Lillian Gish in a scene from the movie "The Birth of a Nation".
Gallery of Lillian Gish
1915
Lillian Gish in a scene from the movie "The Birth of a Nation".
Gallery of Lillian Gish
1920
Lillian Gish stars as a poor girl amongst the snobbish wealthy in the sentimental film 'Way Down East', directed and produced by D. W. Griffith.
Gallery of Lillian Gish
1920
Lillian Gish in a scene from the movie "Way Down East".
Gallery of Lillian Gish
1920
Lillian Gish, Richard Barthelmess, Kate Bruce, D. W. Griffith, Mrs. David Landau, Burr McIntosh, Lowell Sherman in a scene from the movie "Way Down East".
Gallery of Lillian Gish
1921
Lillian and Dorothy Gish in identical costumes and seated under an umbrella for the film Orphans of the Storm.
Gallery of Lillian Gish
1921
New York City, New York, United States
Lillian Gish and Dorothy Gish pose for a publicity still for the D. W. Griffith Productions/United Artists film 'Orphans of the Storm' in 1921 in New York City, New York.
Gallery of Lillian Gish
1921
New York City, New York, United States
Lillian Gish and Dorothy Gish pose for a publicity still for the D. W. Griffith Productions/United Artists film 'Orphans of the Storm' in 1921 in New York City, New York.
Gallery of Lillian Gish
1923
Lillian Gish as she appears in 'The White Sister', directed by Henry King.
Gallery of Lillian Gish
1926
Lillian Gish in a scene from the movie "The Scarlet Letter".
Gallery of Lillian Gish
1927
Lillian Gish and Fred Niblo on the set of 'The Enemy'.
Gallery of Lillian Gish
1934
Lillian Gish, on the ground amid leaves and dry grass, looking up with a frightened expression on her face, as 'The Harlot,' in Within the Gates, a play by Irish playwright Sean O'Casey.
Gallery of Lillian Gish
1946
Lillian Gish and Veronica Lake in a scene from the movie "Miss Susie Slagle's".
Gallery of Lillian Gish
1956
New York City, New York, United States
Lillian Gish, as Mary Todd Lincoln, holds hands with Canadian actor Raymond Massey, as President Abraham Lincoln, as they watch a play from the balcony while American actor Jack Lemmon, as John Wilkes Booth, aims a gun at Massey in an episode of the dramatic anthology series 'Ford Star Jubilee' called 'The Day Lincoln Was Shot,' New York City, New York, February 11, 1956.
Gallery of Lillian Gish
1958
New York City, New York, United States
Lillian Gish rehearsing for a play in the East Village, New York City.
Gallery of Lillian Gish
1969
Fred Gwynne, Lillian Gish, David Wayne and Helen Hayes in 'Arsenic and Old Lace.'
Gallery of Lillian Gish
1978
John Cromwell as Bishop Martin listens to Lillian Gish in a scene for the 20th Century Fox movie "A Wedding".
Gallery of Lillian Gish
Director King Vidor and producer Irving Thalberg stand by as a cameraman films actress Lillian Gish.
Achievements
Membership
Awards
George Eastman Award
1955
George Eastman Award
Special Academy Award
1971
135 N Grand Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90012, United States
Lillian Gish pictured holding her honorary Oscar statuette award as she attends the 43rd Academy Awards at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in Los Angeles on 15th April 1971.
Lillian Gish, Richard Barthelmess, Kate Bruce, D. W. Griffith, Mrs. David Landau, Burr McIntosh, Lowell Sherman in a scene from the movie "Way Down East".
Lillian Gish and Dorothy Gish pose for a publicity still for the D. W. Griffith Productions/United Artists film 'Orphans of the Storm' in 1921 in New York City, New York.
Lillian Gish and Dorothy Gish pose for a publicity still for the D. W. Griffith Productions/United Artists film 'Orphans of the Storm' in 1921 in New York City, New York.
Lillian Gish, on the ground amid leaves and dry grass, looking up with a frightened expression on her face, as 'The Harlot,' in Within the Gates, a play by Irish playwright Sean O'Casey.
