By Cecilia Nasmith
With Marie Dressler's birthplace located right at 212 King St. W., the beloved actress's birthday on Nov. 9 has always been a red-letter day in Cobourg.
Now that the little Ontario cottage is home to the Canadian Women In Film Museum – honouring Dressler as well as her Canadian-born Oscar-winning contemporaries Norma Shearer and Mary Pickford – the red-letter days have multiplied.
The next one is Friday April 8, the birth date of Mary Pickford.
On that day, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., the welcome mat is out for you to see the newly unveiled exhibit honouring this extraordinary actress – who, along with Dressler and Shearer, was among the first four women to win the Best Actress Oscar from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
Born April 8, 1892, in Toronto, Gladys Louise Smith was acting in theatres by the age of seven. At the age of 15, she changed her name to Mary Pickford and was soon a silent-movie star. Known as the Girl with the Golden Curls, she would appear in more than 200 films during her career. She would also be a behind-the-scenes player as one of the key figures who founded the United Artists Corporation in 1919.
And this year she actually has a birthday gift for you – when you visit the museum on April 8, you will receive a ticket good for one free admission to any of the films that will make up the 2022 Vintage Film Festival planned for Oct. 21 to 23 at Port Hope's Capitol Theatre.
Take advantage of this opportunity to learn more about this trail-blazing film star and her achievements on her 130th birthday celebration Friday.
