From the beginning of his movie career, actor Douglas Fairbanks was known for his physical comedies. A large majority of his 28 films he appeared in up to 1920 were fast-paced, hysterically funny feature films where the actor performed most of his many mesmerizing stunts. United Artists' June 1920 "The Mollycoddle," however, was last in a long streak of comedic movies by the actor. Besides a minor farce in 1921, Fairbanks veered his motion pictures towards the swashbuckling and adventuresome kind today's audiences know the actor for.
"The Mollycoddle," Victor Fleming's second picture he directed (his first was Fairbanks' 1919 'When Clouds Roll By') places the actor as an English-bred effete Londoner inheriting a long-lineage of Old West tumblers. The term 'mollycoddle' is a dated word for a pampered or effeminate man. Fairbanks gets caught in the middle of a diamond smuggling operation, and at the tail end of the movie his character displays physical feats of the near impossible in his attempts to stop a mass slaughter of his fellow travelers.
Fairbanks, because of the relatively close camera angles shot of him, was known to perform most of his stunts. But early on in the filming of "The Mollycoddle," he performed his signature leaping onto a horse trick. Unfortunately, the horse he was intending to ride on bolted just as the actor was jumping on him, causing injuries to both his wrists. The stuntman who had doubled for Fairbanks in his more dangerous physicalities in past movies, Richard Talmadge, did most of the actor's stunts during this production.
Just before Fairbanks embarked on filming "The Mollycoddle," the actor tied the knot late March 1920 to Mary Pickford. The actress, separated but still married to actor Owen Moore, had been carrying on a two-year affair with Fairbanks, who was personally divorced in late 1918. Prior to the eventual wedding, the actor bought an 18-acre hunting ranch overlooking Beverly Hills. He built an impressive 24-room mansion on its property. Pickford felt she needed to wait a year to finalize her divorce with Moore, but Fairbanks gave her an ultimatum to either get married soon or he was ending the relationship. Not wanting to blow what she felt was the love of her life, the actress was able to get an expedited divorce in Nevada in early March.
The two got married at their Baptist minister's house on March 28th, in a small, informal wedding. Their fans called it 'the wedding of the century,' and they were enthusiastic over 'Everybody's Hero' marrying 'America's Sweetheart.' The excitement of the 'Hollywood Royalty' coupling carried over during their New York City and European honeymoon, with crowds lining the streets in hopes of seeing the two.
Young 16-year old Archibald Leach, traveling on the RMS Olympic with his English performing troupe to the United States, was on the same ship as the famous couple returning from their London honeymoon. He had the opportunity to play shuffleboard with Fairbanks, and was so impressed by the stately actor he became a role model for the teenager. In fact, the soon-to-be famous actor, adopting the Hollywood name of Cary Grant, copied Fairbanks' habit of sporting a constant tan.
As a wedding gift to Pickford, the newly-wed actor presented her with the 24-room mansion as a wedding gift, which the actress immediately called 'Pickfair.' Los Angeles's first residential in-ground swimming pool was constructed by Fairbanks on the large estate, where the two could be seen canoeing whenever both weren't away on filming assignments.
The site became the epicenter of Hollywood parties. Life Magazine likened the scene as "a gathering place only slightly less important than the White House... and much more fun." Not only were functions attended by a who's who in the film industry, but illuminaries such as George Bernard Shaw, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Charles Lindbergh and Thomas Edison were guests at Pickfair.
When the two divorced in January 1936, Pickford continued to live in the mansion until her death in 1979. Jerry Buss, owner of the Los Angeles Lakers, purchased Pickfair several years after she had died, updating and preserving the historic home. He decided to sell it in 1988 to actress Pia Zadora and her husband. Shockingly, the couple tore down Pickfair two years later, claiming at first the place was overwhelmed by termites. But later Zadora revealed a ghost unceasingly roamed the hallways. She identified the ghost as a woman who had an affair with Fairbanks, dying there.
