Mary Pickford

birth name: Gladys Smith

born: Toronto, Canada

Mary Pickford, also known as "Little Mary" was early Hollywood's biggest female star, and the first female actor to receive more than a million dollars a year. The first male actor who made a million dollar deal was CharlieChaplin.

prior to 1909: studied theatre actress in New York

1909: discovered by DwGriffith at Biograph, worked for $5 a week

1910: I.M.P., $175 a week

1911: Majestic Film Corp.

1912: back to Biograph

1913: Belasco as theatre actress

1913: Famous Players, $20,000 a year

1915: worked for various companies, $1000 to $2000 a week

1916: founded The Mary Pickford Corporation as a part of Paramount, she gets about $10,000 a week. She became the first actress who was the producer of her own films

1918: First National. She gets $675,000 for three films plus 50% of all profits, plus a signing bonus of $50,000 and complete control over her films, ranging from script to the final cut.

1919: Founded United Artists together with CharlieChaplin , DwGriffith and her husband DouglasFairbanks