Mary Pickford

Mary Pickford (April 8, 1892 – May 29, 1979) was a motion picture star and co-founder of United Artists, known as "America's Sweetheart" and "the girl with the curl." She was one of the Canadian pioneers in early Hollywood. Mary Pickford is mostly known as the first Movie Star in Hollywood.

The film industry

In 1921, the Motion Picture Relief Fund (MPRF) was incorporated with Joseph Schenck voted its first president and Mary Pickford as its vice president. In 1932, Pickford spearheaded the "Payroll Pledge Program," a payroll deduction plan for studio workers who gave one-half of one percent of their earnings to the MPRF. As a result, in 1940 the Fund was able to purchase the land and build the Motion Picture Country House and Hospital.

Related Topics:
Motion Picture Relief Fund - Joseph Schenck - Motion Picture Country House and Hospital

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Mary Pickford also became one of the film industry's most successful producers. According to her Foundation, "from early in her career, she oversaw every aspect of the making of her films, from hiring talent and crew to overseeing the script, the shooting, the editing, to the final release and promotion of each project."

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An astute business person, in 1919 she co-founded United Artists (UA) with Charlie Chaplin, D. W. Griffith, and her soon-to-be husband, Douglas Fairbanks. The goal was to ensure that film artists could have both ownership and control and over their own work. When she retired from acting in 1933, Pickford continued to produce films for United Artists, and she and Charlie Chaplin remained partners in the company for thirty-five years until her retirement in 1954.

Related Topics:
Business person - 1919 - United Artists - Charlie Chaplin - D. W. Griffith

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