"I loved this home, it had a history," Zadora said in defense of razing the iconic house. "It had a very important sense about it and you can deal with termites, and you can deal with plumbing issues, but you can't deal with the supernatural." In place of Pickfair at the 1143 Summit Drive, Beverly Hills, address is a 25,000 square foot Georgian style manor. Only the entrance gate, pool house with its swimming pool, and a two-bedroom guest wing remain from the glory days of Douglas Fairbanks and Mary Pickford.
"The Mollycoddle," Victor Fleming's second picture he directed (his first was Fairbanks' 1919 'When Clouds Roll By') places the actor as an English-bred effete Londoner inheriting a long-lineage of Old West tumblers. The term 'mollycoddle' is a dated word for a pampered or effeminate man. Fairbanks gets caught in the middle of a diamond smuggling operation, and at the tail end of the movie his character displays physical feats of the near impossible in his attempts to stop a mass slaughter of his fellow travelers.
Fairbanks, because of the relatively close camera angles shot of him, was known to perform most of his stunts. But early on in the filming of "The Mollycoddle," he performed his signature leaping onto a horse trick. Unfortunately, the horse he was intending to ride on bolted just as the actor was jumping on him, causing injuries to both his wrists. The stuntman who had doubled for Fairbanks in his more dangerous physicalities in past movies, Richard Talmadge, did most of the actor's stunts during this production.
Just before Fairbanks embarked on filming "The Mollycoddle," the actor tied the knot late March 1920 to Mary Pickford. The actress, separated but still married to actor Owen Moore, had been carrying on a two-year affair with Fairbanks, who was personally divorced in late 1918. Prior to the eventual wedding, the actor bought an 18-acre hunting ranch overlooking Beverly Hills. He built an impressive 24-room mansion on its property. Pickford felt she needed to wait a year to finalize her divorce with Moore, but Fairbanks gave her an ultimatum to either get married soon or he was ending the relationship. Not wanting to blow what she felt was the love of her life, the actress was able to get an expedited divorce in Nevada in early March.
The two got married at their Baptist minister's house on March 28th, in a small, informal wedding. Their fans called it 'the wedding of the century,' and they were enthusiastic over 'Everybody's Hero' marrying 'America's Sweetheart.' The excitement of the 'Hollywood Royalty' coupling carried over during their New York City and European honeymoon, with crowds lining the streets in hopes of seeing the two.
Young 16-year old Archibald Leach, traveling on the RMS Olympic with his English performing troupe to the United States, was on the same ship as the famous couple returning from their London honeymoon. He had the opportunity to play shuffleboard with Fairbanks, and was so impressed by the stately actor he became a role model for the teenager. In fact, the soon-to-be famous actor, adopting the Hollywood name of Cary Grant, copied Fairbanks' habit of sporting a constant tan.
As a wedding gift to Pickford, the newly-wed actor presented her with the 24-room mansion as a wedding gift, which the actress immediately called 'Pickfair.' Los Angeles's first residential in-ground swimming pool was constructed by Fairbanks on the large estate, where the two could be seen canoeing whenever both weren't away on filming assignments.
The site became the epicenter of Hollywood parties. Life Magazine likened the scene as "a gathering place only slightly less important than the White House... and much more fun." Not only were functions attended by a who's who in the film industry, but illuminaries such as George Bernard Shaw, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Charles Lindbergh and Thomas Edison were guests at Pickfair.
When the two divorced in January 1936, Pickford continued to live in the mansion until her death in 1979. Jerry Buss, owner of the Los Angeles Lakers, purchased Pickfair several years after she had died, updating and preserving the historic home. He decided to sell it in 1988 to actress Pia Zadora and her husband. Shockingly, the couple tore down Pickfair two years later, claiming at first the place was overwhelmed by termites. But later Zadora revealed a ghost unceasingly roamed the hallways. She identified the ghost as a woman who had an affair with Fairbanks, dying there.
"I loved this home, it had a history," Zadora said in defense of razing the iconic house. "It had a very important sense about it and you can deal with termites, and you can deal with plumbing issues, but you can't deal with the supernatural." In place of Pickfair at the 1143 Summit Drive, Beverly Hills, address is a 25,000 square foot Georgian style manor. Only the entrance gate, pool house with its swimming pool, and a two-bedroom guest wing remain from the glory days of Douglas Fairbanks and Mary Pickford.