Mary Pickford

Historic Film Buffs: You’ve Got a Big Surprise Coming

Mark Your Calendar
Mary Pickford
America’s Sweetheart, Mary Pickford

7 p.m. / October 11 / Alumni Recital Hall / Redfern Arts Center / Tickets: $5
(free for students with KSC ID)
Plus: Something we guarantee you’ve never seen before!

Mary Pickford, known as “America’s Sweetheart,” was among Hollywood’s first superstars. A remarkably talented screenwriter, producer, and actor, she won the hearts of moviegoers across the continent and co-founded United Artists (with D. W. Griffith, Douglas Fairbanks, and Charlie Chaplin) and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. For her monumental contributions to the art of film, the ‪American Film Institute‬ listed her among the 25 greatest female screen legends.

Leading Pickford scholar Christel Schmidt, editor of Mary Pickford: Queen of the Movies (co-published by the Library of Congress and the University Press of Kentucky) will be at the Alumni Recital Hall in the Redfern Arts Center at 7 p.m. on October 11 to present a program of Pickford’s silent films, which will include Sparrows, The Dream, and a third film that you’ll hear more about soon. Schmidt will also sign copies of her book after the show.

A scene from Sparrows
A scene from Sparrows

Sparrows, (United Artists, 1926, 90 mins) Mary Pickford’s penultimate silent film, is a Dickensian tale of orphans living on a baby farm run by an evil caretaker. The movie boasts highly stylized sets, including an ominous-looking alligator swamp, and atmospheric cinematography that illustrates the growing influence of German expressionist cinema on American filmmakers in the 1920s. As one of the actress’s darker-themed pictures, Sparrows is considered by many to be her best, including her business partner and on screen rival Charlie Chaplin. The feature is preceded by the film’s trailer and outtakes. (35mm restorations by the Library of Congress)

The second is The Dream (IMP, 1911, 10 mins), a short domestic drama starring Mary Pickford and her then-real-life husband Owen Moore. This film is preserved at the Library of Congress and is a rare survivor from Pickford’s IMP period.

We’re holding the third film as a surprise—one that we guarantee will delight Pickford fans everywhere! Don’t miss this rare opportunity. Like we said, you’ll see something you’ve never seen before!