Introduction

Mollie of the Movies, by Kenneth McGaffey, isn't a seminal work of literature—and that’s part of the charm. First published in 1923 across eight “reels” in Photoplay Magazine, it’s a lighthearted romp through early Hollywood, told through the wide-eyed, wonderfully misinformed letters of a girl chasing stardom with nothing but a mail-order certificate and a head full of dreams.

Think of Mollie as an early Irma Peterson: naïve, earnest, completely clueless—and somehow always landing on her feet. Clara Belle plays the straight edge to Mollie's chaos, though she’s more shadow than substance. The plot isn’t important, the stakes are low, and the misunderstandings are many. But beneath the silliness, there’s something timeless: a story about perseverance, self-belief, and the accidental joy of stumbling into a good life without knowing what the hell you’re doing.

This presentation is offered in facsimile, taken directly from the original Photoplay magazines that carried the story in 1923, complete with the original illustrations as they appeared in print.

It’s not significant in the ways literature often demands, but it is—unequivocally—a lot of fun.