Mary Pickford
Gladys Louise Smith (April 8, 1892 – 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. She was a pioneer in the American film industry, with a Hollywood career that spanned five decades.
This article is about the actress. For other uses, see Mary Pickford (disambiguation).
Mary Pickford
May 29, 1979 (aged 87)
British subject (1892–1978)
Canada (1978–1979)[2]
- Actress
- producer
- screenwriter
- businesswoman
1900–1955
Republican
2
Charlotte Hennessey and John Charles Smith
- Lottie Pickford (sister)
- Jack Pickford (brother)
Alongside her future husband, actor-producer Douglas Fairbanks, Pickford founded Pickford–Fairbanks Studios and United Artists, and was one of the 36 founders of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.[3] At one time, Pickford was considered to be one of the most recognizable women in history.[4]
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[5][6][7] and the "girl with the curls".[7]
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,[8] 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.[9]
She was awarded the second Academy Award for Best Actress for her first sound film role in Coquette (1929). She received an Academy Honorary Award in 1976 in consideration of her contributions to American cinema.