The Broadway Melody is a 1929 American musical film directed by Harry Beaumont.
Mary Pickford, orig. Gladys Mary Smith, (born April 9, 1893, Toronto, Ont., Can.—died May 28, 1979, Santa Monica, Calif., U.S.), Canadian-born U.S. film actress. She acted with a stock company from age 5, went on tour at 8, and was performing on Broadway by 18. She starred in D.W. Griffith’s The Lonely Villa (1909) and by 1913 was acting in movies exclusively. One of the first movie stars, she became a symbol of innocence and was known as “America’s sweetheart.” Her silent films include Tess of the Storm Country (1914), Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm (1917), Poor Little Rich Girl (1917), and Pollyanna (1920). A shrewd businesswoman, she formed United Artists Corp. (1919) with her second husband, Douglas Fairbanks, and others. She received an Academy Award for her first sound film, Coquette (1929). She retired from acting in 1933 and received a special Academy Award in 1975.
Britannica, T. Editors of Encyclopaedia (2003, October 14). Mary Pickford summary. Encyclopedia Britannica.
Warner Leroy Baxter (Columbus (Ohio), March 29, 1889 – Beverly Hills (California), May 7, 1951) was an American actor. In 1929, he won an Oscar for Best Actor.
At age nine, he moved to San Francisco. After a severe earthquake in 1906, he and his family had to sleep in a tent for two weeks. Starting in 1910, Baxter was a vaudeville performer for some time. He also frequently participated in plays.
In 1921, Baxter starred in his first film, called Sheltered Daughters. Quickly he became one of the most popular actors of the time. In the 1920s, he starred in 48 films. His most famous role was as Cizko Kid in the 1929 film In Old Arizona. This film was the first western shot entirely with sound. He won an Oscar for Best Actor for his role in that film. He later starred in such films as Broadway Bill (1934) and Kidnapped (1938).
By 1936, Baxter was Hollywood’s highest paid actor. From 1943, Baxter played almost exclusively in B movies. However, he still became known for his roles in the Crime Doctor films.
Baxter suffered from arthritis. To ease the pain, lobotomy was performed. However, he died on May 7, 1951 after contracting pneumonia, and was buried in the Forest Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery in Glendale, California.
Baxter has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6290 Hollywood Boulevard.
