZERO stars? As a major fan of silent movies and it's stars...heck, I even visited Florence's grave a few months ago...this book is a load of hogwash! I even checked it out from the library TWICE and couldn't bring myself to finish it. It was listed as a biography at the library...instead, it was a "what if" book that had Florence living in a nursing home at age 107 and a dead girl named Molly buried in Florence's place. On top of that, there were made-up stars, attempted rape scenes, and a backstory - in present time - of twin brothers and their lives and struggles. Ugh! Sadly, I cannot get back the time I spent trying to read this crap!!! Poor Florence must be spinning in her grave!! My advice? If you love silent movies and it's stars, don't bother even attempting to read this. You will be sorely disappointed.

[Timothy Juhl · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm a fan of Mann's work, in fact, his first book "The Men from the Boys", I felt as if he'd been following me around with notepad, documenting my life.

"The Biograph Girl" is loosely inspired by the real life of Florence Lawrence, the first 'movie star'. The subject matter is a favorite of mine, old Hollywood fables, and this one misses the mark.

The writing never really connects and the story seems to wander aimlessly as Mann attempts to create Lawrence's life after faking her death by drinking ant poison. I had to slog my way through the book and I've not read another word of Mann's since.

[Judy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would like to give this book 3 1/2 stars. Once again, I read the reviews before I started the book (I have to stop doing that) so I was not expecting much, and, once again, I found more than I expected. The book was difficult to get into, but once I was there, it was a good read. I liked it. There is something creepy about creating fiction about a real person, but I enjoyed the fictional character. I also enjoyed the rivalry of the two brothers. I liked the way the chapters were set up, one in the present, the next in the past, explaining what led to the present. I would recommend this book to readers who like stories about Hollywood, especially old Hollywood.

[Sarah Sammis · Rating 1 out of 5]

I really hoped the novel would spend most of its time on Flo's life. As in, I hoped the annoying present day folks would be a framing device showing up only briefly as narrative punctuation like the grandfather does in The Princess Bride. No luck.

Nor is there any sense of a timeline for Florence's life. Things rock back and forth from before faking her death to afterwards. The things she reminisces about seem thematic. On the one had we get the experience of listening to a dotty old lady (even though she's described as whip-smart). On the other hand, there's nothing in the way of segues between scenes or between different moments in time.

[Asferdinand · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm kind of torn with this book. On the one hand, I loved the character of Flo--who doesn't love a 107 year old, chain smoking, whisky drinking, crimson-nailed tough old broad? On the other, the dialogue is painfully clunky in some places (which is true for some of his other books as well), and his portrayal of the twins' mother who is so monstrously, hideously fatty fat FAT FAAAAAAATTTT DEATHFAT that she has no option but to never leave the house or see anyone outside of her sons was (un)amazingly both ridiculous and boring.

[Russell Sanders · Rating 5 out of 5]

William J. Mann is one of the best of Hollywood historians. His award-winning non-fiction books on aspects of Hollywood are fascinating, thoroughly researched gems. So it is a bit surprising he came up with The Biograph Girl, a hybrid non-fiction/fiction novel. Unlike many novels that take a historical tale and blossom it out with fantasy, and thus it is unclear how much is true and how much invented, The Biograph Girl is firmly rooted in history, and yet Mann extends the life of the Biograph girl, the original movie star, well past her reported death, and we know from the beginning the story is a made-up one. He blends the story of a woman discovered in a home for the elderly, now 107 years old, with facts from the life of the real Florence Lawrence, eventually convincing us that Lawrence, the Biograph girl, didn’t die when her death was reported but lived many, many years after. Countering all this is a story in the “present,” which for this novel is the 1990s. Twin brothers, at odds with each other, meet Florence Bridgewood, and in their own ways, set out to prove she is the famous star. The novel alternates scenes from the present detailing the conflicts in the brothers’ lives and their dealing with Bridgewood, while Bridgewood herself fills us in on the life of Florence Lawrence. Mann admits that some of Lawrence’s life is invented, but most is true in his novel. So—I’ve never, in a review, given such a detailed synopsis. But all this needs to be known to understand the breadth and depth of this novel. It is fascinating and remarkable. It seems audacious that a celebrated historian would bend the truth in such a way. Yes, if he were inventing a life for Jean Harlow or Norma Shearer or any other star from Hollywood’s golden age, we would balk. But so little is known about Lawrence that it seems okay for Mann to celebrate her in this way. And celebrate her he does. Florence is a spunky octogenarian who is haunted by her past. We get to see the joys and sorrows she experienced. And, oddly enough, a man who has written so well about Hollywood and must hold an affection for it makes a point totally not expected: the Hollywood system can destroy people; fame is a killer of sorts. Granted, this a point he is making about his main character’s life in Hollywood and not necessarily all stars, but it can be extended to include many of the greats who worked themselves to death (many suicides) and died unhappy. But in the end, this is an uplifting story. The characters do find their redemption and are better for it. As a Hollywood buff, I found this to be a wonderful novel, so wonderful, in fact, that this was my second reading of it. I can’t imagine anyone not being entertained and satisfied by Mann’s creation.

