Mary Pickford: Queen of the Movies

288 Pages·2012·45.5 MB·English

by  Christel Schmidt

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FILM Schmidt $45.00
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Christel Schmidtis a film historian, writer, and editor. RR MARY PICKFORD
She was awarded two fellowships from the National
YY queen of the movies
Endowment for the Humanities for her work on Mary
Pickford and is coeditor of Silent Movies: The Birth of
PP MMAARRYY
Film and the Triumph of Movie Culture.
II Edited by Christel Schmidt
The Library of Congress endeavors to gather a CC
record of human knowledge and to provide the broad-
est possible access to that information. Founded in 1800 KK PPIICCKKFFOORRDD I
n the early daysof cinema, when actors were unbilled
for the use of members of the United States Congress, FF and unmentioned in credits, audiences immediately
it has been open to the public since the 1870s. The
OO noticed Mary Pickford. Moviegoers everywhere were
Library holds the world’s largest collection of Mary
riveted by her magnetic talent and appeal as she rose to
Pickford films, including Pickford’s personal film col-
RR become the first great movie star.
QUEEN OF
lection, which she donated in 1946.
Creatively involved in more than two hundred films
DD
during her career as an actress, writer, and producer,
Mary Pickford delighted audiences through the 1910s,
THE MOVIES
An anthology of outstanding writing, past and present, ’20s, and ’30s. Mary Pickford: Queen of the Moviesbrings
about one of the most important figures in film history, Q together an eminent group of film historians to shed
addressing previously neglected aspects of her career and new light on many aspects of the star’s life and legacy.
adding to our overall knowledge. I think it will be an impor- U From Pickford’s costumes, signature curls, and early
Edited by
tant book, both for contemporary readers and for posterity. stage career, to her marriage to fellow actor Douglas
E
Fairbanks, philanthropic projects, and later work as a
J. B. Kaufman, author of South of the Border with Disney:
E Christel Schmidt producer, Mary Pickford reveals a gifted actress and a
Walt Disney and the Good Neighbor Program, 1941–1948
savvy industry leader.
N
First appearing on the stage at age seven to help
alleviate her family’s poverty, Pickford grew up respect-
Front cover: Mary Pickford, circa 1915 (Academy of Motion
O ing the value of money. In 1909, director D. W. Gri≈th
Picture Arts and Sciences, Mary Pickford Collection).
o∑ered her the standard salary for a Biograph actor,
Back cover: Pickford standing with her back to the camera in F fifteen dollars a week, but she pressed for twenty-five
a 1920 promotional photograph (Academy of Motion Picture
and received it. She was later dubbed “America’s Sweet-
Arts and Sciences, Mary Pickford Collection). T
heart” and traveled the country during World War I,
Jacket design by Robert L.Wiser giving patriotic speeches and selling millions of dollars
H
worth of war bonds. Her potential as a leader and a
E businesswoman surfaced as the silent era gave way to
talking pictures, and Pickford fought for creative control

