Mary Pickford

Mary Pickford

1892-04-07 – 1979-05-29 (age 87) Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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Biography

Gladys Marie Smith (April 8, 1894 – May 29, 1979), known professionally as Mary Pickford, was a Canadian actress resident in the U.S., and also producer, screenwriter and film studio founder, who was a pioneer in the US film industry with a Hollywood career that spanned five decades.

Pickford alongside her future husband, actor-producer Douglas Fairbanks, founded Pickford–Fairbanks Studios and United Artists, and was one of the 36 founders of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Pickford is considered to be one of the most recognisable women in history. Known as "America's Sweetheart" during the silent film era, she is named on the list of the AFI's 100 Years...100 Stars as the 24th-top female star from the Classical Hollywood Cinema era and the "girl with the curls."

Pickford was one of the Canadian pioneers in early Hollywood and a significant figure in the development of film acting. She was one of the earliest stars to be billed under her own name, and was one of the most popular actresses of the 1910s and 1920s, earning the nickname "Queen of the Movies." She is credited with having defined the ingénue type in cinema.

She was awarded the second Academy Award for Best Actress for her first sound film role in Coquette (1929). By the late 1920s, Pickford's career went into decline. She received an Academy Honorary Award in 1976 in consideration of her contributions to American cinema.

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Known For

The Black Pirate
The Black Pirate

1926

as Princess Isobel in Final Embrace - Cameo Appearance (uncredited)

Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ
Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ

1925

as Chariot Race Spectator (uncredited)

Cavalcade of the Academy Awards
Cavalcade of the Academy Awards

1940

as Self (archive footage)

The Renunciation
The Renunciation

1909

as Kittie Ryan

Why Be Good?: Sexuality & Censorship in Early Cinema
Why Be Good?: Sexuality & Censorship in Early Cinema

2007

as Self (voice) (archive footage)

Hollywood
Hollywood

1923

as Mary Pickford

Mondo Hollywood
Hooray for Hollywood
Hooray for Hollywood

1976

as Self (archive footage)

Sparrows
Sparrows

1926

as Molly

Secrets
Secrets

1933

as Mary Marlowe / Mary Carlton

Kiki
Kiki

1931

as Kiki

100% American
100% American

1918

as Mayme

Hearts Adrift
Hearts Adrift

1914

as Nina

The Gaucho
The Gaucho

1927

as The Virgin Mary

The Mirror
The Mirror

1911

as Dorothy

The Casting Couch
The Legend of Rudolph Valentino
The Legend of Rudolph Valentino

1961

as Self (archive footage)

The Better Way
The Better Way

1911

as Lillian Garvey - a Salvation Army Lass

Astrid
Astrid

2014

as Self (archive footage)

Fascination: Unauthorized Story of Marilyn Monroe