Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1921-current, 1922-03-02
VERDICT PASSES
ON VERAC|TY Of
MARY P|CKF0RD
Court Told Jury She or
Plaintiff Lied in Suit
for $108,O0O.

New York. March IL ederal Judge
Mack reached the conclusion that either
Mary Pckford or Mrs. Cora w VIII
kenning. who sued the cinema actress
for SlOS.U0O had deliberately lied, and
he left it to a jury 70 decide which
one was guilty.
The jury returned its decision in the
afternoon. but as Judge Mack had
gone home. the verdict was sealed and
the question Of veracity will not be
publicly settled until Thursday.
The lie, according TO the judge:
rested in the conflicting statements of
the methods Mary used back in 1916
to get Adolph Zukor to raise her sal
airy from $4,000 week to $4,000.
Says She Got Her Million
Mrs. Wilkenning whose business is
that Of locating jobs and better salaries
for people who live by amusing others,
claimed that it was she who persuaded
Zukor to fatten Mary's income. She
said the screen star came TO her and
told about hearing that Charlie Chap
lin was making a million dollars year.
and she thought her curls and her pout
were worth just as much as the
comedians derby and shuttle, or words
to that effect.
story. it was agreed that she would
sally forth and get other producers TO
bid for Marys services, which would
force Iukor to raise the ante and then
she would get 10 per cent commission
on the new contract. Thus she claimed
S1OS, 600 as her commission and extra
charges, because Mary got $4,000
a week contract running for two years.
Tells Mother to Show Her Irish
Mary. who was in the court room
with her husband, Douglas Fairbanks,
and her mother. flatly denied Mrs.
Wilkenning's story Her lawyers told
the Jury that Mary was such good
actress that producers came around to
her with tempting contracts and that 1T
was downright silly to think she would
have to run around looking for a job.
Mary's mother testified Tuesday that
Mrs. WiIkenning did not have thing
10 do with the contract. but wanted it
signed in her office because it would
lend her prestige. Wednesday Mrs.
WiIkenning's lawyer told what he
thought about Mary's mother and
Mrs. Pickford was on the verge of
tears as the session ended She had
been criticized to the jury by plain
tiff's counsel, who said her testimony,
would rebound ito her everlasting
shame
Pictures Swarm of Film Producers
Mary gave her mother kiss and
said. "Oh come on, show your Irish
sense of humor.'
Marys lawyer pictured film mag
mates swarming around with lots of
money for an actress with Miss Pick
tot
his client would not have to hire an
agent, such as Mrs. Widening, to
get her income increased.
Mrs. Wilkennings lawyer said the
scene of "city hall park crowded with
movie magnates sweating dollars from
every pore, was camouflage." With
the exception Of two or three of the big
fellows, most of the offers to. Miss
Pickford would be like asking Sarah
Rernhardt to not walk. he said. He
held that Adolf Fucker was not Civ
ing Mary the money she wanted back
in 1915 and that better contracts could
have been offered by only two other
producers then in the business. These.
he added, could have been procured
for Mary only through Mrs. Wilken-
ming. He said Mary and her mother
came to Mrs. Wilkenning and asked
her aid.
Mary and her husband were little
restless during the long arguments.
Mary Calls Doug Dear"
''This interview. between the plaintiff
and the defendant, either took place or
it didn't take place" said Judge Mack,
the jury. One or the other
has deliberately lied It cannot be
mere figment of the Imagination"
Thoc he fold the jury that if they
found Mary had been the one who slip
ped from me puth of truth, they could
CONTINUED ON Page Six.)