A Road Scholar Program by Leslie Goddard

Mary Pickford delighted millions of filmgoers in the earliest days of Hollywood. In a career that stretched from 1909 to 1933, she was celebrated for her long blonde curls and childlike air of innocence on screen. But as this first-person portrayal shows, her legacy encompasses much more than her acting. “America’s Sweetheart” was arguably the first modern celebrity, becoming a bigger global box office draw than any of her silent film star contemporaries. Pickford was also an astute mogul, the first woman to found and co-own a studio, negotiate contracts that earned her millions, and produce some of the best-regarded films of her era. The years 2014-2015 mark the 100th anniversaries of two significant Pickford films: Hearts Adrift (1914), which marked the first time her name appeared above the title on movie marquees, and Tess of Storm Country (1915), which sent her career skyrocketing and made her the most popular actress in America, if not the world. This portrayal explores Pickford’s remarkable career as well as her unique legacy as a major film executive and enterprising businesswoman. Learn why her biographer, Eileen Whitfield, called her simply “the woman who made Hollywood.”

This event is Free and Open to the public. For more information, please contact Bob Conklin, 309-524-2476.