Mary Pickford’s Kiss
In July 1926, at the height of their fame, Hollywood stars Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks visited the Soviet Union. Their arrival coincided with the death of one of the Soviet leaders, Felix Dzerzhinsky, and ironically, their hotel was located next to the Hall of Columns, where his body lay in state. The scene was phantasmagoric, as crowds flowed between the funeral and the Hollywood stars. Just a few days in the Bolshevik country left a lasting impression on Soviet cinema fans—poets wrote poems, and musicians composed songs in their honor. Director Sergei Komarov even made a comedy, “Mary Pickford’s Kiss,” starring Igor Ilyinsky and Adeline Sudeikin. However, just a few years later, the silent film era would come to an end, and the world-renowned Pickford would find herself an unneeded actress. This story serves as a reflection on life, talent, fame, time, and fate.