Lillian Gish, as Mary Todd Lincoln, holds hands with Canadian actor Raymond Massey, as President Abraham Lincoln, as they watch a play from the balcony while American actor Jack Lemmon, as John Wilkes Booth, aims a gun at Massey in an episode of the dramatic anthology series 'Ford Star Jubilee' called 'The Day Lincoln Was Shot,' New York City, New York, February 11, 1956.
135 N Grand Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90012, United States
Lillian Gish pictured holding her honorary Oscar statuette award as she attends the 43rd Academy Awards at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in Los Angeles on 15th April 1971.
Lillian Gish looks at old photographs of herself with Kate Revill, who plays her in a new musical, 'The Biograph Girl', at the Phoenix Theatre in London, 19th November 1980.
(This colorful, moving memoir is more than the story of on...)
This colorful, moving memoir is more than the story of one of the greatest stars of all time; here, for the first time, Lillian Gish takes the readers through the history of the moving picture industry itself. Beginning with her life as a child actress at the turn of the century, Miss Gish portrays her long years as a silent film star, her first experience in sound films, her successful return to the theater after years in movies, and her later television appearances.
(The Stoneman family finds its friendship with the Cameron...)
The Stoneman family finds its friendship with the Camerons affected by the Civil War, both fighting in opposite armies. The development of the war in their lives plays through to Lincoln's assassination and the birth of the Ku Klux Klan.
(Susie, a plain young country girl, secretly loves a neigh...)
Susie, a plain young country girl, secretly loves a neighbor boy, William. She believes in him and sacrifices much of her own happiness to promote his own ambitions, all without his knowledge.
(The heartbreaking story of a waterfront waif (Lillian Gis...)
The heartbreaking story of a waterfront waif (Lillian Gish) from the Limehouse district of London who escapes the abuse of her father (Donald Crisp) through a doomed relationship with a Chinese immigrant (Richard Barthelmess).
(A naive country girl is tricked into a sham marriage by a...)
A naive country girl is tricked into a sham marriage by a wealthy womanizer, then must rebuild her life despite the taint of having borne a child out of wedlock.
(In Renaissance Florence, Tito, a no-good young man preten...)
In Renaissance Florence, Tito, a no-good young man pretending to be a scholar, wins the admiration of a blind man who has long looked for someone to finish his scholarly work.
(Dynamic performances by Paul Muni and Anna Lee highlight ...)
Dynamic performances by Paul Muni and Anna Lee highlight this action drama set in WWII Norway. Muni is a Norwegian fisherman who has taken on the extremely dangerous job of helping British commandos attack occupying Nazis.
(Robert Mitchum stars in an unforgettable role as a psycho...)
Robert Mitchum stars in an unforgettable role as a psychopathic preacher in relentless pursuit of two children who have their dead father's stolen fortune hidden in a doll. Shelley Winters co-stars.
(At a private psychiatric clinic, the daily dramas and int...)
At a private psychiatric clinic, the daily dramas and interactions between the doctors, nurses, administrators, benefactors and patients are accentuated by the personal and family crises of these individuals.
(David Janssen is Tom Valens, an L.A.P.D sergeant who fata...)
David Janssen is Tom Valens, an L.A.P.D sergeant who fatally shoots what he perceives to be an armed suspect... but the man's purported "weapon" is nowhere to be found. Charged with manslaughter and suspended from the force, Sgt. Valens ignores public outcry and sets out to gather the puzzle's pieces, produce the "missing" gun... and clear his name.
(The daughter of a Louisville truck driver marries the sci...)
The daughter of a Louisville truck driver marries the scion of a very wealthy family, but the reception at the family estate is boycotted by the invited guests.
(Bette Davis and Lillian Gish play two elderly sisters who...)
Bette Davis and Lillian Gish play two elderly sisters who live together in a Maine summer home, where they are periodically visited by their crusty old handyman, their lively neighbor, and a charming Russian gentleman. Gish, however, is finding it difficult to care for her blind and increasingly senile sister.