M of her films by becoming her own producer. The results
were twofold: her e∑orts to bring quality to motion
pictures helped give movies a respectable image, and she
O
also blazed a trail for actors who wanted to shape their
V own careers.
Pickford’s success left an indelible mark on early
I cinema, paving the way for future women in film and
E ushering in Hollywood’s golden age. Featuring more
than two hundred photos, posters, and stills from the
S
collections of the Library of Congress and the Academy
The University Press of Kentucky
of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, Mary Pickford
663 South Limestone Street
paints a fascinating portrait of a true icon.
Lexington, Kentucky 40508-4008
www.kentuckypress.com
Y
Y
ISBN 978-0-8131-3647-9
ÀxHSKILDy136479zv&:%:&:+:+
printed in china UNIVERSITY PRESS OF KENTUCKY
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MMAARRYY PPIICCKKFFOORRDD
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MMAARRYY PPIICCKKFFOORRDD
QUEEN OF THE MOVIES
Edited by Christel Schmidt
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Library of congress UNIVERSITY PRESS OF KENTUCKY
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Copyright © 2012 by The Library of Congress ^This book is printed on acid-free paper meeting
the requirements of the American National Standard
The University Press of Kentucky for Permanence in Paper for Printed Library Materials.
Scholarly publisher for the Commonwealth,
Printed in China.
serving Bellarmine University, Berea College, Centre
¥
College of Kentucky, Eastern Kentucky University,
The Filson Historical Society, Georgetown College,
Kentucky Historical Society, Kentucky State University, Member of the Association of American University Presses
Morehead State University, Murray State University,
Northern Kentucky University, Transylvania University, Composed in Kennerley Old Style (originally created
University of Kentucky, University of Louisville, byFrederic Goudy for Mitchell Kennerley’s 1911 edition
and Western Kentucky University. ofTheOpen Doorby H. G. Wells and digitized in 2001
byBerthold LLC).
All rights reserved.
Designed by Robert L. Wiser, Silver Spring, Maryland.
Editorial and Sales O≈ces: The University Press of Kentucky
663 South Limestone Street, Lexington, Kentucky 40508-4008 Frontispiece: Photo by Hartsook, circa 1919.
www.kentuckypress.com
16 15 14 13 12 5 4 3 2 1
Libraryof Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Mary Pickford: queen of the movies / edited by Christel
Schmidt.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
isbn978-0-8131-3647-9 (hardcover: alk. paper) — isbn978-0-
8131-3667-7 (pdf) — isbn978-0-8131-4055-1 (epub) 1.Pickford,
Mary, 1892–1979. 2.Motion picture actors and actresses—
United States—Biography. 3.Motion picture producers and
directors—United States—Biography. I.Schmidt, Christel.
pn2287.p5m38 2012
791.4302'8092—dc23
[B]
2012019015
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Pickford with her niece Gwynne on the set of To Robert Cushman (1946–2009) for his passionate commitment to
Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm (1917). Mary Pickford throughout his thirty-seven-year career at the Academy of
Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. His love for the actress began when he
was a teenager and lasted a lifetime. Robert’s curatorial accomplishments
on her behalf live on through the institution’s Mary Pickford Collection.
To Gwynne Pickford Ornstein (1916–1984), who had a deep love for her
aunt Mary and an endless interest in her career.
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Editor’s Preface
Christel Schmidt
ix
INTRODUCTION
Molly Haskell
1
THE NATURAL
Transitions in Mary Pickford’s Acting from
the Footlights to Her Greatest Role in Film
Eileen Whitfield
7
Childhood Revisited
An Evaluation of Mary Pickford’s
Youngest Characters
CONTENTS
Eileen Whitfield
23
MARY PICKFORD
Passionate Producer
Kevin Brownlow
33
FATHER OF THE FAMILY
Mary Pickford’s Journey from
Breadwinner to Businesswoman
Christel Schmidt
47
Pickford and Fairbanks
A Modern Marriage
Christel Schmidt
64
“LITTLE MARY”
Formidable Philanthropist
Alison Trope
73
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AMERICA’S SWEETHEART The Mary Pickford Film Collection
at the Library of Congress
Edward Wagenknecht
Christel Schmidt
89
224
Memorabilia: 1910s
The Mary Pickford Photograph Collection
100
at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’
Margaret Herrick Library
DRESSING THE PART
Mary Pickford’s Use of Costume Robert Cushman
226
Beth Werling
109
The Mary Pickford Costume and Ephemera Collection
at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County
Memorabilia: 1920s
Beth Werling
136
228
AMERICAN IDOL
Mary Pickford Chronology
Mary Pickford, World War I,
and the Making of a National Icon Christel Schmidt
230
Christel Schmidt
145
Filmography
Christel Schmidt
Laws of Attraction
Mary Pickford, Movies, and the Evolution of Fame 241
Eileen Whitfield
163
CROWN OF GLORY
The Rise and Fall of the Mary Pickford Curls Acknowlegments
251
Christel Schmidt
169
Notes
252
BLOOD AND SYMPATHY
Race and the Films of Mary Pickford
Bibliography
Elizabeth Binggeli
262
187
List of Contributors
THE FILMS OF MARY PICKFORD
265
James Card
205 Photo Credits and Permissions
266
Mary Pickford and the Archival Film Movement
Christel Schmidt Index
218 270
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I
t has been 100 years since Mary Pickford was first dubbed the
Queen of the Movies. At the time, the phrase simply noted her
popularity in the huge field of actors who appeared in short films
shown at nickelodeons. Though it was a gratifying compliment, the
title had inherently ignoble associations. After all, most people consid-
ered the movies to be a low form of entertainment. Pickford winced at
the label, but it was remarkably prophetic of her future triumphs.
As the movies expanded to feature length, Pickford’s skyrock-
eting fame created box-o≈ce gold; meanwhile, her widely heralded
acting prowess advanced the medium’s quest for respectability. In
1915 Pickford formed her own corporation and began hardball nego-
tiations with her studio, Famous Players. This led to a landmark film
contract the following year, in which Pickford received her own
production unit, a strong creative voice in the making of her movies,
and a salary rivaled only by that of Charlie Chaplin. Just two years
later, she left Famous Players for First National in a deal that gave her
complete creative control and more money. Then, with the ink barely
dry on her contract, she became involved in plans to form a new
company, United Artists, which she cofounded with Chaplin, actor
Douglas Fairbanks, and director D. W. Gri≈th in 1919.
Throughout the 1910s, the fervor of Pickford’s massive fan base
EDITOR’S
never wavered. In fact, the craze amplified, especially when the Queen
of the Movies—a title that now defined her position as both an
industry leader and a superstar—married Fairbanks. As Hollywood’s
PREFACE
most popular leading man, Fairbanks was a king in his own right, and
he shared Pickford’s passion for filmmaking. The pair became the first
celebrity supercouple; their movies spread American culture and
values around the world and made them the nation’s uno≈cial ambas-
Christel Schmidt
sadors. During their international travels, they were coveted guests of
royalty, presidents, and prime ministers. At home, they ruled Holly-
wood from Pickfair, their Beverly Hills mansion, which became a
social center for the cultural elite.
By the mid-1920s, newer and younger stars were challenging Pick-
ford’s box-o≈ce supremacy. Several, including Clara Bow, Colleen
Moore, and Gloria Swanson, temporarily won the mantle of movie
queen, but Pickford remained an enduring favorite. Then suddenly the
industry underwent a radical change: silent film was out and the
talkies were in. Within a few years, most of the era’s great stars had
toppled from their lofty positions, and Pickford’s acting career and
marriage floundered. During the Depression, she sought refuge in
new ventures—forming a cosmetics company, performing on radio,
and writing books. These projects met with varying success, but none
captured her soul as the movies had. And though she continued to
work with United Artists and occasionally produced films for other
people, nothing matched the thrill of creating her own. A decade of
professional disappointment was matched by profound personal
losses; her mother, Charlotte, died in 1928, followed by her younger
siblings, Jack and Lottie, in 1933 and 1936, respectively. Fairbanks died
in 1939. These painful events exacerbated a growing struggle with
alcohol that plagued her until the end of her life.
Photo by Hartsook, circa 1918.
ix