MARY PICKFORD - AUTOGRAPH NOTE SIGNED 05/11/1945 - HFSID 101946

MARY PICKFORD
Her signed, handwritten note helping a fan start an "autograph career."
Autograph Note Signed: "Yours affectionately/Mary Pickford", 1 page, 4¼x5½. Hollywood, 1945 May 1. "To Sally Gordon". In full: "This is to start you on your autograph career. May it be long & distinguished." Mary Pickford (1893-1979) began working at Biograph Studios in 1909 at $40 a week. By 1912, she was making $500 weekly at Adolph Zukor's Famous Players. Her salary was doubled periodically. In 1916, Pickford signed an astounding contract with Zukor for $10,000 a week plus a $300,000 bonus plus the formation of The Mary Pickford Company (later, The Pickford Corporation), a studio devoted exclusively to the making of her films. She was also to share the profits in Zukor's studio. Pickford was the first superstar of the movies. In 1919, Pickford, Charlie Chaplin, D.W. Griffith and Douglas Fairbanks formed United Artists to distribute their films. In 1920, Pickford and Fairbanks were married. They separated in 1933, which coincided with Pickford retiring from the movies. Pickford and Fairbanks were divorced in January 1936. Later in 1936, she became First Vice President of United Artists and, in 1937, established the Mary Pickford Cosmetics Company. That same year, she married former co-star Charles "Buddy" Rogers. Stray ink marks at blank areas. Binding holes at blank left margin. Upper and lower right corners rounded. Otherwise, fine condition.