John Charles Smith (August 18, 1896 – January 3, 1933), known professionally as Jack Pickford, was a Canadian-American actor, film director, and producer. He was the younger brother of actresses Mary and Lottie Pickford.
After their father died, all three Pickford children began working as child actors on the stage. Mary later became a highly popular silent film actress, producer, and early Hollywood pioneer. While Jack appeared in numerous films as the "All American boy next door" and was a fairly popular performer, he was overshadowed by his sister's success. His career declined steadily due to alcohol, drugs, and chronic depression.
John Charles Smith, known as "Jack", was born in 1896 in Toronto, Ontario, to John Charles Smith, an English immigrant odd-job man of Methodist background, and Charlotte Hennessy Smith, who was Irish Catholic. His alcoholic father died in 1898, leaving the family impoverished. The children were dispersed, all living in separate households as their mother was grief-stricken and unable to support them. However, Jack soon became very ill. The news of his illness revitalized their mother, Charlotte, and the family was reunited.
Out of desperation, Charlotte allowed Jack and his two sisters Gladys and Lottie to appear onstage, beginning with Gladys, the eldest. This move proved a good source of income and by 1900, the family had relocated to New York City, and the children were acting in plays across the United States. Most notably, young Jack appeared onstage in Peg Robin and The Three of Us. Jack received his education in public schools and later attended St. Francis Military Academy, in New York.
Due to work, the family was constantly separated until 1910 when Gladys signed with Biograph Studios, led by director D. W. Griffith. By this time, Gladys Smith had been transformed into Mary Pickford. (Marie was her middle name, and Pickford was an old family name.) Following suit, the Smiths changed their stage names to "Pickford."
Soon after signing with Biograph, Mary secured jobs for all the family, including the then 14-year-old Jack. In early January 1910, when the Biograph Company headed west to Los Angeles, California, only Mary was meant to go until Jack pleaded to join the company as well. Much to Mary's protest, Charlotte threw him on the train as it left the station. When the company arrived in Hollywood, Jack acted in bit parts and as a stunt double for young actresses, earning his way and supporting Mary. They both returned to New York months later, in April 1910.
The Pickford family briefly signed to the Independent Motion Picture Company (IMP) and the company moved to Havana, Cuba. However, the family eventually left and returned to the United States, re-signing with Biograph. Jack had a leading role in the short A Dash Through the Clouds (1912), but the Pickford family conclusively left Biograph in late 1912.
In 1912, Adolph Zukor formed Famous Players in Famous Plays, later known as Famous Players–Lasky and then Paramount Pictures, one of the first American feature film companies. Mary signed with Famous Players, and included the family. Mary soon became a well-known star, and by 1919 had signed a contract for $1 million with First National Pictures. As part of her contract, Mary saw to it that her family was brought along, giving Jack Pickford a lucrative contract with the company, as well.
By the time he signed with First National, Pickford had played bit parts in 95 shorts and full-length feature films. Although Pickford was considered an excellent actor, he is largely viewed as having failed to live up to his potential.
Pickford appeared in a large number of short films prior to the mid-1910s, when his sister Mary was at the pinnacle of her fame. The two siblings feature together in A Girl of Yesterday (1915) and Poor Little Peppina (1916) under Famous Players. However, Fanchon, the Cricket (1915) was one of the only films in which all three Pickford siblings appear. It was thought lost until rediscovered in the 20th century at the British Film Institute.
Famous Players–Lasky president Adolph Zukor gave Pickford his first lead performance debut in the film Seventeen (1916), an adaptation of Booth Tarkington's novel. It was described as "screamingly funny". In 1917, he starred in one of his first major roles as Pip in the adaptation of Charles Dickens' Great Expectations. After gaining critical success from these two productions, Pickford was then cast as the lead in The Dummy (1917), adapted from the 1914 play by Harriet Ford and Harvey J. O'Higgins, which proved extremely popular. It was a critical success and Pickford's first breakthrough performance.
Later in 1917, Pickford secured the title role in Mark Twain's Tom Sawyer and the follow-up Huck and Tom (1918). Tom Sawyer (1917) was considered one of Pickford's most successful film roles, as the title character resembled Pickford's on and off-screen persona. In a letter, on the completion of the production, he wrote: "I've always been fond of Mark Twain's writings, and Tom has long been a favorite of mine—somehow we seem to have a great deal in common. He performed so many of the very stunts that I remember in my own boyhood." In the early years of his career, Pickford became known for his clever portrayal of various boy parts in American novels.
Pickford was regularly teamed onscreen with actress Louise Huff. They both appeared in Seventeen (1916), Great Expectations (1917), Freckles (1917), What Money Can't Buy (1917), The Varmint (1917), The Ghost House (1917), Jack and Jill (1917), His Majesty, Bunker Bean (1918), Mile-a-Minute Kendall (1918), and Sandy (1918) under Paramount Pictures.
In early 1918, after the United States entered World War I, Pickford voluntarily joined the U.S. Navy as an enlisted sailor and was stationed at the Third Naval District in Manhattan, New York. Despite nearly being dishonorably discharged, Pickford was granted an honorable discharge in May 1919. In August 1920, he officially became a citizen of the United States and legally changed his surname from Smith to Pickford.After the war in 1919, Pickford formed his own production company named the Jack Pickford Film Company, in partnership with First National Pictures. For a brief period, he produced and starred in his own films such as Bill Apperson's Boy (1919), Burglar by Proxy (1919), and In Wrong (1919). James Kirkwood directed Pickford during this time, in hope of boosting the actor's career.
In 1920, he signed with Goldwyn Pictures and starred in The Little Shepherd of Kingdom Come (1920), an adaptation of John Fox Jr.'s novel. Pickford became "bitterly disappointed" in the writing quality and directorial style of the film. He was determined to buy back the rights, with the intention of a future remake. A Double-Eyed Deceiver (1920), The Man Who Had Everything (1920), and Just Out of College (1920) followed and were all directed by Alfred E. Green, starring Pickford as the lead. However, Goldwyn and Pickford had creative differences and parted ways.
Pickford also dabbled in screenwriting and directing. In 1921, he co-directed Little Lord Faunteroy (1921) and Through the Back Door (1921) with Alfred E. Green, under United Artists, both films starring his sister Mary. Pickford was hired as the director in an attempt to rid him of his depression after the passing of his wife Olive Thomas a year prior. This was seen as an opportunity to give his career a new direction. In 1921, there were plans afoot for A Tailor-Made Man (1922) to be directed by Alfred E. Green and starring Pickford, under United Artists. But for reasons unknown, changes were made and Mary sold the film to Charles Ray.
By 1923, his roles had gone from several a year to one. After dedicating the last two years to directorial work, Pickford returned to acting in Garrison's Finish (1923). While Pickford's career did slow down after Thomas' death, the roles he played showed a new maturity and were some of the best of his career. These included The Hill Billy (1924), The Goose Woman (1925), Brown of Harvard (1926), and Exit Smiling (1926). In 1926, he played Brooks Bailey in The Bat (1926), directed by Roland West. Years later, West made a sound version titled The Bat Whispers (1930).