[Shelley · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5. Florence Lawrence became the first movie star in 1910, but her career dwindled until she was given uncredited pity extra bits in MGM films and she died by suicide in 1938--all of which is 100% real life truth. So this book says, what if she faked her death and is now a 107 year old living in a nursing home? Who really did die? I really loved the premise, and it was clearly meticulously researched. I love how he worked with and around the truth, especially in 1938, because that's part of the fun of fan fiction. I did not really like the writing style at first (eventually I settled into it) or the characters or the narrator/writer's voice. But I also wanted to try and piece the story together myself, so I read the whole thing. It was way too long, so much could have been cut, but I still really enjoyed the premise, and what it said about fame in the 20th century and beyond.

[Maria · Rating 3 out of 5]

I give it 3.5 stars. It's a good trip through the 1890s-1990s, focusing on the literal stages of entertainment and the long life of an spirited, determined woman. I enjoyed learning bits of history like more about flickers. But the story sometimes loses its grip on you or gets repetitive.

Around one third in, it gets exciting and harder to pause within a chapter. After the excitement simmers, it picks up once in a while.

I liked the ending. It captured the protagonist's spirit well and left some nice images of the characters.

I've read non-fiction mostly for school. This book is historical fiction, with some fictional characters and years added to the protagonist's life, but it made me want to read more non-fiction.

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars, really. For the first half of the book, I'd have given it a 2. I found Flo's life and history very interesting, and I was annoyed every time I had to read a chapter about Ben or Richard. I didn't care about them. But they finally became a real part of the story, and by the last 50 pages, I had a hard time putting it down. I still think some of the info about the brothers, early on, dragged the story down, but other parts, such as the description of early San Francisco, were lovely.

If only Florence Lawrence could have known in 1936 that she would be remembered in 2018. I'm sure she could never have believed it.

[Donnaskins · Rating 3 out of 5]

TW: rape, sexual assault
2.5 stars, rounded up to 3: on the goodreads scale, that's halfway between "it was okay" and "liked it." There isn't much of a way to indicate that this is probably a good book, but it isn't my cup of tea. Having said that, here are some quotes I found to be worthwhile:

“Old women are the wisest creatures on earth,” Anne had told her. “Except maybe for old cats.”

History is nothing more than a series of small yesterdays.

“Hold on to life,” Flo says...“As I used to hear Johnny Weissmuller say, swinging over the Tarzan river, ‘The main thing is not to let go of the vine.’”

[Samantha Glasser · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked up this book thinking it was a biography of Florence Lawrence, the first star to have her name heralded to the public. When I learned that it was fiction, I was slightly disappointed, but by then, I was already hooked on the writing style it entailed, so I read the novel.

The Biograph Girl is based on the life of Florence Lawrence, an actress who began with the flickers, worked with legends like D W Griffth and Mary Pickford, and was washed up after her break from films. She killed herself by drinking ant paste which contains arsenic, but this story says differently. It is about a woman over a century old who is the real Florence Lawrence, who escaped her old life when a mistake was made at the hospital and named her as the victim of a suicide.

The story is told through the eyes of several characters. One is Flo herself who reminices like Forrest Gump about how she saw early films projected, how she saw McKinley assasinated at the world fair, how she visited San Fransisco before the great fire, how she passed the site of the Titanic sinking the day after the tragedy, and how she worked with D W Griffith in some of the first artistic films.

Most of the other characters aren't as life-like as Florence and sound like their foundation is rooted in Oprah's subconscious; they constantly try to interpret their lives and places in it. They seem childish despite their ages which makes one wonder what age group this book was aimed toward. The cast includes twin brothers, Ben and Richard, who are in a shallow fued that has lasted since their youth. Ben is a film maker and Richard is a reporter; both aim to document Flo's life. There is a nun who takes care of Flo named Sister Jean who isn't as rigid as one would expect a woman in a convent to be. There is Rex, Richard's lover who puts on a one man Barrymore show. There is Anita, Ben's girlfriend who is also an aspiring actress. The story is peppered with other minor characters too including Ben and Richard's mother, Ben's agent, Flo's mother, and Flo's old room mate Molly.

It is obvious that William J. Mann is enthusiastically devoted to his gay characters. Rex and Richard are lovers who live in constant fear that Rex's AIDS will flare up again. Florence Lawrence is implicaed to have lesbian tendencies toward Griffith's secret wife Linda. One of her caretakers from her youth, Ducks, is a gay man. Even Kevyn Aucoin, a famous homosexual makeup artist who recently died, is mentioned.

The story is decent; it is obvious Mann knows a range of information about old Hollywood. This makes it difficult to discern which information is made up and which is factual. However, it is the somewhat inrealistic characters that hinder the story.

