Mary was a pioneer in film with her last feature film in 1933.\u00a0 She had hoped to be a pioneer on radio too as she felt radio lacked decent radio scripts.\u00a0 She initially took to the radio in late 1934\/early 1935 with the Mary Pickford Dramas which was on NBC with the Mary Pickford Stock Company.\u00a0 She took stories and plays (including Daddy Long Legs) and acted them out on radio.\u00a0 However, she did not renew her contract in 1935 because of the difficulty in finding plays adaptable both to radio and to meet her requirements.<\/p>\n Fast forward nearly a year later, Mary takes the role of hostess as she broadcasts Parties at Pickfair<\/em> via Columbia (CBS) not NBC again as it was first announced.\u00a0 This new idea of on-air radio entertainment was featured every Tuesday at 7 p.m. (PST).\u00a0 The show debuted on February 11, 1936 with her first guest being Edward Everett Horton.\u00a0 It was sponsored by the ice industry (such as Polar Ice) and produced\/directed by Marian Parsonett (along with his assistant Nat Wolff).<\/p>\n Listeners got to \u201cvisit\u201d Miss Pickford\u2019s spacious mansion atop Beverly Hills, joined by famous Hollywood personalities invited each week to Pickfair by the lovely hostess.\u00a0 Her luxurious living-room & laundry room was wired to accommodate Al Lyon\u2019s famous Cocoanut Grove Orchestra.\u00a0 Her Louis XVI furniture had to be moved into the dining room.<\/p>\n While wearing a royal blue soft wool dress with a silver buckle and her golden hair shining in the sunshine, Mary was interviewed as she finished rehearsal stating, \u201cI want everyone who listens to my program actually to be a guest at Pickfair. I want to invite the world over the air to my home.\u201d<\/p>\n The Music<\/strong><\/p>\n Al Lyon\u2019s famous Cocoanut Grove Orchestra band consisted of Don Zelaya (the philosophical pianist), The Three Rixfords (European novelty act), Gardner & Kane (Broadway Dancers) and Nick Cochrane (singer of comedy songs highlight the continental review).\u00a0 Paul Taylor\u2019s chorus was also a highlight.<\/p>\n \u201cMoonlight in Hilo\u201d was the program\u2019s theme song that introduced Parties at Pickfair<\/em>.\u00a0 Songs played during the debut of Parties at Pickfair<\/em>, included:<\/p>\n A medley of Irving Berlin tunes:<\/p>\n Mary Pickford urges the radio industry to have better scripted programming<\/strong><\/p>\n Mary felt it was important to have not just guest from cinemaland but those who have interesting stories.\u00a0 An example of a guest whose story touched Mary Pickford was Mrs. Aline Sholes.\u00a0 She came on air to discuss her rescue from a burning ship in the mid-pacific.<\/p>\n The shows also had drama, skits and themes (such as Pirate Night and a Circus theme).<\/p>\n For guests of entertainment fame, Mary felt they deserved to be paid well for coming on her show.\u00a0 However, because of this, her friendship with Louella Parsons struck a reef.\u00a0 Louella also had a radio show for William Randolph Hearst called Hollywood Hotel<\/em>.\u00a0 Louella felt it was not necessary to pay her guests and felt Mary paying $1,000 to $3,000 per guest was her way to compete against Louella for the top entertainers.\u00a0 Louella notified the motion picture studios to say that if any of their stars go on Parties at Pickfair<\/em>, she would not mention them in any of her columns.<\/p>\n Schedule of guests<\/strong><\/p>\n Mary had many guests including her niece Gwynne (who went by the name Ann Kirby on the show).\u00a0Advertised guests included:<\/u><\/p>\n February 11:\u00a0 Edward Everett Horton<\/p>\n February 18:\u00a0 Francis Lederer (advertised to play opposite of Pickford in her next picture apparently)<\/p>\n February 25:\u00a0 Ginger Rogers and Charles Butterworth<\/p>\n March 3:\u00a0 Gloria Swanson, Michael Bartlett, Hoot Gibson and Sidney Skolski<\/p>\n Next two episodes were filmed in New York City with Harry Salter\u2019s Orchestra<\/u><\/em><\/p>\n March 10:\u00a0 Freddie Bartholomew (reenacted Little Lord Fauntleroy with Pickford on this episode)<\/p>\n March 17: Gladys Swarthout (mezzo-soprano) & husband Frank Chapman (baritone)<\/p>\n Back at Pickfair<\/u><\/em><\/p>\n March 24 & March 31 (due to a disruption on the east coast airing, the one episode was repeated 2 weeks in a row):\u00a0 \u201cVienna Night\u201d theme with Helen Gahagan with husband Melvyn Douglas, George Brent<\/p>\n April 7: All-Southern theme with Joel McCrea, Johnny Mack Brown & Fuzzy Night. They did a skit showing how a Northerner makes love and then repeats with Johnny Brown to show how a Southerner would act.<\/p>\n April 21: \u00a0Adolphe Menjou with wife Verree Teasdale<\/p>\n April 28:\u00a0 Victor McLaglen and Arthur Tracy<\/p>\n May 5: Hawaiian Holiday theme with Robert Taylor and Charlie Ruggles<\/p>\n May 12:\u00a0 Jeanette MacDonald along with the United Artist Orchestra\u2019s director Al Newman, Irvin Cobb and Frank Shields (tennis star)<\/p>\n May 19: \u00a0Circus Night theme with Edward G. Robinson, Clyde Hager and George Huston<\/p>\n May 26:\u00a0 A night to honor the Texas Centennial with Fanchot Tone and Queenie Smith<\/p>\n June 2: Pirate Night with Errol Flynn, Hugh Herbert and Paul Keast (a local baritone). Includes a skit about Life on the Spanish Main<\/em><\/p>\n Change to Sundays<\/u><\/em><\/p>\n June 7:\u00a0 Gay Nineties Night with Charles Winninger and Allan Jones<\/p>\n June 14: Final episode with Errol Flynn, Una Merkel and Allan Jones<\/p>\n Parties at Pickfair<\/em> comes to an end<\/strong><\/p>\n By June of 1936, the show was struggling and failing to gain interest. They changed the day of the week it aired from Tuesday to Sunday.\u00a0 However, even with the day change, June 14 was the last episode.\u00a0 Mary had back Errol Flynn who was recently on her show along with Una Merkel and Allan Jones.\u00a0 By 1937\/1938, Mary wanted to try again with radio, this time to promote her cosmetic line.\u00a0 While she moved forward with developing the Mary Pickford Cosmetics, the radio show did not happen. To learn more about her cosmetic line, read out blog at\u00a0https:\/\/tinselandstars.com\/mary-pickford-enters-the-cosmetic-business\/<\/a><\/p>\n A clip from Parties at Pickfair<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n Hopefully more clips and complete episodes will turn up and become available. \u00a0Here is a small 7 minute clip which appears to be the beginning of an episode. \u00a0This is from the David Plotkin collection. \u00a0Enjoy!<\/p>\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/tinselandstars.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Mary-Pickford-NBC-1-231x300.jpeg\")
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