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.
Movies
Broken Blossoms Lucy Burrows
The Birth of a Nation Stoneman's Daughter Elsie
Intolerance: Love's Struggle Throughout the Ages The Woman Who Rocks the Cradle
The Night of the Hunter Rachel Cooper
The Wind Letty
The Unforgiven Mattilda Zachary
Way Down East Anna Moore
Lillian Gish: The Actor's Life for Me Herself, Archive footage
Duel in the Sun Laura Belle McCanles
Portrait of Jennie Mother Mary of Mercy
Orders to Kill Mrs. Summers
Early Directors on Directing Self
Follow Me, Boys! Hetty Seibert
I Am Not a Racist Elsie
True Heart Susie Susie May Trueheart
Orphans of the Storm Henriette Girard
The Musketeers of Pig Alley The Little Lady
A Wedding Nettie Sloan
Sweet Liberty Cecelia Burgess
The Whales of August Sarah Webber
The White Sister Angela Chiaromonte
Romola Romola
The Legend of Rudolph Valentino Self (archive footage)
The Cobweb Victoria Inch
Two Daughters of Eve In Theatre Crowd
The Scarlet Letter Hester Prynne
Gold and Glitter The Young Woman
A Cry for Help The Maid
During the Round-Up The Ranchero's Daughter
The Conscience of Hassan Bey The Rugmaker's Daughter
The Left-Handed Man The Old Soldier's Daughter
A Modest Hero The Wife
So Runs the Way Fred's Wife
Just Gold The First Brother's Sweetheart
The Hunchback The Orphan - as an Adult
Warning Shot Alice Willows
The Mothering Heart The Wife
An Unseen Enemy Eldest Sister
Judith of Bethulia The Young Mother
Commandos Strike at Dawn Mrs. Bergesen
Enoch Arden Annie Lee
The Battle at Elderbush Gulch Melissa Harlow
La Bohème Mimi
Night Hunter
The New York Hat Customer in Shop / Outside Church
Hambone and Hillie Hillie Radcliffe
From Farm to Fame Lillian Gish
The Spiral Staircase Mrs. Warren
The Painted Lady Belle at Ice Cream Festival
His Double Life Alice Chalice
A Romance of Happy Valley Jennie Timberlake
So Near, Yet So Far A Friend
The Burglar’s Dilemma Birthday Wellwisher
One Romantic Night Princess Alexandra
Home, Sweet Home Payne's Sweetheart
Hearts of the World The Girl - Marie Stephenson
The Greatest Question Nellie Jarvis
Annie Laurie Annie Laurie
The Lily and the Rose Mary Randolph
Top Man Beth Warren
A Duel for Love
His Lesson Participant in Mob Scene (uncredited)
Miss Susie Slagle's Miss Susie Slagle
The Comedians Mrs. Smith
Daphne and the Pirate Daphne La Tour
Charles Laughton Directs 'The Night of the Hunter' Self (archive footage)
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Mrs Loftus
Night of 100 Stars II Self
Diane of the Follies Diane
The Children Pay Millicent
The House Built Upon Sand Evelyn Dare
An Innocent Magdalene Dorothy Raleigh
The Greatest Thing in Life Jeannette Peret
The Great Love Susie Broadplains
An Indian's Loyalty The Ranchero's Daughter
A Woman in the Ultimate Verda
The Enemy Pauli Arndt
Mary Pickford: The Muse of the Movies Self (archive footage)
Letter to Jane: An Investigation About a Still Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
Langlois Self
Sold for Marriage Marfa
Greta Garbo: The Temptress and the Clown Self (archive footage)
Souls Triumphant Lillian Vale
Screen Snapshots (Series 1, No. 20) Herself
Lillian Gish in a Liberty Loan Appeal
The Comedians in Africa Self (uncredited)
Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ Chariot Race Spectator (uncredited)
D.W. Griffith - Years of Discovery 1909-1913
Cannes: All Access Self (archive footage)
The Little Tease Girl in bandana
Moving Pictures: 'The Night of the Hunter' Self
Arsenic and Old Lace Martha Brewster
Star Power: The Creation Of United Artists Lucy - The Girl (archive footage)
The Battle of the Sexes Jane Andrews, the daughter
Sigrid Holmquist Sigrid Holmquist (archive footage)
Hobson's Choice Miss Molly Winkle
A Timely Interception The Farmer's Daughter
And the Oscar Goes To... Self (archive footage)
Mrs. Winchester's House Narrator
The Women Who Run Hollywood Self (archive footage)
Black Shadows on a Silver Screen Self (archive footage)
Thin Ice Grandmother
The Lady and the Mouse The First Sister
Film Fun (archive footage)
Madonna of the Storm The Mother
The Angel of Contention Nettie - the Angel
In the Aisles of the Wild The Younger Daughter
The Trip to Bountiful Carrie Watts
A Misunderstood Boy The Daughter
Lord Chumley Eleanor Butterworth
The Sisters May
The House of Darkness The Nurse
The Quicksands
Man's Enemy Grace Lisle
The Tear That Burned Anita - the Truant
The Rebellion of Kitty Belle Kitty Belle
Captain Macklin Beatrice
Pathways of Life
The Lost House Dosia Dale
The Green-Eyed Devil Mary Miller
The Folly of Anne Anne
Twin Detectives Billy Jo Haskins
The Blue or the Gray
The Informer Walk on role
My Baby
The Stolen Bride
The One She Loved
The Unwelcome Guest At Auction (uncredited)
Oil and Water In First Audience (uncredited)
Brutality At Theatre
The Flapper (archive footage)
Lillian Gish Herself
Night of 100 Stars Self
Birth of Skibidi Elsie Mewman
Shows
The Ed Sullivan Show Self
Schlitz Playhouse of Stars Grandma Moses
The Philco Television Playhouse Abby
Mr. Novak Maude Phipps
Robert Montgomery Presents
Playwrights '56
The American Film Institute Salute to ... Self
The Defenders Louisa Clarendon
The Defenders Mrs. Cooper
The Kennedy Center Honors Self
Tony Awards Self - Presenter
Hollywood Self
The Alcoa Hour Esther Crampton
Tony Awards Self - Award Accepter
The Philco Television Playhouse Narrator
The Philco Television Playhouse Carrie Watts
The Love Boat Mrs. Williams
The Dick Cavett Show Self - Guest
The Alfred Hitchcock Hour Bessie Carnby
