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Frances Marion

Frances Marion

Writer, also actor · Died May 12, 1973, aged 84 · San Francisco, California, USA

Frances Marion (November 18, 1888 – May 12, 1973) was an American journalist, author, and screenwriter often cited as the most renowned female screenwriter of the 20th century alongside June Mathis and Anita Loos. She was the first writer to win two Academy Awards. Born Marion Benson Owens in San Francisco, California, she worked as a journalist and served overseas as a combat correspondent during World War I. On her return home, she moved to Los Angeles and was hired as a writing assistant, an actress and general assistant by "Lois Weber Productions", a film company owned and operated by pioneer female film director Lois Weber.She has a face as an actor, but she preferred a work that she isn't in the camera. She learned how to write a scenario from Weber. Marion wrote a story for a movie for her, but it burned before it was released. As "Frances Marion", she wrote many scripts for actress/filmmaker Mary Pickford, including Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm and The Poor Little Rich Girl, as well as scripts for numerous other successful films of the 1920s and 1930s.Marion went to New York for her job, and her husband decline to live with her and divorced. She became the first female to win an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay in 1930 for the film The Big House, she received the Academy Award for Best Story for The Champ in 1932, both featuring Wallace Beery, and co-wrote Min and Bill starring her friend Marie Dressler and Beery in 1930. She was credited with writing 300 scripts and over 130 produced films. She directed and occasionally appeared in some of Mary Pickford's early movies. For many years she was under contract to MGM Studios, but, independently wealthy, she left Hollywood in 1946 to devote more time to writing stage plays and novels. Frances Marion published a memoir Off With Their Heads: A Serio-Comic Tale of Hollywood in 1972. Marion died the following year of a ruptured aneurysm in Los Angeles.

Read more

Biography from TMDB.

Born
November 18, 1888
Died
May 12, 1973 (aged 84)
From
San Francisco, California, USA
Works as
Writer, also actor
Titles
38 on MovieCove · 167 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26

What are Frances Marion's films like?

Across their 37 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Morality.

Genres

Drama17 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 74th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Drama movies
Comedy9 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 67th percentile
: browse their Comedy movies
Adventure6 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 74th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Adventure movies
Crime3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 74th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Crime movies

Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Bonds
41%
Morality
19%
Survival
12%
Self
11%
Power
10%
Society
6%
Romantic love17 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds8 titles, browse their movies with this themeSurvival7 titles, browse their movies with this themeClass6 titles, browse their movies with this themeRedemption5 titles, browse their movies with this themeSelf-worth3 titles, browse their movies with this themeMarriage3 titles, browse their movies with this themeDeception4 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 37 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Serious: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their serious movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

A split, not a type: Light 13 · Serious 11 · Dark 13

Stylized: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their stylized movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

A split, not a type: Grounded 19 · Stylized 13 · Heightened 5

Charged: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their charged movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

Gentle 10 · Charged 17 · Intense 10

Shifting: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their shifting movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 10 · Shifting 21 · Whiplash 6

Straight-faced: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their straight-faced movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

Straight-faced 21 · Some laughs 14 · Funny 2

Even-paced: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their even-paced movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

A split, not a type: Slow burn 20 · Even-paced 15 · Relentless 2

Casual: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their casual movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 20 · Engaged 15 · Full focus 2

Affecting: How much it costs you emotionally; whether you need recovery time. Browse their affecting movies.
Demand · Emotional cost
easyheavy

Easy watch 14 · Affecting 14 · Heavy 9

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 36 · Open-ended 1 · Ambiguous 0

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Romantic
18
Melancholic
17
Tense
17
Joyful
8
Warm
6
Other
32

How their films linger

Bittersweet20 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful16 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good13 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun9 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking6 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteDevastating3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 2 with a twist

  • Happy15
  • Bittersweet17
  • Tragic4
  • Ambiguous1

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Frances Marion's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 14 of their 38 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (7).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Frances Marion's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

