Book description
" Freddie Maas's revealing memoir offers a unique perspective on
the film industry and Hollywood culture in their early days and
illuminates the plight of Hollywood writers working within the studio
system. An ambitious twenty-three-year-old, Maas moved to Hollywood and
launched her own writing career by drafting a screenplay of the
bestselling novel The Plastic Age for ""It"" girl
Clara Bow. On the basis of that script, she landed a staff position at
powerhouse MGM studios. In the years to come, she worked with and
befriended numerous actors and directors, including Norma Shearer, Joan
Crawford, and Eric von Stroheim, as well as such writers and producers
as Thomas Mann and Louis B. Mayer. As a professional screenwriter,
Fredderica quickly learned that scripts and story ideas were frequently
rewritten and that screen credit was regularly given to the wrong
person. Studio executives wanted well-worn plots, but it was the
writer's job to develop the innovative situations and scintillating
dialogue that would bring to picture to life. For over twenty years,
Freddie and her friends struggled to survive in this incredibly
competitive environment. Through it all, Freddie remained a passionate,
outspoken woman in an industry run by powerful men, and her provocative,
nonconformist ways brought her success, failure, wisdom, and a wealth of
stories, opinions, and insight into a fascinating period in screen
history.
