Essays

Mary Pickford

Schmidt, Christel

Mary Pickford was born Gladys Smith in 1892 in Toronto, Canada. After her father was killed in an accident, Gladys became the family’s main breadwinner by performing in the theatre. She was seven years old. In fact, the stage became a family venture, as her younger siblings Lottie and Jack and even her mother took up the trade. But the drive and determination to be a star belonged solely to Gladys. In 1907, her ambition would take her to Broadway and famed producer-director David Belasco, who changed her name to Mary Pickford and gave her a part in “The Warrens of Virginia.”

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Academic Units
Film
Libraries
Series
Women Film Pioneers Project
Published Here
October 15, 2019