TWISTUM TOYS ADVERTISING PHOTO WITH MOTION PICTURE CHILD ACTRESS BABY MARY ANN JACKSON
Ca. 1920s original silverprint photograph, 8 x 10, advertising Twistum Toys with child actress Baby Mary Ann Jackson.
Twistum toys were patented June 29, 1920, and were popular in the 1920s and '30s. In the hopes of cashing in on the popularity of the Schoenhut Circus Animals, the Twistum Toy Factory made high quality, acrobatic toy animals at a lower cost than Schoenhut. Furnished free with all orders to dealers were 8" x 10" photos of moving picture stars posing with Twistums.
Mary Ann Jackson was an American child actress who appeared in the Our Gang short subjects series from 1928 to 1931. Mary Ann Jackson's film career began under the shadow of her actor relatives, mother Charlotte Jackson and older sister, "Peaches" Jackson. Jackson made her film debut in a 1925 Ruth Taylor short, Dangerous Curves Behind. Her first big break came in the short-subject series The Smith Family. These 20-minute Mack Sennett comedies co-starred Raymond McKee and Ruth Hiatt as a young married couple, and Mary Ann Jackson as their wide-eyed daughter Bubbles. The premise of each short had Smith experiencing some new enterprise (Smith's New Home, Smith's Candy Shop), or embarking on a family outing (Smith's Picnic, Smith's Holiday), usually with disastrous consequences. Jackson stole scene after scene as Bubbles, reacting—often directly at the camera—to the wild goings-on. Mary Ann Jackson joined the Hal Roach studio in 1928. She was featured in the Our Gang comedies, at the tail end of the silent era. Mary Ann was often the second female lead or the spunky older sister of "Wheezer" (Bobby Hutchins), Mary Ann's snappy delivery came in handy during the series's somewhat awkward transition to sound. With her bobbed hairstyle and freckles, tomboyish Mary Ann was a vast departure from the winsome miniature heroines who would populate the series before and after her tenure. Jackson left the Our Gang series in 1931, at age 8. 
Back of photograph is blank. Very fine condition.