I have only seen Gretchen Mol in two other films (Girl 6, Donnie Brasco), and don't really remember her, but she did a great job as a naive girl who posed for pictures because it made people happy.
She really didn't think what she was doing was wrong, even when she left the business and found her religion again.
The photos she made were certainly tame by today's standards, and it is funny seeing men with cameras get all excited, and politicians pontificating on the evils of pornography. David Strathairn (Good Night, and Good Luck) played a super part here.
Mary Harron (American Psycho) wrote and directed an outstanding biopic of the most famous pinup girl ever.