lillian gish
Lillian Gish was one of the early legends of the silver screen, known especially as the big-eyed, fragile heroine in movies made by D.W. Griffith. [1]
Not only was Lillian Gish born in the right era, but she was also born with the ethereal beauty and grace to make her a star in the silent film industry. [2]
She was Lillian Gish, the star of movies, television, radio, and the stage for nearly all of the 20th century. [3]
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. [4]
She soon came to share her director’s opinion that film was a legitimate medium which inherently possessed more potential for artistic expression than the stage. [5]
Impressed with what he saw, he immediately cast her in what was to be her first film, An Unseen Enemy (1912), followed by The One She Loved (1912) and My Baby (1912). [6]
Both Lillian and her younger sister Dorothy were introduced to stage work at an early age. [5]
Gish left the stage to become one of the first important silent film stars and did not return to Broadway until 1930, when she appeared as Helena in Uncle Vanya. [1]
In 1912 she met famed director D.W. Griffith. [6]
She and her sister Dorothy (1898-1968) started in the movies in 1914, thanks to their friend Mary Pickford’s connection to Griffith. [1]
At the studio the Gish sisters were introduced to Biograph’s top director, D W Griffith, who was smitten with the girls’ innocent charm and cast them immediately in his current production. [5]
Having appeared in over 25 short films and features in her first two years as a movie actress, Lillian became a major star, becoming known as “The First Lady of the Silent Screen” and appearing in lavish productions, frequently of literary works such as The Scarlet Letter. [4]
The following year, she danced with the Sarah Bernardt production in New York City. [2]
Lillian Diana Gish was born in Springfield, Ohio, the elder sister of actress Dorothy Gish. [4]
To help make ends meet, Lillian, her sister Dorothy Gish and their mother Mary Gish a.k.a. [6]
Sources:
[1] Lillian Gish: Biography from Answers.com
[2] The Official Web site of Lillian Gish :: About Lillian Gish …
[3] Lillian Gish - American Masters
[4] Lillian Gish - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
[5] Lillian Gish
[6] Lillian Gish - Biography