[Lori · Rating 5 out of 5]

Let me get right to the point. "The Biograph Girl" was a delight to read. I loved it from the first page to the last. Of course the subject matter was right up my alley - - - classic Hollywood (the 1910s and 1920s are the bulk of the flashback story here), glamorous ladies, fashions, fashions, fashions, the movies and a mystery. How can you possibly go wrong?

Author William J. Mann, who also penned the sharp nonfiction biography Wisecracker, simply does not. He nails the character of Florence Lawrence, who was indeed the world's first movie star, and events from her actual life - - including her unusual death in 1938 from ant paste - - and manages to create a solid, entertaining and historically accurate book.

I loved the character of Florence, especially Florence as a 107 year old wisecracking and smoking lady who still has a razor sharp mind and the guts to speak it. I could easily envision her, painted fingernails, caftan and all. Mr. Mann created a wonderful character and it did give me pause to think if the real Florence Lawrence had lived, would she have been the delightfully acerbic centenarian that he penned?

The side story of brothers Richard and Ben were almost filler to me, as I adored Flo so much. They had an interesting background and it made for a good plot point but I was always happy to get back to Flo current day and Flo in the past.

I really enjoyed the "what if" nature of "The Biograph Girl" and the fascinating turn of events that Mr. Mann spun in order to allow Florence Lawrence, the movie star, to die and Flo Bridgewood to live. Since urban legend and suppositions have been spun for years about many public figures and celebrities (Garbo, Elvis, Jim Morrison, even Jimmy Hoffa) it's a unique take on the public's fascination with escaping and/or faking death.

"The Biograph Girl" isn't an official biography, although it does detail many real life events and aspects of Florence Lawrence's life, including her background, rise to fame and her marriages, as well as her topple from stardom. If nothing else, Mr. Mann's book gives a voice to the real Florence Lawrence and allows a new generation to understand why she exploded into stardom and, just as quickly, fell from Hollywood's graces.

For readers who obsess over Hollywood as much as I do, as well as readers who enjoy historical fiction (and even a good mystery thrown in), I would not hesitate to recommend "The Biograph Girl". It's the type of book that will keep you flipping the pages, guessing what will happen next and keep you up at night. A real winner.

[Richard · Rating 2 out of 5]

Did you ever wonder what would have happened if silent film star Florence Lawrence hadn't actually committed suicide in 1938, but instead lived into the 1990's?

Me neither. But William J. Mann apparently has, because he wrote this novel about that very topic. I found the flashback scenes somewhat interesting and occasionally evocative, but the scenes that took place in "the present" were frequently irritating. The characters were cliché, the dialogue was trite and the words that Mann put into the mouths of modern-day celebrities made me want to cringe. (I just wanted to cringe; I didn't actually cringe. That would have been really bad.)

Oh, and an aside to the author: A lot of people, perhaps even a majority, pronounce "aunt" as "ant". It's not an affectation only used by rubes or bumpkins. Your snobbish putdown of that pronunciation comes across as, well, snobbish.

[Lora King · Rating 5 out of 5]

Recently I've read a string of books about the early days of film. This book was wonderful. I could hardly put it down. It is based on a real person, Florence Lawrence, the first movie star. The author has taken a true story and made it come to life. A 106 yr old woman is discovered in a retirement home by a journalist and before you know it she turns out to be the Biograph Girl, the first Film super-star and the story of her life is then revealed between the journalist, his documentary making twin brother, and Florence. Loved the story, loved the twists and turns. All I can say to the reviews who pouted about thinking it was a biography, get a life, it's fiction. 5+ stars.

[Lisa G · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'd wanted to read this book for a few years, and I enjoyed it very much. It's a fictionalized telling of Florence Lawrence's story -- she was the first "movie star," even though fans did not know her name at the beginning. The concept of a star dropping out of public view and starting a whole new life is not new, but Mann does a good job with it. He intersperses real people and fictional characters and did some good research to write Florence's story.

[Kipahni · Rating 4 out of 5]

let me preface by saying i am a huge fan of sunset blvd. and this book is of the same feel. i think that is why i loved it. thev book even references the movie at one point. anyway it is a good read for those who enjoy films before talkies.

[Anne Cupero · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this book because I like old Hollywood. The book isn't particularly well-written, but the concept and idea of someone being around who once was famous is always endearing. The end of the book though, is a tad ridiculous, and definitely lowered the rating.

[Will Bellais · Rating 5 out of 5]

The "true" history of America's first movie star. He blends the past with the present with great charm and skill. My goal is to read everybook William has ever written or will write.

[Marty · Rating 5 out of 5]

I adored this book.

[Salina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book, especially the historical aspect.

[Lisa James · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting book about old Hollywood in the era of silent film, & the mystery of the death of Frances. I won't do a spoiler, because it is too fascinating to cheat like that :)

[Olga · Rating 3 out of 5]

It is a good , easy read.
I liked the way author went back and forth between past and present.