Mary Pickford

In same stage company as Lillian Gish and Dorothy Gish in the early 1900s.

Mary Pickford was born Gladys Marie Smith in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, to Elsie Charlotte (Hennessy) and John Charles Smith. She was of English and Irish descent. Pickford began in the theater at age seven. Then known as "Baby Gladys Smith", she toured with her family in a number of theater companies. In 1907, she adopted a family name Pickford and joined the David Belasco troupe, appearing in the long-running The Warrens of Virginia".

Stage producer David Belasco gave Mary her stage name in 1908. Her real name, Gladys Marie Smith, was not right for an actress on his stage. "Gladys" did not suit the diminutive actress, "Smith" was too common, "Marie" was too foreign. "Marie" became "Mary". "Pickford" was her mother's maiden name. Years later, a huge fan who traced her family tree found that the name "Mary Pickford" occurred several times in her mother's family going back to the 12th century.

She began in films in 1909 with the 'American Mutoscope & Biograph [us]', working with director D. W. Griffith.

In December 1910, she left the Biograph Company to work for Carl Laemmle at Independent Moving Picture Company for $175 a week.

For a short time in 1911, to earn more money, she joined the IMP Film Co. under Carl Laemmle.

She returned to Biograph in 1912, then, in 1913 joined the Famous Players Film Company under Adolph Zukor.

She then joined First National Exhibitor's Circuit in 1918.

Founder/President of Mary Pickford Company, a production company formed in 1919, and the Mary Pickford Film Corporation, formed in 1916. The former produced films only for Pickford, the latter company produced non-Pickford films.

Ernst Lubitsch came to America at Mary's invitation to direct Dorothy Vernon of Haddon Hall (1924), but when he arrived he had changed his mind and would not do it (it was eventually directed by Marshall Neilan). Instead, he and Mary made Rosita (1923) together.

First star (along with husband Douglas Fairbanks) to officially place hand and footprints in the cement at Grauman's Chinese Theatre (April 30, 1927). Hollywood legend has it that the very first star to do so, unofficially, thus inspiring the ensuing tradition, was Norma Talmadge when she accidentally walked onto the wet cement prior to the official opening of the Theatre

The romance drama Coquette (1929) was her first talkie.

Was the 2nd actress to receive an Academy Award; she won the Best Actress Oscar for Coquette (1929) at The 2nd Academy Awards on April 3, 1930.

Fil Daily-West Coast Bureau-Tuesday, May 7, 1935: Mary Pickford has signed with Henry Duffy, theatrical manager, to appear in "Coquette". She will tour in the play along the coast.

Had two adopted children with her third husband Charles 'Buddy' Rogers - a son named Ronald Charles Rogers (born 1937) and a daughter named Roxanne Rogers (born 1944 - died 2007 from osteoporosis).

Was to have made her big-screen comeback as Vinnie in Life with Father (1947), but the role eventually went to Irene Dunne because of Dunne's box-office appeal.

Turned down the role of Norma Desmond in Sunset Boulevard (1950), which went to Gloria Swanson.

When she presented producer Cecil B. DeMille with the Best Picture Oscar for Greatest Show On Earth (1952) (March 19, 1953), not only was it the first time the Academy Awards ceremonies had ever been televised, it was also her very first television appearance.

Son Ronnie has three children, daughter Jamie (born 1954), son Tommy (born 1955), and son Douglas Pickford (born 1966). Daughter Roxanne gave birth to a daughter, Katina, in the early 1960s.

She was awarded a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6280 Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood, California on February 8, 1960.

Her mansion Pickfair was sold ten months after her death for $5,362,000; later sold to Pia Zadora in January 1988 for just under $7 million.

She was posthumously awarded a Golden Palm Star on the Palm Springs Walk of Stars on November 16, 1993.

Her likeness is included as part of the "Canadians in Hollywood" stamp series released by CanadaPost in 2006. The others in the series were Fay Wray, Lorne Greene and John Candy.

Singer Katie Melua wrote a song in homage to Pickford, with her name as the title, which was featured on her 2007 album "Pictures".

The character Edna Strickland changes her name to Mary Pickford in Back to the Future: The Game - Episode 5, Outatime (2011).