See that breathtaking picture?
At one point that was going to be our new living room.
That’s a shot inside Pickfair, the mansion once owned by the founding father and mother of Hollywood.
The gold framed picture is a signed photo of forgotten silent film star Mary Pickford. It’s in my private collection.
The smiling picture is also of Mary Pickford, taken in 1929.
This other picture is of a rare old Chinese made cigar humidor once owned by Mary. I won it in the recent Pickford estate auction. It arrived today.
Why do I sometimes collect Mary Pickford items?
At one point I thought I was going to write a book about Mary and her lost business secrets, much as I’ve done for circus showman P.T. Barnum in There’s a Customer Born Every Minute and BBDO ad genius Bruce Barton in The Seven Lost Secrets of Success.
I may yet do it, too.
Mary Pickford was America’s Sweetheart, capturing the imagination of the public as “Little Mary,” the teenager with spunk, in countless silent films in the early 1900s. She was charming, big eyed and perky.
She married famous swashbuckler Douglas Fairbanks, and with slapstick king Charlie Chaplin and director D.W. Griffith, they formed United Artists. It was the first movie production company run by people who acted and directed. Mary and her team were the founders of Hollywood.
Pickford and Fairbanks were a world famous couple and the closest thing to royalty that era had ever seen.
Their famous estate in Beverly Hills, called Pickfair, went on the market a few years ago and I almost bought it.
Today, Pickfair stands as a majestic Venetian mansion with high ceilings, ballroom size living room, formal dinning room, master bedroom suite and three family bedroom suites, sweeping balconies, indoor spa and Jacuzzi with dome glass ceiling, massage room, hair salon, gym, disco, state-of-the-art 35mm theater, guest quarters featuring a three bedroom apartment, security guard offices and subterranean parking for additional 15 vehicles.
The original swimming pool remains as the showpiece of this 2.7 acres site that overlooks the magnificent views of Beverly Hills, the Pacific Ocean, Santa Monica Mountains, and the skylines of Century City and Los Angeles.
Just walking room to room in Mary’s old castle would be a workout.
I’ll settle for her humidor today.
But someone really needs to write about her as a strong business woman.
Mary died sad, lonely, alcoholic and virtually forgotten.
Yet her business genius helped create an empire. We can learn from that. And her.
Too many greats like Mary Pickford fall through the cracks of history, and we miss out on their insights and secrets to business success.
“You may have a fresh start any moment you choose, for this thing that we call ‘failure’ is not the falling down, but the staying down.” – Mary Pickford (1892 – 1979)
Ao Akua,
Joe
www.mrfire.com
PS — You can learn about her at www.marypickford.com/ Thank you.
{ 11 comments… read them below or add one }
That would be a very interesting read, I hope you pursue it.
What’s interesting about Mary’s success is her sad death. It points out just how vitally important gratitude is. One could say, “Yeah sure, she made all that money and started her own company but yet she died pathetically, so don’t think that’s gonna make you happy!” which may be true, but it doesn’t negate her accomplishments.
How can we all be successes in our own lives in all aspects? How do we greet success and sustain it and our lives with satisfaction? Do our setbacks need to be our undoing? Many of our historic heroes left the world this way. How do we learn from that? These are all things that occurred to me as I read your post.
Hi Joe,
I hadn’t heard of Mary until now.
It would be good to read her business secrets; so I encourage you to write the book.
If you present the book in a biographical format with pictures etc, it will capture a much wider audience.
Cheers
-Craig Chirinda
I would love to read such a book about Mary Pickford!
I read a biography about her many years ago, too long ago to remember the details, but I maintain an appreciation for her and her work.
Dr. Vitale, I think you could add even more value to such a book (which I do hope you write, as I’ve learned so much from your work, and am a huge fan of that era in the cinema) if perhaps you also explored the Master Mind group she formed with Douglas Fairbanks and Charlie Chaplin.
It’s the Master Mind principle in practice!
Thank you for your time.
This is a great story be sure to hit the Digg Button —- so more people will see this post as well.
Dear Joe
The first time I’d ever heard of Mary Pickford was when I was about sixteen and there was a programme about her on t.v.
That was about 5 years before she died.
But after seeing that programme I was hocked and really amazed by what she achieved as a woman in the time she lived in.
Great to hear that you nearly bought her house, pity you didn’t
I am glad to hear that there is yet something else we have in common, I to feel she seems to have been forgotten some how which is said.
Hope you get around to writing that book about her.
Have fun
Love
Chris
Dear Joe,
Your fascination with Mary Pickford and all that surrounded her is refreshing. It’s nice to see someone acting as caretaker to treasures of yesteryear. That being said, will you settle a rumor or dispute for me? Is the house, PickFair, the original home? Stories abound that Pia Zadora and her husband tore most of it down and the only original parts are the main entrance gate and the swimming pool. What is the real thing here? I have also heard that it was just restored to it’s original condition with few additions. Please, clear up the “murky waters” regarding PickFair if you will please. Thank you and I look forward to seeing more of your collection and reading your book. Sincerest appreciation and regards, Paola
Hi! did you happen to see the documentary made I think in the 80’s before mary’s death? She was about 80 ro so and I think, Peter Jennings interviewed her and she gave a tour of Pickfair or they showed pics inside it. She apeared very senile, wore a cute little wig and was dressed elegantly. That is all I remember but I would sure like to know if anyone saw it. I went to Pickfair (not inside) in the late 80’s when Dr.____owned it and spoke to the chinese houseboy on the two way speaker as we drove up the driveway. we shouldnt have been there but the gate was open and so we just drove up. Of course, we did not go further. he only told us no one was home but this was thrill for me as I have been a fan about 50 years. Would love to hear from anyone. Elaine edrennan06@msn.com
It’s always interesting hearing thoughts about the old ‘KING AND QUEEN’ of Hollywood.
My wife and I were lucky enough to visit Pickfair in 1976 and spent a wonderful day with Buddy Rogers and Mary’s friend and PA, the Rev Valerie SoRelle. Mary was in bed all day and at that time had few visitors, although Lillian Gish made an effort to see her often. I did not know that the house was still standing, as I had been told the the property had been bought by an Arab gentleman for a new building to be built on the site…. Why was it not purchased for the Mary Pickford museum that she herself had asked for ? I remember the interior of the house was a sheer delight with its theme rooms and incredible artifacts and historical antiques – A really remarkable woman who lived in the most beautiful of places……. A question I asked Mary Pickford through Valerie, who became a long time friend, was “Have you anything to say about the early days of film” ? Her reply was very suprising, she said “The films should have been made in colour and progressed to black and white, then there would have been true art in their making” WOW !.
Cheers everyone – Spike
Hi, Joe. When I was 14, I wrote to Mary Pickford and Valerie Sorelle, who you mention, kindly responded. We developed a correspondance and I was invited to spend time at Pickfair. I stayed with Valerie in Beverly Hills (who was one of the kindest people I’ve ever met). I met all the staff at Pickfair who were wonderful (except Esther Helm, who ended up getting fired). Contrary to some reports, Pickfair was beautiful — and well maintained, and Mary wasn’t drunk — but rather busy with appointments in her room all day — visitors seemed to come-and-go — manicurist, May Mann (with cats), lawyers, Jane Withers, etc. I’ve still got a piece of Mary’s hair that I was given as a souvenir. Thank you for the article, that I stumbled upon by accident. Dave in Brtiish Columbia.