Thursday, April 6, 2023

The Women Who Built Hollywood by Susan Goldman Rubin - ADVISABLE

The Women Who Built Hollywood: 12 Trailblazers in Front of and Behind the Camera
by Susan Goldman Rubin
 208 pages. NON-FICTION Calkins Creek (Astra/Boyds Mill). May 2023. $19.
 
Content: G. 

BUYING ADVISORY: MS, HS - ADVISABLE 

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE 

12 short biographies of  early Hollywood's women, includes actresses, directors, costumers, editors and more.  Mary Pickford was one of the founders of United Artists and America’s Sweetheart. Lillian Gish was the highest paid actress of her time, her career lasted for 75 years. Frances Marion was screen writer and a friend of Mary Pickford. After a studio almost scrapped a film she wrote starring Pickford, an audience preview showed that it was a hit! This is now an industry standard. Louise Beavers' performance as Delilah in “Imitation of Life” (1934) was Oscar-worthy, some say she didn’t receive the award because there was no “best Supporting Actress" category yet; other maintain it was because she was Black. Hattie McDaniel was the first African American to win an Academy Award (1939). 

When I was in Jr. High, I would have absolutely eaten this up. The biographies are short, but long enough to give great information about the women and include some fun stories about them as well. Each story builds from the next - referencing some of the same people and films. I hope today’s readers will be as delighted as I am. The main characters are white, Black and Asian. 

Lisa Librarian

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