Mary Pickford

Back in 2011, the TIFF Bell LightBox had its first ever exhibit in the Canadian Film Gallery.

The inaugural presentation was a chronicle in the film career of Mary Pickford (1892 - 1929).
They screened four of her popular films: Pollyanna - 1920,  Little Lord Fauntleroy - 1921,  Rosita - 1923 and Coquette - 1929).

Who does not know the story of Mary Pickford?
She may have been "America's Sweetheart", but she was born right here in Toronto.
In 1924, she visited the house where she was born on University Avenue.

City of Toronto Archives.

In front of the Sick Kids Hospital there is a small statue of her as well as a plaque.

In 1919, with three other film stars (Charlie Chaplin, Douglas Fairbanks, and D.W. Griffith) Mary formed a production company called United Artists.
She was also a founding member of The Society of Independent Motion Picture Producers (SIMPP).

Ms. Pickford was the first star (along with husband Douglas Fairbanks) to officially place hand and footprints in the cement at Grauman's Chinese Theatre in April 1927.

She was posthumously awarded a star on Canada's Walk of Fame.

 After retiring from the silver screen, she continued to be involved in filmmaking.

In 1937, she married Charles "Buddy" Rogers, and they stayed together until her death in 1979.