Commencement 2007 Remarks

Doe Mayer, Mary Pickford Endowed Chair

Each year, the school and the Mary Pickford Foundation pay tribute with the Pickford Award to a person who attended USC whose achievements are so extraordinary that they bring special distinction to the USC School of Cinematic Arts and to our industry.

Mary Pickford, known as “America’s Sweetheart,” was born in Canada. Her appeal was international and she was a silver screen legend, gracious, beautiful and charming. She was a beloved movie star who appeared in over 200 silent films. By the way, she was also an astute businesswoman who demanded—and received—complete artistic control over her work, as well as a salary on par with those of the most popular male film actors of her time.

Moreover, she was an important force in an industry-wide movement to give actors and directors greater control over the artistic content of their work. In 1919, after taking a turn at directing, Mary Pickford formed United Artists Corporation with D. W. Griffith, Charlie Chaplin and Douglas Fairbanks, Sr.

As the 13th Pickford recipient, Ray Harryhausen joins a roster of highly talented men and women, including William Fraker, Conrad L. Hall, Alan Ladd, Jr., Michelle Manning, Walter Murch, Jay Roach, Gary Rydstrom, Stacey Sher, John Singleton, David L. Wolper, Robert Zemeckis, and Laura Ziskin.

Ray studied cinematography and art direction here in the 1930s, and went on to a career that endured over 40 years.

From the sword-wielding skeletons in Jason and the Argonauts to the snake-haired Medusa in Clash of the Titans, his artistry is legendary. 

But instead of merely telling you about his work, why don’t we take a quick glimpse of the highlights from his phenomenal portfolio.

Harryhausen montage.

Simply amazing. Ray’s stop-motion work was often shot at no more than 13 frames per day, or about a half-second of elapsed film time. With sequences taking as long as two months to complete, it’s no wonder the Academy celebrated him with the Gordon E. Sawyer lifetime achievement award in 1992.

Ray, who lives in London, was unable to be with us in-person today, but offers his thoughts via video.  

[Harryhausen video remarks]

Ray Harryhausen. Truly a remarkable artist and individual.