Lillian Gish Biography

Fast Facts

• Bowling Green State University renamed their campus theater the Gish Film Theater and Gallery in 1976 to honor the Gish sisters, both Lillian and Dorothy
• Ranked No․ 17 on the American Film Institute's "100 Years․․․ 100 Stars" list for Female Legends
• A childhood neighbor of Mary Pickford, she was introduced to director D․W․ Griffith in 1912 who helped her land a contract with Biograph Studios at the age of 19
• Gained prominence during the silence film era, making 25 features in her first two years as an actress
• After finding only moderate success in "talkies", she would mostly relegate herself to the stage for the remainder of her career
• Fellow actor John Gilbert admitted to having an infatuation with her and would intentionally mess up his love scenes in "La boheme" so that he could continue kissing her
• Discovered she had a penchant for range shooting when co-stars John Huston and Burt Lancaster took her into the desert to practice shooting for 1960's "The Unforgiven"
• Beginning with silent-era films, she had an on-screen career that spanned more than seven decades