Tweet Anybody seen this Pickford Technicolor footage?

Wow! Mary looks just adorable! Though hard to imagine that she could ever be mistaken for Billie Dove. Billie was much taller, Bustier, and had Brown eyes.

Thanks for posting. Mary looks absolutely fabulous!

Why Billie Dove? Had this been mis-identified?

? Dove?

It's Pickford from Shrew

Ed, Clarence,

No, it's from 1926, Mary standing in for Billie during the production of Fairbanks THE BLACK PIRATE. She did not want Dove smooching with her hubby at any point in the picture.

Fascinating, she looks a peach and charmingly spunky. I have seen her in the 3 strip Technicolor short STAR NIGHTS AT THE COCONUT GROVE from 1934, the only other colour footage of her I have seen. In that she looks old, flustered and tired and hard to know whether it was the bright lights or alcohol affecting her or perhaps both.
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she looks more beautiful than ever. thanks for posting these!!!

Fascinating, she looks a peach and charmingly spunky. I have seen her in the 3 strip Technicolor short STAR NIGHTS AT THE COCONUT GROVE from 1934, the only other colour footage of her I have seen. In that she looks old, flustered and tired and hard to know whether it was the bright lights or alcohol affecting her or perhaps both.

She was also filmed in color for The Gaucho, though only the test footage seems to survive, not the actual shots used in the film (it was preserved at George Eastman House, shown at S.F. with The Gaucho several years ago).

You can get a better look at Mary Pickford's tryout in Technicolor on the Watch Rare Films page at the George Eastman House website -- sixth row down, second from the right, next to HOW GRANDMA LOST HER JOB. But who's the little girl at the end of the reel?

Coffee man,

OK, that is where I must have saw the footage. I knew I had seen it before someplace. Thanks.

Rodney,

Wasn't there also color test footage of Mary for Alice In Wonderland, maybe that is not the right film?. Some movie from the early 30's with a fantasy theme.

Mary looks very unrecognizable in this footage, it almosts looks like someone is trying to pretend to be her. The most noticeable thing to me was the fact that her eyes are green and her hair is brown instead of long blonde curls and looks about 25 pounds heavier in color.

This may sound strange to people but It's really hard for me to believe she was in color in real life since I've only seen her in monochrome photography. If we were to rewind back to the days where she was still alive, if I had seen her walking down the street, I could only imagine her in black and white.

This may sound strange to people but It's really hard for me to believe she was in color in real life since I've only seen her in monochrome photography. If we were to rewind back to the days where she was still alive, if I had seen her walking down the street, I could only imagine her in black and white.

I forget now where I read this, but someone who met and shook hands with President Truman in the early '50s, having seen him only in newsreels and early TV broadcasts, wrote later that the first thought that occcurred to him was: "Wow, he's in color!"

Coffee man,

OK, that is where I must have saw the footage. I knew I had seen it before someplace. Thanks.

Rodney,

Wasn't there also color test footage of Mary for Alice In Wonderland, maybe that is not the right film?. Some movie from the early 30's with a fantasy theme.

That's correct. Disney was contemplating a live action/animation combined feature version of Alice in 1934 and 3 strip test footage of her was shot. A frame enlargement of this test can be found in the book, David O'Selznick's Hollywood.

But who's the little girl at the end of the reel?

Mitzi Green

Ed, Clarence,

No, it's from 1926, Mary standing in for Billie during the production of Fairbanks THE BLACK PIRATE. She did not want Dove smooching with her hubby at any point in the picture.

Thought this was a joke! Until I read the same thing just now when I watched the test--amazing that such an old pro as Mary could be so concerned about such routine film-work. (Anyway, what did Doug have to offer that would better Howard Hughes' proposals?)

(Anyway, what did Doug have to offer that would better Howard Hughes' proposals?)

Um... is that a trick question?

Karl Malkames was the source of the original nitrate camera negative which Eastman House used to make this preservation. I believe the young girl is Pickford's niece.

Ed, Clarence,

No, it's from 1926, Mary standing in for Billie during the production of Fairbanks THE BLACK PIRATE. She did not want Dove smooching with her hubby at any point in the picture.

Thought this was a joke! Until I read the same thing just now when I watched the test--amazing that such an old pro as Mary could be so concerned about such routine film-work. (Anyway, what did Doug have to offer that would better Howard Hughes' proposals?)

Clarence,

Would you want your wife making out on camera with the best looking guy in Hollywood? In 1926 Billie was more or less considered the most beautiful woman in the movies. Anyway this is an old story that I had heard many times before in the past. I assumed it was well known. That is why I did not elaborate on the reason for the test.

As for the footage itself, remember this was not Mary trying to be Mary, but Mary trying to be Billie! In the complete clip I think she pretty much has the Dove down pat!

... She did not want Dove smooching with her hubby at any point in the picture.

Thought this was a joke! Until I read the same thing just now when I watched the test--amazing that such an old pro as Mary could be so concerned about such routine film-work.

I bet it was a joke of sorts. Yes, she did the stand-in bit but no, she wasn't really alarmed about Doug kissing an actress in a scene.

I bet they did it as a bit of an inside gag and then made sure the inside gag was leaked to anyone who would listen so the press would pick it up and buzz with it and get that little extra bit of free publicity that comes with "secrets" being revealed.

Now I can finally see it. This is some gorgeous color.

Too green. The grays on that slate board should be neutral.

This is some gorgeous color.

If you care to see more, take a moment to watch the "Paris Fashions of 1925" (or whatever it's called) at the Eastman site. Stunning. Imagination can fill in the color of sky, grass, flesh tones, architecture, etc., pretty well, but such sumptuous details as color reveals on these carriage-trade garments would be missing in B&W.

Can any lip readers out there tell us what Mary is saying to the cameraman?

Can any lip readers out there tell us what Mary is saying to the cameraman?

It sounds like she's saying to the cameraman "How about this?" but I could be totally off.

Fascinating, she looks a peach and charmingly spunky. I have seen her in the 3 strip Technicolor short STAR NIGHTS AT THE COCONUT GROVE from 1934, the only other colour footage of her I have seen. In that she looks old, flustered and tired and hard to know whether it was the bright lights or alcohol affecting her or perhaps both.
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I completely disagree with you about Mary in ...COCONUT GROVE. I think she looks terrific for her early 40's and is quite charming if perhaps a bit affected which is not uncommon for "movie stars" in these "as themselves" shorts.