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Library of Congress, UPK Present Mary Pickford Event
LEXINGTON, Ky. (Dec. 4, 2012) — Mark your calendars now for a very special event, as the University Press of Kentucky (UPK), Library of Congress, Kentucky’s Mighty Wurlitzer (KMW), and Joseph-Beth Booksellers present Mary Pickford’s 1926 classic silent film, "Sparrows," 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 6, at the Kentucky Theatre.
Ben Model, who has been playing piano and organ for silent movies at the Museum of Modern Art for the past 28 years, will play accompaniment to the film on KMW’s Conn Theatre organ, installed in the Kentucky Theatre. Christel Schmidt, editor of "Mary Pickford: Queen of the Movies," co-published by the Library of Congress and the University Press of Kentucky, will present the program and sign copies of her book. Admission to this event is $8, and advance tickets are available online at http://www.showclix.com/events/11447.
"Sparrows" is the story of Molly (played by Pickford), the eldest child at a baby farm hidden deep in an alligator-infested swamp. When a kidnapped child is brought to the farm, Mr. Grimes, the cruel master who runs the farm, decides it would be safer to dispose of the child in the swamp. When Molly learns of the plan, she must rescue them all.
In "Mary Pickford," editor Christel Schmidt has cast a distinguished ensemble of film historians to shed new light on the icon’s incredible life and legacy. It features more than 200 color and black and white illustrations, including photographs and stills from Mary Pickford’s personal collections housed at the Library of Congress and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
Schmidt explores rarely discussed areas of the star’s life and career, including her interest in the archival film movement, her role as a national icon during World War I, and her marriage to Douglas Fairbanks. In addition, Academy Award-winner Kevin Brownlow looks at Pickford’s work as a producer, and Beth Werling invites readers into Pickford’s closet to admire her many lavish costumes.
Co-published by the University Press of Kentucky and the Library of Congress, the book reveals Pickford as a gifted actress, philanthropist, and savvy industry leader who became the first female movie mogul.
Christel Schmidt is a film historian, writer, and editor. She was awarded two fellowships from the National Endowment for the Humanities for her work on Mary Pickford and is coeditor of "Silent Movies: The Birth of Film and the Triumph of Movie Culture."
UPK is the scholarly publisher for the Commonwealth of Kentucky, representing a consortium that now includes all of the state universities, five private colleges, and two historical societies. Led by Director Stephen Wrinn, its editorial program focuses on the humanities and the social sciences. Offices for the administrative, editorial, production and marketing departments of the press are found at UK, which provides financial support toward the operating expenses of the publishing operation.
MEDIA CONTACT: Whitney Hale, (859) 257-8716
or whitney.hale@uky.edu
