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Lillian Gish

Lillian Gish

Acting

Born: October 14, 1893Springfield, Ohio, USA

Lillian Diana Gish (October 14, 1893 – February 27, 1993) was an American stage, screen and television actress whose film acting career spanned 75 years, from 1912 to 1987. She was a prominent film star of the 1910s and 1920s, particularly associated with the films of director D.W. Griffith, including her leading role in Griffith's seminal Birth of a Nation (1915). Her sound-era film appearances were sporadic, but included memorable roles in the controversial western Duel in the Sun (1946) and the offbeat thriller Night of the Hunter (1955). She did considerable television work from the early 1950s into the 1980s, and closed her career playing, for the first time, opposite Bette Davis in the 1987 film The Whales of August. The American Film Institute (AFI) named Gish 17th among the greatest female stars of all time. She was awarded an Honorary Academy Award in 1971, and in 1984 she received an AFI Life Achievement Award.

Known For
Filmography
The Flapper

The Flapper

(archive footage)

2021
I Am Not a Racist

I Am Not a Racist

Elsie (archive footage) (uncredited)

2019
The Women Who Run Hollywood

The Women Who Run Hollywood

Self (archive footage)

2016
Night Hunter

Night Hunter

2011
Sigrid Holmquist

Sigrid Holmquist

Sigrid Holmquist (archive footage)

2010
Early Directors on Directing

Early Directors on Directing

Self

2009
Mary Pickford: The Muse of the Movies

Mary Pickford: The Muse of the Movies

Self (archive footage)

2008
D.W. Griffith - Years of Discovery 1909-1913

D.W. Griffith - Years of Discovery 1909-1913

2002
Star Power: The Creation Of United Artists

Star Power: The Creation Of United Artists

Lucy - The Girl (archive footage)

1998
Moving Pictures: 'The Night of the Hunter'

Moving Pictures: 'The Night of the Hunter'

Self

1995
Lillian Gish: The Actor's Life for Me

Lillian Gish: The Actor's Life for Me

Herself, Archive footage

1988
The Whales of August

The Whales of August

Sarah Webber

1987
Happy 100th Birthday, Hollywood

Happy 100th Birthday, Hollywood

Self

1987
Sweet Liberty

Sweet Liberty

Cecelia Burgess

1986
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

Mrs Loftus

1986
Greta Garbo: The Temptress and the Clown

Greta Garbo: The Temptress and the Clown

Self (archive footage)

1986
Night of 100 Stars II

Night of 100 Stars II

Self

1985
Lillian Gish

Lillian Gish

Self

1984
Hobson's Choice

Hobson's Choice

Miss Molly Winkle

1983
Hambone and Hillie

Hambone and Hillie

Hillie Radcliffe

1983
Night of 100 Stars

Night of 100 Stars

Self

1982
Thin Ice

Thin Ice

Grandmother

1981
A Wedding

A Wedding

Nettie Sloan

1978
Twin Detectives

Twin Detectives

Billy Jo Haskins

1976
Black Shadows on a Silver Screen

Black Shadows on a Silver Screen

Self (archive footage)

1975
Letter to Jane: An Investigation About a Still

Letter to Jane: An Investigation About a Still

Self (archive footage) (uncredited)

1974
Langlois

Langlois

Self

1970
Arsenic and Old Lace

Arsenic and Old Lace

Martha Brewster

1969
The Comedians

The Comedians

Mrs. Smith

1967
The Comedians in Africa

The Comedians in Africa

Self (uncredited)

1967
Warning Shot

Warning Shot

Alice Willows

1967
Lionpower from MGM

Lionpower from MGM

Self - Mrs. Smith (archive footage) (uncredited)

1967
Follow Me, Boys!

Follow Me, Boys!

Hetty Seibert

1966
Mrs. Winchester's House

Mrs. Winchester's House

Narrator

1963
The Great Chase

The Great Chase

1962
The Spiral Staircase

The Spiral Staircase

Mrs. Warren

1961
The Legend of Rudolph Valentino

The Legend of Rudolph Valentino

Self (archive footage)

1961
The Unforgiven

The Unforgiven

Mattilda Zachary

1960
Orders to Kill

Orders to Kill

Mrs. Summers

1958

Film Fun

(archive footage)

1955
The Night of the Hunter

The Night of the Hunter

Rachel Cooper

1955
The Cobweb

The Cobweb

Victoria Inch

1955

The Trip to Bountiful

Carrie Watts

1953
Portrait of Jennie

Portrait of Jennie

Mother Mary of Mercy

1948
Duel in the Sun

Duel in the Sun

Laura Belle McCanles

1946
Miss Susie Slagle's

Miss Susie Slagle's

Miss Susie Slagle

1946
Top Man

Top Man

Beth Warren

1943
Commandos Strike at Dawn

Commandos Strike at Dawn

Mrs. Bergesen

1942
His Double Life

His Double Life

Alice Chalice

1933
One Romantic Night

One Romantic Night

Princess Alexandra

1930
The Wind

The Wind

Letty

1928
The Enemy

The Enemy

Pauli Arndt

1927
Annie Laurie

Annie Laurie

Annie Laurie

1927
The Scarlet Letter

The Scarlet Letter

Hester Prynne

1927
La Bohème

La Bohème

Mimi

1926
Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ

Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ

Chariot Race Spectator (uncredited)

