America's Sweetheart

Mary Pickford, the undisputed first queen of the movies; the most famous woman in the world in the 1910's and 1920's. She was a pioneer in the making of silent films. Fan magazines were created because of her. The public loved them some Mary Pickford! My oh my! True that! Born in Toronto, Canada, Pickford was 7 years when she began her career in the theater, in order to support her family since her father had died earlier. By age 17, Pickford was working as an actress and a writer in New York. Determined to transition to movies from theater, in 1913 she signed a motion picture contract that would exceed her expectations. 1913 was the dawn of the feature motion picture, and she was set to become its biggest star. By 1914, she had become an international star, thanks in part to her film "Tess of the Storm Country". Stardom gave her incredible bargaining power when it came to negotiating a new contract. In 1916, Pickford was now earning $10,000 a week, collecting 50% of her films profits and running her own production company. She was a very savvy business woman, which served her well when she co-founded the United Artists Corporation, which shaped the movie industry as we know it today. Pickford is probably best remembered for her portrayal of young girls, like Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm, when she was already 25 years old. Her petite stature and youthful beauty made her ideal for these roles, and the adoring movie public did not know or care otherwise. By 1929, talking pictures had obliterated the silent films; but Pickford successfully made the conversion and won an Oscar for best actress in 1929. After 23 years of making movies, she retired in 1933, a very wealthy and wise woman. Her later years were spent on business and charitable activities. She died at 87 year of age from complications from a cerebral hemorrhage. Curious? You can see some of her films on You Tube.

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