Masaryk Hosts Hollywood Stars Fairbanks and Pickford in 1926

On 28 July 1926 President Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk welcomed the silent‑film super‑couple Douglas Fairbanks and Mary Pickford at his summer residence in Lány, Czechoslovakia. Contemporary reports described a large welcome on the Old Town Square and a reception at the estate where Masaryk is said to have demonstrated a stunt by leaping over the table, echoing the actors’ adventurous screen personas. The meeting was noted by writer Karel Čapek, who observed Masaryk’s fondness for American adventure movies. Later press commentary turned the anecdote into a colorful legend about the president’s informal demeanor with the Hollywood visitors.