| Lillian Gish silent film actress
Lillian Diana de Guiche was born in
Springfield, Ohio, on October 14, 1893. Her father was an
alcoholic who was rarely at home, so Lillian, her mother,
and her sister, Dorothy, made their living acting in
local productions. Lillian was six years old when she
first appeared before an audience, and she and her sister
would spend thirteen years on stage before moving on to
films.
In 1912, Lillian and Dorothy were
introduced to director D.W. Griffith, who cast them both
in An Unseen Enemy that same year. Lillian would
go on to make over two dozen films for Griffith over the
span of thirteen years, including his epic film The
Birth of a Nation (1915).
After thirteen years with Griffith,
Gish was signed to a contract with MGM. Her first film
there was La Boheme (1926). But as the silent
era began to give way to the "talkie" era,
Gish's star was beginning to fade, and she was released
by MGM in 1928 because she was at the time unwilling to
make the move to "talkies."
Gish did finally make the transition to
"talkies," appearing in One Romantic Night
in 1930. But, after making His Double Life in
1933, she disappeared from the silver screen and returned
to the stage. She would not return to the screen until
1942, when she appeared in Commandos Strike at Dawn.
She would continue to appear in films off and on for much
of the rest of her life. Her last picture was The
Whales of August (1987). In addition to films she
also made appearances in a number of television
productions over the latter years of her career. Her
autobiography, The Movies, Mr. Griffith, and Me,
was published in 1969.
Lillian Gish died in her sleep at her
home in New York City, on February 27, 1993.
Films
An Unseen Enemy (1912)
Two Daughters of Eve (1912)
So Near, Yet So Far (1912)
In the Aisles of the Wild (1912)
The One She Loved (1912)
The Painted Lady (1912)
The Musketeers of Pig Alley (1912)
Gold and Glitter (1912)
My Baby (1912)
The Informer (1912)
Brutality (1912)
The New York Hat (1912)
The Burglar's Dilemma (1912)
A Cry for Help (1912)
Oil and Water (1913)
The Unwelcome Guest (1913)
A Misunderstood Boy (1913)
The Left-Handed Man (1913)
The Lady and the Mouse (1913)
The House of Darkness (1913)
Just Gold (1913)
A Timely Interception (1913)
The Mothering Heart (1913)
During the Round-Up (1913)
An Indian's Loyalty (1913)
A Woman in the Ultimate (1913)
A Modest Hero (1913)
So Runs the Way (1913)
Madonna of the Storm (1913)
The Battle at Elderbush Gulch (1913)
The Conscience of Hassan Bey (1913)
A Duel for Love (1914)
The Green-Eyed Devil (1914)
Judith of Bethulia (1914)
The Battle of the Sexes (1914)
The Hunchback (1914)
The Quicksands (1914)
Home, Sweet Home (1914)
Lord Chumley (1914)
The Rebellion of Kitty Belle (1914)
The Angel of Contention (1914)
Man's Enemy (1914)
The Tear That Burned (1914)
The Folly of Anne (1914)
The Sisters (1914)
The Birth of a Nation (1915)
The Lost House (1915)
Enoch Arden (1915)
Captain Macklin (1915)
The Lily and the Rose (1915)
Pathways of Life (1916)
Daphne and the Pirate (1916)
Sold for Marriage (1916)
An Innocent Magdalene (1916)
Intolerance: Love's Struggle Throughout the Ages
(1916)
Diane of the Follies (1916)
The Children Pay (1916)
The House Built Upon Sand (1916)
Souls Triumphant (1917)
Hearts of the World (1918--uncredited)
The Great Love (1918)
The Greatest Thing in Life (1918)
A Romance of Happy Valley (1919)
Broken Blossoms, or The Yellow Man and the Girl
(1919)
True Heart Susie (1919)
The Greatest Question (1919)
Way Down East (1920)
Orphans of the Storm (1921)
The White Sister (1923)
Romola (1924)
Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ (1925--uncredited
crowd extra)
La Boheme (1926)
The Scarlet Letter (1926)
Annie Laurie (1927)
The Enemy (1927)
The Wind (1928)
One Romantic Night (1930--first "talkie")
His Double Life (1933)
Commandos Strike at Dawn (1942)
Top Man (1943)
Miss Susie Slagle's (1946)
Duel in the Sun (1946)
Portrait of Jennie (1948)
The Trip to Bountiful (1953--TV)
The Cobweb (1955)
The Night of the Hunter (1955)
Orders to Kill (1958)
The Unforgiven (1960)
The Spiral Staircase (1961--TV)
Follow Me, Boys! (1966)
Warning Shot (1967)
The Comedians (1967)
Arsenic and Old Lace (1969--TV)
Twin Detectives (1976--TV)
Sparrow (1978--TV)
A Wedding (1978)
Thin Ice (1981--TV)
Hambone and Hillie (1983)
Hobson's Choice (1983--TV)
Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (1985--TV)
Sweet Liberty (1986)
The Whales of August (1987)
Awards
Academy Awards (Oscars)
nomination, Best Actress in a Supporting Role (Duel
in the Sun), 1947
Honorary Award, 1971
American Film Institute
Life Achievement Award, 1984
Golden Globes, USA
nomination, Best Supporting Actress (The
Comedians), 1968
Independent Spirit Awards
nomination, Best Female Lead (The
Whales of August), 1988
London Critics Circle Film
Awards
Special Achievement Award, 1987
National Board of Review, USA
Best Actress (The Whales of August),
1987
Career Achievement Award, 1987
Women in Film Crystal Awards
Crystal Award, 1979
Others
Motion Picture Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
1976 -- Dorothy and Lillian Gish Film Theater dedicated
on the campus of Bowling Green State University
SOURCES
American Masters www.pbs.org
Internet Movie DataBase us.imdb.com
The Official Website of Lillian Gish www.lilliangish.com
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