167 credits, 38 with a MovieCove page; 2 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • Dinner at Eight (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1989)

    Original Film Writer

  • The Champ(1979)

    Story

    Midcredits score: 74th percentile of all films

  • The Pirate(1948)

    Additional Writing · Writer

    Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all films

  • Miss Susie Slagle's(1946)

    Writer

    Midcredits score: 60th percentile of all films

  • Molly and Me(1945)

    Novel

    Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all films

  • Without Love(1945)

    Writer

    Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all films

  • Presenting Lily Mars(1943)

    Writer

    Midcredits score: 74th percentile of all films

  • Tish(1942)

    Writer

    Midcredits score: 44th percentile of all films

  • Green Hell(1940)

    Original Story · Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 30th percentile of all films

  • Northwest Passage(1940)

    Writer

    Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all films

  • Knight Without Armor(1937)

    Adaptation · Writer

    Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all films

  • A Night of Terror(1937)

    Adaptation · Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 62nd percentile of all films

  • Rosalie(1937)

    Writer

    Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all films

  • The Good Earth(1937)

    Writer

    Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all films

  • Camille(1936)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all films

  • Riffraff (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1936)

    Screenplay · Story

  • Poor Little Rich Girl(1936)

    Writer

    Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all films

  • Dinner at Eight(1933)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films

  • The Prizefighter and the Lady(1933)

    Story

    Midcredits score: 50th percentile of all films

  • Hold Your Man(1933)

    Writer

    Midcredits score: 74th percentile of all films

  • Secrets(1933)

    Adaptation · Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 60th percentile of all films

  • Cynara (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1932)

    Adaptation · Screenplay

  • Blondie of the Follies(1932)

    Screenplay · Story

    Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all films

  • Emma(1932)

    Story

    Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all films

  • Smilin' Through(1932)

    Writer

    Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all films

  • The Champ(1931)

    Story · Writer

    Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all films

  • The Big House (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1931)

    Writer

  • The Secret 6(1931)

    Writer

    Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all films

  • Anna Christie(1930)

    Adaptation

    Midcredits score: 81st percentile of all films

  • Min and Bill (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1930)

    Writer

  • The Big House (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1930)

    Writer

  • Good News (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1930)

    Scenario Writer · Screenplay

  • Let Us Be Gay(1930)

    Dialogue · Writer

    Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all films

  • The Big House(1930)

    Dialogue · Story · Writer

    Midcredits score: 81st percentile of all films

  • Anna Christie(1930)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 60th percentile of all films

  • The Rogue Song (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1930)

    Writer

  • Their Own Desire (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1929)

    Screenplay

  • The Awakening (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1928)

    Story

  • The Masks of the Devil (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1928)

    Writer

  • The Wind(1928)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • Kit Carson (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1928)

    Story

  • The Cossacks (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1928)

    Adaptation

  • The Sunset Legion (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1928)

    Scenario Writer · Story

  • Bringing Up Father (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1928)

    Writer

  • The Pioneer Scout (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1928)

    Writer

  • Love(1927)

    Writer

    Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all films

  • Jesse James (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1927)

    Screenplay · Story

  • Madame Pompadour (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1927)

    Writer

  • The Callahans and the Murphys (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1927)

    Writer

  • Mr. Wu(1927)

    Writer

    Midcredits score: 55th percentile of all films

  • The Red Mill(1927)

    Adaptation · Scenario Writer

    Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all films

  • Don Mike (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1927)

    Story

  • The Scarlet Letter (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1927)

    Adaptation · Screenplay

  • The Winning of Barbara Worth(1926)

    Writer

    Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all films

  • Lone Hand Saunders (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1926)

    Story

  • The Son of the Sheik(1926)

    Adaptation · Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 65th percentile of all films

  • The Two-Gun Man (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1926)

    Co-Writer

  • Hands Across the Border (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1926)

    Story

  • Paris at Midnight (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1926)

    Writer

  • Partners Again (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1926)

