Film
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Jack Pickford
Born John Carl Smith on
Aug. 18, 1895
in Toronto, Canada
Died
Jan. 3, 1933
of multiple neuritis in Paris, France
Jack Pickford was an actor and sometime producer and director who was the youngest member of the famous Pickford family. Born John Carl Smith in Toronto on Aug. 18, 1895, Pickford moved to the U.S. in 1904 and became an American citizen in 1920. After older sister Gladys Smith changed her name to Mary Pickford, the rest of the family — mother Charlotte, sister Lottie and Jack — followed suit, changing their last names to match hers. The family acted in touring theatrical companies before Mary Pickford hit it big. Her stardom undoubtedly greased the wheels for the film careers of Jack and Lottie. Young Jack played several famous youngsters, including Pip in "Great Expectations" (1917) and Tom Sawyer in "Tom Sawyer" (1917) and "Huck and Tom" (1918). Later, he dabbled in producing and directing films. He is named as a co-director on several of Mary's films. Despite his successes, Pickford was known as much for his drama-filled personal life as for his films. While serving in the Navy during World War I, there were rumors of his involvement in a scheme to help wealthy Americans avoid military service, and he was discharged, although not dishonorably. Some speculated that Mary had intervened to prevent him from receiving a dishonorable discharge, although no proof of that ever surfaced. Pickford also earned a reputation as a playboy, and he married three former Ziegfeld girls during his short lifetime. The first, Olive Thomas, died while the couple was vacationing in Paris after ingesting what newspaper reports of the day described as poison. Later reports suggested it was actually medicine prescribed to Pickford. She died in a Paris hospital and the death was ruled accidental. Pickford later married another actress, Marilyn Miller, but the relationship ended in divorce. He married a third time to actress Mary Mulhern. He died in Paris, after reportedly traveling there for health reasons at the advice of his doctors, on Jan. 3, 1933, at age 36. His cause of death, his doctor said at the time, was "multiple neuritis which finally affected the brain center." Many have since speculated that his death was hastened by syphilis and alcoholism, although both conditions, if he was indeed afflicted with them, were kept out of the media at the time.
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Two thoughts about Jack Pickford
Oh please yes make the great Jack Pickford a priority. I say this not just as a huge fan but as a filmmaker who has been enchanted with the marvelous talent and tragic life of Jack, brother of Mary Pickford. There is tremendous misinformation out there about Jack Pickford so please let me know how I may be of service to provide more information on him. His sister Mary always said he was a better actor than she. I think what is most marvelous about his acting, and she even said so at the time, he was a complete natural actor. He had natural talent and was a very new kind to the silent period. He was an original Hollywood bad boy, and his antics and scandals often overshadow his talent and contributions. I vote yes -- bigger page!
Allison Anders
Additionally, Jack Pickford was a worldwide star, he worked with all of the finest directors in early Hollywood including DW Griffith, Allan Dwan, William Desmond Taylor, Clarence Brown, and starred with his sister Mary Pickford in many films, and he directed her in a few films also. He was a leading man who starred opposite Norma Shearer, Alla Nazimova, Olive Borden, Constance Talmadge, Beatrice Lillie, and with such legends as Lousie Dresser and Williams Haines.
His love affairs were legendary but his true love Olive Thomas, his first wife, died tragically on their second honeymoon in Paris, when she accidentally drank mercury. Jack never got over her death. He lived on 13 years more, only to tragically die himself, admitted, bizazrely, to the very same American Hospital Neuilly-sur-Seine, Paris where he died alone in 1933.
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