Mary Pickford — Blue Book of the Screen (1923) 🇺🇸

Little Mary Pickford began her career as an actress in the Valentine stock company, in the city of Toronto, Canada, where she was born in 1893.

Her first appearance on the speaking stage was made when she was a child of five years of age. She played the role of a boy, Little Ted. At the age of eight, “America’s sweetheart” went on the road with The Little Red School House, and at the age of nine was starred in The Fatal Wedding, in the part of Jessie, the little mother.

Between the ages of nine and thirteen, this remarkable child actress played in many melodramas. When but eleven she was playing with Chauncey Olcott in Edmund Burke.

To Miss Pickford belongs the honor of originating the part of Betty Warren in The Warrens of Virginia, a David Belasco production which was this star’s first play on Broadway.

She first worked in pictures under D. W. Griffith at Biograph, her first lead being in “The Violin Maker of Cremona.” She remained eighteen months, her salary going from $40 to $100 a week. After taking a flyer with the Imp company, she returned to Biograph at $150.

She became vice-president of the Mary Pickford-Famous Players company in 1915, her salary going from $1,000 a week to $2,000 and 50 per cent of the profits. Her salary was doubled a year later.

Next her contract called for a drawing account of $10,000 a week and 50 per cent of the earnings, her choice of stories, directors and cast.

The following year she became a member of the famous quartet known as the United Artists Corporation, composed of herself, Charles Chaplin, Douglas Fairbanks [Douglas Fairbanks Sr.] and D. W. Griffith.

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(Top) Mary and “Doug” can look over Los Angeles and Hollywood from the veranda of their home in Beverly. Mr. and Mrs. “Doug” Fairbanks vacation on their own estate. A sandy beach and lake afford sun baths, swimming and canoeing.

Portrait by Campbell Studio • Los Angeles

Collection: The Blue Book of the Screen (1923)