About
Frances Marion, born Marion Benson Owens in San Francisco, was one of the most influential screenwriters of the silent and early sound eras. She entered cinema in 1914 under pioneering director Lois Weber, who gave her her stage name. Marion wrote over 130 films, collaborating closely with Mary Pickford on classics like Poor Little Rich Girl (1917). She was the first screenwriter to win two Academy Awards, for The Big House (1930) and The Champ (1931). During the 1920s and 1930s, she was Hollywood's highest-paid screenwriter, earning up to $3,000 per week at MGM. A war correspondent during World War I, she was also active in the Screen Writers' Guild and participated in the 1933 strike.
* 1888-11-18 — † 1973-05-12
Major works
- The Big House (1930)film
- The Champ (1931)film
- Dinner at Eight (1933)film
- Camille (1937)film
- Anna Christie (1930)film
Key milestones
- 1914Enters cinema under director Lois Weber, who gives her the stage name Frances Marion.
- 1930Becomes the first screenwriter to win two Academy Awards, for The Big House and The Champ.
- 1933Participates in the screenwriters' strike that leads to better wages and credit protections.
Themes
Women in cinemaLiterary adaptationSocial dramaWar and correspondenceUnionism
Sources: britannica.com · anb.org · wfpp.columbia.edu