Leni Riefenstahl : America's Sweetheart and the Nazi's Greatest Filmmaker

When one thinks of the term “America’s Sweetheart” many film actresses come to mind, such as Meg Ryan and Julia Roberts. The fact is that the title was first given to Mary Pickford, one of the first actresses to make film her medium of choice. Pickford is often written about with the “AS” title but unfortunately, because of that simple, confining title, her film career has been over-looked. Mary Pickford was a true original who not only had a unique acting style but also was one of the earliest, if not the most powerful, woman in film history. 

George Cukor has credited Mary Pickford as being the first method actress of screen acting . Mary herself once said, “I didn’t act- I was the characters I played on the screen. During a picture, I didn’t leave the character at the studio, I took it home with me. I lived my parts,” describing her acting style. Mary herself said that she could not disconnect with her characters when she started playing, which may have carried over into her public life. The reason why she is considered the first American sweetheart was due to her portrayal of children, noble, good-hearted, and spirited young women. 

The first film of Mary’s that cemented her as a star was Tess of the Storm Country released March 30, 1914 where she played a “poor, uneducated girl, dirty and dressed in rags…[who] proves her inherent goodness.” One of Mary’s other successful films was titled Poor Little Rich Girl released in 1917 where she again played a little girl, this time named Gwendolyn. As a result of the huge success of PLRG and Mary’s earlier roles the audience at that time wanted more of the same little girl persona.