Lillian Gish was an American actress who was a major figure in the early motion picture industry, particularly in director D. W. Griffith's silent film classics. She is regarded as one of silent cinema's finest actresses.
Background
Lillian Diana Gish was born on October 14, 1893, in Springfield, Ohio, United States. She was the eldest of two daughters born to James Lee Gish and his wife, Mary Robinson McConnell. Gish's father was a candy salesman, who had previously worked in the grocery business. Her mother was an actress.
Education
When Lillian and Dorothy, her sister, were toddlers, their family moved to Baltimore, Maryland. Then their father deserted them and moved to New York City. The family moved to East St. Louis, Illinois, where they lived for several years with Lillian's aunt and uncle, Henry and Rose McConnell. When Lillian and Dorothy's mother opened the Majestic Candy Kitchen, the girls helped sell popcorn and candy to patrons of the old Majestic Theater. The girls also attended St. Henry's School, where they acted in school plays.
When the theater next to the candy store burned down, Gish's mother relocated to New York City. To support her daughters, Mary Gish worked at a candy stand in a department store and as a boarding house manager. Continuing poverty drove her to appear on stage in the theater. She did so under the name Mae Bernard because she was ashamed of the acting profession. At the time, actors were regarded with disdain by society.
The boarding house that Mary Gish managed was frequented by theater people. Mary and her daughters shared a room with a young actress named Gladys Smith and her mother, with whom they became close friends. Through boarding house connections, Gish was put to work on stage as well in order to help support her family. She made her acting debut in a touring production of In Convict's Stripes, in 1901 or 1902, when she was younger than ten years old. Gish, billed as "Baby Lillian," was put in the care of an actress-friend of her mother's who also appeared in the play. This role led to others. In 1902, she appeared in The Little Red Schoolhouse. Gish received no training as an actress.
Gish's burgeoning acting career meant that she often was separated from her mother and sister, and in the care of others. Occasionally, the family could find work in the same production. In 1903-1904, for example, she toured with her mother and younger sister Dorothy in Her First False Step. Sometimes, however, Gish was taken by Elbridge Gery's Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children, until she was retrieved by her mother. Gish's education suffered. By the time she was 11 years old, she had only attended school for five months. However, she did manage to teach herself to read, and Gish's love of books lasted a lifetime.
In 1976, Bowling Green State University awarded Gish the honorary degree of Doctor of Performing Arts.
Approximately at the age of five, Gish debuted in a vaudeville melodrama called "In Convict's Stripes."
In 1912, Gish and her sister visited New York City's Biograph Studios to see their old friend, Gladys Smith. Smith had become something of a star under the name Mary Pickford. Smith introduced her friends to director D. W. Griffith, who immediately gave them an unusual screen test. Without warning, he shot at them with a prop gun and then chased them around the room. Their reaction to the situation impressed Griffith enough to hire them at a salary of $5 per week. Gish and her sister made their screen debut that same year in his An Unseen Enemy. For the next nine years and 40 films, Griffith and Gish worked to legitimize film as an art form.
Gish primarily appeared in melodramas, often playing characters with innocence at their core. Griffith liked working with Gish because, though she had the look of an angel, there were complex feelings below the surface as well. To gain a better understanding of people, Griffith directed Gish to attend prizefights and visit insane asylums. To encourage emotional and physical responses in her acting, Gish also took lessons in voice, dancing, and fencing. Thus, when she appeared before the camera, Gish became a master at improvising meaningful small gestures. For example, in 1912's Muskateers of Pig Alley, she cradled her cheek with her hand. Gish also handled many of her own stunts.
Many of Gish's early films with Griffith were two-reel shorts. She usually appeared as a victimized character. For example in 1913's The Mothering Heart, Gish played a 30-year-old woman whose baby had died. As Griffith's narratives grew longer and more intricate, Gish's acting ability bloomed.
