Mary Pickford was one of Hollywood’s original stars. She had a lot of success in the silent era, and was able to become a producer and studio owner as well. In a time frame where women struggled in the workforce, Pickford broke through those barriers and paved the way for women in the industry. She joined Charlie Chaplin, D.W. Griffith, and future husband Douglas Fairbanks to form United Artists, a major production and distribution company. It is now owned by MGM Studios.
Pickford was also one of the founding members of the Academy of Motion Pictures. In 1929 she won the Best Actress Oscar for the movie Coquette at the 2nd Academy Awards. She was also one of the first stars to add her handprints to the cement outside Grauman’s Chinese Theatre.
Known by her nickname of “America’s Sweetheart”, Mary Pickford was actually Canadian. She was born Gladys Louise Smith on April 8, 1892 in Toronto. Her house was located at 211 University Avenue. The house is long gone, and the location is now the site of The Hospital for Sick Children.
Marking the historic spot is a plaque and a bust of the famous actress. The plaque has a couple errors. It lists her birth year as 1893, and also lists her middle name as Marie. Nonetheless, it’s nice that the city marks the spot where Canada’s first star was born.
