Without Lying Down: Frances Marion and the Power of Women in Hollywood

Without Lying Down: Frances Marion and the Power of Women in Hollywood (2000)

*** 1/2 (out of 4)

Turner Classic Movies documentary about screenwriter Frances Marion who was the highest paid writer in Hollywood for nearly three-decades. She got her big break by being the exclusive writer for Mary Pickford and after that she's go onto win two Oscars as well as write for nearly every major star working during that time. Her credits include THE BIG HOUSE, THE CHAMP, DINNER AT EIGHT, ANNA Christie and the silent masterpiece THE WIND. This documentary, narrated by Uma Thurman and Kathy Bates, does a great job at painting Hollywood during the silent era and into the early talkies. It was interesting learning how mostly women were working as writers and how much freedom they had as workers compared to how women were being treated throughout the rest of the country. I wasn't too familiar with Marion's personal life but hearing about the death of her actor husband was an interesting listen as were stories of her friendship with Pickford. The most fascinating part was how she would write screenplays for people she knew who needed the work. Fans of silent films will certainly want to watch this documentary, which gets shown on TCM once or twice a year.