Gish made her best known and most artistically relevant films with Griffith after 1915. The Birth of a Nation (1915) was considered the first film of modern cinema. In Intolerance (1916), Gish played a small but key role as Mother Ages, who rocked the cradle of humanity. Gish's definitive turn as an angel-like waif came in 1919 when she played Lucy in Broken Blossoms. In the movie, Lucy's affectionate relationship with an Asian shopkeeper infuriates her Cockney father so much that he beats her to death. One of Gish's most memorable scenes as an actress was the death scene, as she twisted fitfully to avoid her father's blows. Another unforgettable Gish scene was found in Way Down West (1920). Gish floated down an icy river as she collapsed, with her hand and hair trailing in the frigid water. To get this shot, Gish laid for hours over a three-week period in the cold water in Long Island Sound. The stunt left her with permanent nerve damage in two of her fingers.
In 1920, Gish took on a new challenge when she directed her first and only film, Remodeling Her Husband. The movie starred her sister Dorothy, who had become a successful comedic actress in her own right. The sisters had written the script together. Gish also edited the film, a skill that she learned from Griffith. She also learned how to set up lighting and choose costumes. Griffith and Gish had a collaborative working relationship. He allowed his star to direct screen tests for him. Gish even oversaw the construction of his new studio. Her loyalty to Griffith was far-reaching: she followed him from Biograph to Mutual to what later became Paramount. However, Griffith and Gish made their final film together in 1921, Orphans of the Storm.
Gish had a bad experience with her next two movies, made for Inspiration Pictures. In her unusual contract, she received 15% of the profits, perhaps because she was one of the company's financial backers. After appearing in The White Sister (1923) and Romola (1924), Gish had questions about the finances for the first film. Her inquires led Charles Duell, president of Inspiration Pictures, to claim that she had promised to be his bride. Gish sued and won, her reputation remaining intact. Free of Inspiration, Gish signed a six-picture contract with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer worth about $800,000 to $1 million in 1925.
Gish's deal with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) was unprecedented for a female star of the time. She had the power to choose projects, directors, and co-stars. Two of Gish's films were literary adaptations. She played Mimi in a 1926 version of La Boheme, with director King Vidor. Gish was so dedicated to the role that she fasted for three days in order to play Mimi's death scene. Also in 1926, Gish played Hester Prynne in The Scarlet Letter. The film was not a financial success because its production costs were high. The only other film of significance that Gish made at MGM was The Wind (1928), her final silent film performance.
MGM's reaction to The Wind was similar to its attitude towards Gish by 1928. Studio head Louis B. Mayer thought Gish's appeal was out of date. He wanted her to be involved in a scandal appropriate for the era of the flapper. When she refused, Mayer threatened to blacklist her and dropped her from MGM's payroll. Gish made two more films for other companies at the beginning of the sound era, One Romantic Night (1930) and His Double Life (1933), before returning to the stage.
Gish had appeared on stage intermittently while doing films with Griffith. Throughout the 1930s, she focused on her theatrical career and some radio appearances. Much of her work was critically acclaimed. She appeared in a Broadway production of Uncle Vanya in 1930, and of Camille in 1932. In 1936, she played Ophelia in Hamlet. In addition to national tours of certain plays, Gish appeared in the long-running comedy Life with Father on Broadway in 1939 and in Chicago for a 66 week run in 1941-1942. Gish also made inroads into the literary circles of the day. She became friends with playwright Tennessee Williams, who wrote the role of Blanche DuBois for her in his play A Streetcar Named Desire. Gish was forced to turn down the role because she had to care for her ailing mother.
In the 1940s and 1950s, Gish did more film work, often playing supporting, character-type roles. In 1947, for example, she appeared in David O. Selznik's grandiose Duel in the Sun. In 1955, she appeared in The Night of the Hunter as a shotgun-carrying guardian of orphans. With the growth of commercial television in the late 1940s and 1950s, Gish found roles in the new medium, especially guest spots on episodic shows. She made her television debut in a 1948 episode of Philco Playhouse, "The Late Christopher Bean." Gish returned to Broadway in 1960 when she was cast in All the Way Home.
Despite her successful career, Gish never forgot her roots. In 1969, she began lecturing on college campuses about the beginnings of the American film industry and her work with Griffith entitled "Lillian Gish and the Movies: The Art of Film, 1900-28." Gish also became an advocate for film preservation, perhaps because her own directorial effort had been lost.
