Editing Coquette (film) (section)

==Place in Pickford's career==
Pickford had been one of the most popular stars in silent film. Her popularity had been steady since her debut in 1909. In 1916, she founded her own production company, taking control of every detail of her films. In 1919 along with [[Charlie Chaplin]], her husband [[Douglas Fairbanks]], and [[D. W. Griffith]] she founded [[United Artists]], giving her complete control over her films.

Known for little-girl type roles such as ''[[Pollyanna (1920 film)|Pollyanna]]'' (one of her highest-grossing films ever) Pickford had been trying to escape typecasting since 1923 with roles such as ''[[Rosita (1923 film)|Rosita]]''. However these films did not do as well as her child roles (though they were still successful at the box office), and Pickford had reverted to making films like [[Little Annie Rooney (1925 film)|''Little Annie Rooney'']] in 1925 and ''Sparrows'' in 1926. She tried an older role with her final silent film, ''[[My Best Girl (1927 film)|My Best Girl]]'' in 1927<ref>{{harvnb|Whitfield|1997|page=252}}</ref> and, following the death of her mother in 1928, cut off her world-famous curls.

With the arrival of talkies Pickford immediately took to the new medium, being one of the first major stars to do so. At her Pickfair Studios she installed a sound stage in 1928, and began preparing for her first talkie. She bought the rights to ''Coquette'', a play that Helen Hayes had made popular on the stage. ''Coquette'' is the story of a flirtatious southern girl who chooses to stand behind her father after he kills the man that she loves. Much like ''My Best Girl'' the role was adult, with Pickford portraying a [[flapper]] type for the first time. Sound technology was extremely touchy at the time, with footsteps or rattling jewelry ruining takes.<ref name="Whitfield, pp. 256-258">{{harvnb|Whitfield|1997|pages=256–258}}</ref> Cameras could barely move, and were hidden behind glass so as to not interfere with the sound recording. Pickford employed the best technology possible, resulting in a film that had more natural movement and acting than other early talkies.<ref name="Whitfield, pp. 256-258"/>

Despite Pickford's embrace of the new medium it seems she was as concerned as everyone else about how her voice would record, despite the fact she had a stage career before entering film. After reviewing her first sound test she reportedly remarked, "Why that sounds like a little pipsqueak voice!"<ref>{{harvnb|Whitfield|1997|page=260}}</ref> She immediately began intensive vocal lessons, hoping to accomplish a realistic Southern accent for the role.

Pickford became nervous during preparation, firing her sound man when a take wasn't ready for her review on time.<ref>{{harvnb|Whitfield|1997|page=261}}</ref> On set during an emotional scene, she notoriously fired her longtime cameraman and friend, [[Charles Rosher]], when he yelled "Cut!" in the middle of one of her lines. She didn't know at the time that a shadow had fallen across her face, as she was simply annoyed at being interrupted. Slightly embarrassed by her behavior and realizing she had been wrong, she wrote him a letter saying, "Tragedy is an ugly mask. I don't want to look like something on a candy box or a valentine."<ref name="Whitfield-262">{{harvnb|Whitfield|1997|page=262}}</ref>