    Adaptation · Screenplay

  • The Tough Guy (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1926)

    Story

  • The First Year (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1926)

    Writer

  • Stella Dallas (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1925)

    Adaptation · Screenplay

  • Lazybones (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1925)

    Scenario Writer · Screenplay

  • Thank You (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1925)

    Screenplay

  • The Dark Angel (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1925)

    Writer

  • Graustark (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1925)

    Adaptation · Screenplay

  • Lightnin' (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1925)

    Adaptation · Screenplay

  • Ridin' the Wind (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1925)

    Writer

  • A Thief in Paradise (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1925)

    Adaptation · Screenplay

  • Zander the Great (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1925)

    Adaptation · Screenplay

  • His Supreme Moment (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1925)

    Adaptation · Screenplay

  • The Lady (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1925)

    Writer

  • Sundown (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1924)

    Writer

  • In Hollywood with Potash and Perlmutter (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1924)

    Writer

  • Tarnish (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1924)

    Screenplay

  • Cytherea (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1924)

    Adaptation · Screenplay

  • Secrets(1924)

    Adaptation · Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 66th percentile of all films

  • The Dramatic Life of Abraham Lincoln (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1924)

    Screenplay · Story

  • The Mask of Lopez (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1924)

    Writer

  • Through the Dark (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1924)

    Writer

  • The Song of Love (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1923)

    Director · Adaptation · Screenplay

  • Potash and Perlmutter (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1923)

    Writer

  • The French Doll (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1923)

    Scenario Writer · Writer

  • Dulcy (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1923)

    Writer

  • The Love Piker (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1923)

    Scenario Writer

  • The Eagle's Talons (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1923)

    Writer

  • Within the Law (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1923)

    Adaptation · Screenplay

  • The Nth Commandment (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1923)

    Producer · Writer

  • The Famous Mrs. Fair (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1923)

    Screenplay

  • The Voice from the Minaret (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1923)

    Adaptation · Screenplay

  • The Toll of the Sea (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1923)

    Story · Writer

  • East Is West (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1922)

    Writer

  • The Eternal Flame (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1922)

    Writer

  • Sherlock Brown (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1922)

    Writer

  • Sonny (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1922)

    Adaptation · Screenplay

  • The Primitive Lover (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1922)

    Writer

  • Back Pay (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1922)

    Writer

  • Just Around the Corner (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1921)

    Director · Writer

  • Straight Is the Way (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1921)

    Writer

  • The Love Light (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1921)

    Director · Writer

  • The Restless Sex (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1920)

    Writer

  • Go and Get It (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1920)

    Scenario Writer

  • The World and His Wife (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1920)

    Screenplay

  • Humoresque (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1920)

    Writer

  • The Flapper (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1920)

    Screenplay · Story

  • Pollyanna (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1920)

    Adaptation · Screenplay

  • The Cinema Murder (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1919)

    Scenario Writer · Screenplay

  • Anne of Green Gables (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1919)

    Writer

  • A Regular Girl (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1919)

    Writer

  • The Misleading Widow (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1919)

    Writer

  • The Dark Star (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1919)

    Writer

  • Captain Kidd, Jr. (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1919)

    Writer

  • The Temple Of Dusk (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1918)

    Writer

  • The Goat (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1918)

    Screenplay · Story

  • Johanna Enlists (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1918)

    Writer

  • He Comes Up Smiling (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1918)

    Writer

  • The City of Dim Faces (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1918)

    Screenplay

  • How Could You, Jean? (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1918)

    Screenplay

  • M'Liss(1918)

    Writer

    Midcredits score: 55th percentile of all films

  • Amarilly of Clothes-Line Alley (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1918)

    Writer

  • Stella Maris(1918)

    Writer

    Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all films

  • A Little Princess (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1917)

    Writer

  • Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1917)

    Writer

  • The Amazons (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1917)

    Writer

  • Beloved Adventuress (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1917)

