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Lillian Gish

Acting 99 (deceased) years old Springfield, Ohio, USA ★ 0.8
Born: October 14, 1893
Died: February 27, 1993

Biography

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.

External Links

🎬 IMDb

Known For

The Night of the Hunter
The Night of the Hunter Rachel Cooper 1955
Duel in the Sun
Duel in the Sun Laura Belle McCanles 1946
The Unforgiven
The Unforgiven Mattilda Zachary 1960
Sweet Liberty
Sweet Liberty Cecelia Burgess 1986
The Birth of a Nation
The Birth of a Nation Stoneman's Daughter Elsie 1915

Filmography

Acting Credits (155)

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
The Making of 'The Birth of a Nation'
The Making of 'The Birth of a Nation' Self (Archive footage) 1993
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
Hollywood
Hollywood Self 1980
The Kennedy Center Honors
The Kennedy Center Honors Self 1978
A Wedding
A Wedding Nettie Sloan 1978
The Love Boat
The Love Boat Mrs. Williams 1977
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
The American Film Institute Salute to ...
The American Film Institute Salute to ... Self 1973
Film '72
Film '72 Self 1971
Langlois
Langlois Self 1970
Arsenic and Old Lace
Arsenic and Old Lace Martha Brewster 1969
The Dick Cavett Show
The Dick Cavett Show Self - Guest 1968
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
Mr. Novak
Mr. Novak Maude Phipps 1963
The Great Chase
The Great Chase 1962
The Alfred Hitchcock Hour
The Alfred Hitchcock Hour Bessie Carnby 1962
The Spiral Staircase
The Spiral Staircase Mrs. Warren 1961
The Defenders
The Defenders Louisa Clarendon 1961
The Defenders
The Defenders Mrs. Cooper 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
Tony Awards
Tony Awards Self - Award Accepter 1956
Tony Awards
Tony Awards Self - Presenter 1956
The Alcoa Hour
The Alcoa Hour Esther Crampton 1955
Playwrights '56
Playwrights '56 1955
Film Fun
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
The Trip to Bountiful Carrie Watts 1953
Schlitz Playhouse of Stars
Schlitz Playhouse of Stars Grandma Moses 1951
Robert Montgomery Presents
Robert Montgomery Presents 1950
Portrait of Jennie
Portrait of Jennie Mother Mary of Mercy 1948
The Philco Television Playhouse
The Philco Television Playhouse Abby 1948
The Philco Television Playhouse
The Philco Television Playhouse Narrator 1948
The Philco Television Playhouse
The Philco Television Playhouse Carrie Watts 1948
The Ed Sullivan Show
The Ed Sullivan Show Self 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
The Movie Album
The Movie Album (archive footage) 1932
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
The House Built Upon Sand Evelyn Dare 1916
The Children Pay
The Children Pay Millicent 1916
Diane of the Follies
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
Pathways of Life 1916
The Lily and the Rose
The Lily and the Rose Mary Randolph 1915
Captain Macklin
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
His Lesson Participant in Mob Scene (uncredited) 1915
The Sisters
The Sisters May 1914
The Folly of Anne
The Folly of Anne Anne 1914
The Tear That Burned
The Tear That Burned Anita - the Truant 1914
Man's Enemy
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
Lord Chumley Eleanor Butterworth 1914
Home, Sweet Home
Home, Sweet Home Payne's Sweetheart 1914
The Quicksands
The Quicksands 1914
The Hunchback
The Hunchback The Orphan - as an Adult 1914
The Battle of the Sexes
The Battle of the Sexes Jane Andrews, the daughter 1914
Judith of Bethulia
Judith of Bethulia The Young Mother 1914
The Green-Eyed Devil
The Green-Eyed Devil Mary Miller 1914
A Duel for Love
A Duel for Love 1914
The Conscience of Hassan Bey
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
The Blue or the Gray 1913
Madonna of the Storm
Madonna of the Storm The Mother 1913
So Runs the Way
So Runs the Way Fred's Wife 1913
A Modest Hero
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
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
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 Left-Handed Man The Old Soldier's Daughter 1913
A Misunderstood Boy
A Misunderstood Boy The Daughter 1913
The Little Tease
The Little Tease Girl in bandana 1913
The Stolen Bride
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

Directing Credits (1)

Writing Credits (3)

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