Review by Clay Stafford
"Quiet!"
Mary Pickford never had to worry about this word. As an actress in silent film, it was her pleasure to make as much noise as she wanted, onscreen or off.
As "America's Sweetheart," she was known to the public mostly as a child actor though she was well over 30 before she finally gave up the charade. The girl with the trademark golden locks in the Saturday matinee was nothing like the fireball woman who ruled her sets as "Queen Mary." The carefully portrayed, demure public image was anything but the businesswoman who would co-found United Artists with Douglas Fairbanks, Charlie Chaplin and D.W. Griffith.
One finishes "Pickford: The Woman Who Made Hollywood" remembering as much about the supporting characters as about Pickford herself. This is a compliment. It gives Pickford's world context.
For a biographer, Whitfield is surprisingly fair. She doesn't paint a pretty picture of anybody, not even Pickford. By showing all the hidden moles, Whitfield dares us to compare Pickford's achievements and the lengths to which Pickford went to accomplish them. Simply put, Pickford was a woman who beat men at their own game. She had an iron will to be the best actress, the richest person, the most powerful film mogul, and the most widely known woman in the world.
For those interested in a psychological case study of genuine dysfunction in a family (including wacky in-laws and more), or a basic survey of early American film history, this is a dandy. But don't be fooled by its basic nature. Ye of Solid Film History Background should not shun this book's simplicity without at least a secret peek as you hide shamelessly behind the book racks. There's nuggets here for all of us, mates, almost one per page.
Pickford's life is a Cinderella story about a peasant girl who becomes a princess and then eventually just . . . disappears. From poverty, to worldwide fame, and then to almost absolute obscurity, Gladys Louise Smith was a poor little Canadian girl who grew up to become the real woman behind the name, legend and powerhouse a generation called "Mary Pickford." She requested that after her death her films be burned (they weren't), yet for almost 70 years she's remained one of the American film industry's best-kept secrets. It's about time someone broke the silence.
In all fairness, we've been quiet too long.
Clay Stafford is a writer and filmmaker.
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