Who is she?

Lillian Diana Gish (October 14, 1893 – February 27, 1993) was the most distinguished actress of the silent era. Being best known for her work in films, she was also a talented theater actress, included into the American Theatre Hall of Fame in 1972.

Gish was an outstanding film star of the 1910s and 1920s, particularly associated with the films of director D. W. Griffith and her role in his silent film The Birth of a Nation (1915), which is considered the highest-grossing work of the silent epoch. At the beginning of the sound era, she returned to the stage, but didn't appear in films very often, though becoming one of the most influential actresses in history.

More Info: en.wikipedia.org

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26 Comments

Jeff Lupetin

MAE....AND JEAN...NOT MAY AND JEAH...JUST SAYING

Linda Spreng

Lillian and her sister Dorothy attended the Bowling Green State University in Bowling Green, Ohio. They both did good things for the university's drama/theatre department. The university named the drama/theatre building after them as a thank you for their work with the university. Then we get to the 21st century with all the "enlightenment" involved. Their names were struck from the building(s). The public reasoning was that Lillian had a large part in "The Birth of a Nation". I don't claim to know her opinion of slavery or her thoughts on the subject. I fully believe that she and Dorothy were being punished for something neither one of them supported. It appears in the rush to eliminate all things racial, the Gish sisters were caught in the middle.

marow

Jeah and May? Please pay them the respect to get their names right for goodness sake.

Char

Hadn't a clue never saw her movies she's way before my time

Ellen Toalston

Linda Spreng, she was from Massillon , Ohio too

Johnny Rock

I know little of her other than her name. Silent era in films isn't something I follow.

Sherry Schoening

That's my birthday!

Suzanne O Backowski

GREAT ACTRESS in sound movies as well.

krobersonbk

I got it right, but I was just guessing.

Janice Fish

Good question

Kat Frederick

Bill Coe...They were only about 1½ years a part in age, too. Mary was born in April 1892, and Lillian was born in October, 1893. Mary was 79 when she passed away, where Lillian was 99. So, it's easy to see why people would mistake one for the other.

Janette Evans

she and Julia Sarah Stone could be twins !

anthonygriffin

Once again, I second guessed myself about a silent film actress.

Andy Wright

uGiven that MAE West and JEAN Harlow were both blondes, it couldn't have been them anyway despite the upporling speling. Come on! I am suprised it got through the moderators. I had a question refused entry because I used the UK/Original French spelling of metre, and not the unholy abberation that you yanks use, which means in the UK an instrument which measures something rather than the unit itself, as in "This distance meter measures the number of metres wide this room is", or is correct spelling now such an alien concept across the pond - well, I guess you are stuck with Trump now, so I suppose bad spelling is the least of your problems (fancy managing to get into a diplomatic row with China even BEFORE he took office. That has to be some sort of record. OK, rant over :)