    Screenplay · Story

  • The Divorce Game (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1917)

    Writer

  • The Stolen Paradise (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1917)

    Writer

  • The Crimson Dove (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1917)

    Writer

  • Darkest Russia (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1917)

    Writer

  • Forget-Me-Not (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1917)

    Writer

  • The Social Leper (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1917)

    Writer

  • The Poor Little Rich Girl (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1917)

    Scenario Writer · Writer

  • The Web of Desire (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1917)

    Writer

  • A Girl's Folly (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1917)

    Writer

  • A Square Deal (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1917)

    Writer

  • A Hungry Heart (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1917)

    Writer

  • Tillie Wakes Up (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1917)

    Writer

  • On Dangerous Ground (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1917)

    Writer

  • A Woman Alone (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1917)

    Writer

  • The Rise of Susan (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1916)

    Writer

  • All Man (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1916)

    Writer

  • Bought and Paid For (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1916)

    Writer

  • The Heart of a Hero (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1916)

    Writer

  • The Hidden Scar (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1916)

    Writer

  • The Gilded Cage (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1916)

    Writer

  • The Revolt (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1916)

    Writer

  • Friday the 13th (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1916)

    Writer

  • The Summer Girl (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1916)

    Writer

  • A Woman's Way (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1916)

    Writer

  • The Crucial Test (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1916)

    Writer

  • La vie de Bohème(1916)

    Writer

    Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • The Battle of Hearts (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1916)

    Writer

  • The Feast of Life (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1916)

    Screenplay

  • The Social Highwayman (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1916)

    Writer

  • Then I'll Come Back to You (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1916)

    Writer

  • The Yellow Passport (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1916)

    Scenario Writer

  • A Circus Romance (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1916)

    Story

  • The Foundling (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1916)

    Writer

  • Camille (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1915)

    Screenplay

  • A Daughter of the Sea (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1915)

    Story

  • A Girl of Yesterday (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1915)

    as Rosanna Danford

  • Esmeralda (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1915)

    Writer

  • Rags (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1915)

    Writer

  • A Sister's Burden (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1915)

    Writer

  • Fanchon, the Cricket (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1915)

    Writer

  • The New York Hat (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1912)

    Writer

Career shape

A full career of 158 titles from 1912 to 1989.

Biggest box office

The Champ (1979)

$30M worldwide

Highest rated

The Wind (1928)

Midcredits 97th

Most popular right now

The Pirate (1948)

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting1 of 158: 1 only acting, 0 with another roleDirecting3 of 158: 0 only directing, 3 with another roleWriting156 of 158: 152 only writing, 4 with another role · typical Midcredits score72ndProducing1 of 158: 0 only producing, 1 with another roleOther crew1 of 158: 1 only other crew, 0 with another role

158 titles, 4 with more than one role — writing and directing overlap on 3 of them.

By decade

1910s60 · 1 acting · 59 crew1920s71 · crew1930s22 · crew1940s3 · crew1970s1 · crew1980s1 · crew

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored.

How do Frances Marion's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 72nd percentile, the median of all 38; across their 37 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 69th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

69thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 37

Approval · how many liked their films

74thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 37

Reach · how many have seen their films

42ndpercentile
Typical film, the median of 37

Midcredits score across 38 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up15
  • 50th to 74th18
  • 25th to 49th5

Shape of the crowd

28 of their 38 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved3
  • Crowd Pleaser28
  • Broadly Agreed1
  • Mixed6

Most divisive · writer

Miss Susie Slagle's (1946)

64th percentile spread · 20% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · writer

The Wind (1928)

Midcredits 97th · 86% liked

Reviewers score the dialogue 55/100 and the plot and story 47/100 in their films, across 35 reviewed titles. The element that speaks to their work as a writer.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Who does Frances Marion work with?

People who share at least 2 of Frances Marion's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Irving Thalberg shares the most, 7.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Composers, cinematographers and editors

Producers