A Darling of the Twenties: The Autobiography of Madge Bellamy By Madge Bellamy
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Great autobiography by a criminally overlooked actress of the silent era. The rare photos and film stills make this one worth picking up. Paperback Madge Bellamy was one of the most beautiful faces of the silent era, and she made sure to keep it that way. She refused to comply with directors' wishes for her to dirty her fingernails and she cared much more about the way she looked than her acting abilities. Unfortunately, few of her films survive today, so we have little to judge her on, which is why this book is so valuable.
With that said, this book is slightly disappointing. Instead of coherent explanations on events in her life or films that she worked on, Madge mainly gives a short recap and excuses her behavior based on the argument that she does not know why she did what she did. This excuse is often given by middle school aged children who follow the crowd, not elderly film stars. Film stars tend to be egotists who carefully plan their lives and enjoy reflecting on them. It seems she is contrary to this stereotype, but it makes one wonder why she wrote the book. She might have been intelligent- she enjoyed reading a great deal- but she certainly wasn't a mature woman, even at the end of her life. Thankfully, there are some interesting stories and plenty of excellent photographs to see. They help us piece together a career that is largely lost due to the decay of time.
Also included are letters sent to Madge. These are interesting as examples of how silent stars' careers were dealt with and we get a taste of the writing style of the time. In addition, a filmography is included and an introduction is written by film historian Kevin Brownlow. Paperback I just can't rate any type of personal writing. It feels weird. Paperback Interesting but rather depressing autobiographical account by Bellamy of her Hollywood years and messed up family and sex life. Not a lot about filmmaking or other stars. Paperback
An inside view of Hollywood during its early years, provided by one of the brightest stars of the period. A Darling of the Twenties: The Autobiography of Madge Bellamy