Gish continued to work until the late 1980s. In 1978, she appeared in Robert Altman's The Wedding, playing the family's matriarch who dies during a postnuptial reception. In 1986, she appeared as a crazy mother in Alan Alda's Sweet Liberty.
(David Janssen is Tom Valens, an L.A.P.D sergeant who fata...)
1967
Religion
Gish was a devout Episcopalian.
Politics
Gish was a strong supporter of Ronald Reagan.
During the period of political turmoil in the United States that lasted from the outbreak of World War II in Europe until the attack on Pearl Harbor, Lillian maintained an outspoken non-interventionist stance. She was an active member of an anti-intervention organization - the America First Committee.
Views
Gish was an advocate for the appreciation and preservation of silent film.
Quotations:
"A happy life is one spent in learning, earning, and yearning."
"What you get is a living, what you give is a life."
"You can get through life with bad manners, but it's easier with good manners."
"Never get caught acting."
"Young man, if God had wanted you to see me that way, he would have put your eyes in your bellybutton."
"The older I get, the more I believe in what I can't explain or understand, even more than the things that are explainable and understandable."
"The stage was our school, our home, our life."
"As long as you are curious, you will never be bored."
"You know, when I first went into the movies Lionel Barrymore played my grandfather. Later he played my father and finally he played my husband. If he had lived I'm sure I would have played his mother. That's the way it is in Hollywood. The men get younger and the women get older."
"I've never been in style, so I can't go out of style."
"I never approved of talkies. Silent movies were well on their way to developing an entirely new art form. It was not just pantomime, but something wonderfully expressive."
"Love is a hard rock between two people and can't be torn apart."
"Hollywood has turned into an emotional Detroit."
"I like people to come back and tell me what I did wrong. That's the kindest thing you can do."
"Fans always write asking why I didn't smile more in films. I smiled in 'Annie Laurie,' but I can't recall that it helped much."
"It had been drilled into us that when an audience pays to see a performance, it is entitled to the best performance you can give. Nothing in your personal life must interfere, neither fatigue, illness, nor anxiety - not even joy."
Personality
Both frail and tough, innocent and powerful, charming and serious, actress Lillian Gish has defied both categorization and convention. In her younger years Gish portrayed pale, waiflike heroines who used emotional strength, hard work, and persistence to protect their chastity - and spirit - from destruction at the hands of lustful men.
Physical Characteristics:
Lillian Gish was a survivor of the 1918 flu pandemic. She contracted the illness during the filming of Broken Blossoms.
Lillian died of heart failure.
Quotes from others about the person
D. W. Griffith: "Lillian Gish is not only the best actress in her profession, but has the best mind of any woman I have ever met."
Dorothy Gish: "I never cease to wonder at my luck in having for my sister the woman who, more than any other woman in America, possesses all the qualities of true greatness."
Interests
target shooting with rifles
Politicians
Ronald Reagan
Connections
Gish was never married and had no children. She had a relationship with producer Charles Duell and drama critic and editor George Jean Nathan.
Father:
James Leigh Gish
Mother:
Mary Robinson (McConnell) Gish
Sister:
Dorothy Gish
ex-partner:
Charles Duell
ex-partner:
George Jean Nathan
Friend:
Helen Hayes
Friend:
Mary Pickford
Friend:
David Wark Griffith
References
Lillian Gish: Her Legend, Her Life
The book presents a biography of Lillian Gish, chronicling her work on Broadway, motion pictures, and television.
2001
Lillian Gish: A Life on Stage and Screen
With a theatrical career spanning nearly 100 years, Gish saw motion pictures evolve from flickers to blockbusters. Usually playing someone needing to be rescued or protected, her trademark delicacy and vulnerability belied a strong and complex woman whose fatherless childhood taught her frugality, love for her mother and her sister, Dorothy, and a distrust of men. The author, who was her friend, chronicles the hardships, heartaches, and fierce determination that shaped her all her days.