1925
Romola

Romola

Romola

1924
The White Sister

The White Sister

Angela Chiaromonte

1923
From Farm to Fame

From Farm to Fame

Lillian Gish

1922
Orphans of the Storm

Orphans of the Storm

Henriette Girard

1921
Screen Snapshots (Series 1, No. 20)

Screen Snapshots (Series 1, No. 20)

Herself

1921
Way Down East

Way Down East

Anna Moore

1920
The Greatest Question

The Greatest Question

Nellie Jarvis

1919
True Heart Susie

True Heart Susie

Susie May Trueheart

1919
Broken Blossoms or The Yellow Man and the Girl

Broken Blossoms or The Yellow Man and the Girl

Lucy Burrows

1919
A Romance of Happy Valley

A Romance of Happy Valley

Jennie Timberlake

1919
The Greatest Thing in Life

The Greatest Thing in Life

Jeannette Peret

1918
Lillian Gish in a Liberty Loan Appeal

Lillian Gish in a Liberty Loan Appeal

1918
The Great Love

The Great Love

Susie Broadplains

1918
Hearts of the World

Hearts of the World

The Girl - Marie Stephenson

1918
Souls Triumphant

Souls Triumphant

Lillian Vale

1917

The House Built Upon Sand

Evelyn Dare

1916
The Children Pay

The Children Pay

Millicent

1916

Diane of the Follies

Diane

1916
Intolerance: Love's Struggle Throughout the Ages

Intolerance: Love's Struggle Throughout the Ages

The Woman Who Rocks the Cradle

1916
An Innocent Magdalene

An Innocent Magdalene

Dorothy Raleigh

1916
Sold for Marriage

Sold for Marriage

Marfa

1916
Daphne and the Pirate

Daphne and the Pirate

Daphne La Tour

1916

Pathways of Life

1916
The Lily and the Rose

The Lily and the Rose

Mary Randolph

1915

Captain Macklin

Beatrice

1915
Enoch Arden

Enoch Arden

Annie Lee

1915
The Lost House

The Lost House

Dosia Dale

1915
The Birth of a Nation

The Birth of a Nation

Stoneman's Daughter Elsie

1915

His Lesson

Participant in Mob Scene (uncredited)

1915
The Sisters

The Sisters

May

1914

The Folly of Anne

Anne

1914
The Tear That Burned

The Tear That Burned

Anita - the Truant

1914

Man's Enemy

Grace Lisle

1914
The Angel of Contention

The Angel of Contention

Nettie - the Angel

1914
The Rebellion of Kitty Belle

The Rebellion of Kitty Belle

Kitty Belle

1914

Lord Chumley

Eleanor Butterworth

1914
Home, Sweet Home

Home, Sweet Home

Payne's Sweetheart

1914

The Quicksands

1914
The Battle of the Sexes

The Battle of the Sexes

Jane Andrews, the daughter

1914

The Hunchback

The Orphan - as an Adult

1914
Judith of Bethulia

Judith of Bethulia

The Young Mother

1914

The Green-Eyed Devil

Mary Miller

1914

A Duel for Love

1914

The Conscience of Hassan Bey

The Rugmaker's Daughter

1913
The Battle at Elderbush Gulch

The Battle at Elderbush Gulch

Melissa Harlow

1913

The Blue or the Gray

1913

Madonna of the Storm

The Mother

1913

So Runs the Way

Fred's Wife

1913

A Modest Hero

The Wife

1913
A Woman in the Ultimate

A Woman in the Ultimate

Verda

1913
An Indian's Loyalty

An Indian's Loyalty

The Ranchero's Daughter

1913

During the Round-Up

The Ranchero's Daughter

1913
The Mothering Heart

The Mothering Heart

The Wife

1913
A Timely Interception

A Timely Interception

The Farmer's Daughter

1913

Just Gold

The First Brother's Sweetheart

1913
The House of Darkness

The House of Darkness

The Nurse

1913
The Lady and the Mouse

The Lady and the Mouse

The First Sister

1913

The Left-Handed Man

The Old Soldier's Daughter

1913

A Misunderstood Boy

The Daughter

1913
The Little Tease

The Little Tease

Girl in bandana

1913

The Stolen Bride

1913
The Unwelcome Guest

The Unwelcome Guest

At Auction (uncredited)

1913
Oil and Water

Oil and Water

In First Audience (uncredited)

1913
A Cry for Help

A Cry for Help

The Maid

1912
The Burglar’s Dilemma

The Burglar’s Dilemma

Birthday Wellwisher

1912
The New York Hat

The New York Hat

Customer in Shop / Outside Church

1912
Brutality

Brutality

At Theatre

1912
The Informer

The Informer

Walk on role

1912
My Baby

My Baby

1912
Gold and Glitter

Gold and Glitter

The Young Woman

1912
The Musketeers of Pig Alley

The Musketeers of Pig Alley

The Little Lady

1912
The Painted Lady

The Painted Lady

Belle at Ice Cream Festival

1912
The One She Loved

The One She Loved

1912
In the Aisles of the Wild

In the Aisles of the Wild

The Younger Daughter

1912
So Near, Yet So Far

So Near, Yet So Far

A Friend

1912
Two Daughters of Eve

Two Daughters of Eve

In Theatre Crowd

1912
An Unseen Enemy

An Unseen Enemy

Eldest Sister

1912