Lillian Gish

Nominated for Oscar. Another 7 wins & 2 nominations See more awards »

Known For

The Night of the Hunter (1955)

The Birth of a Nation (1915)

Intolerance: Love's Struggle Throughout the Ages (1916)

Broken Blossoms or The Yellow Man and the Girl (1919)

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Filmography

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Actress (120 titles)

1987 The Whales of August
Sarah Webber

1986 Sweet Liberty
Cecelia Burgess

1986 American Playhouse (TV series)
Mrs Loftus

– Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Part I (1986) … Mrs Loftus

1983 Hobson's Choice (TV movie)
Miss Molly Winkle

1983 Hambone and Hillie
Hillie Radcliffe

1981 Thin Ice (TV movie)
Grandmother

1981 The Love Boat (TV series)
Mrs. Williams

– Isaac's Teacher/Seal of Approval/The Successor (1981) … Mrs. Williams

1978 A Wedding
Nettie Sloan

1978 Sparrow (TV movie)
Widow

1976 Twin Detectives (TV movie)
Billy Jo Haskins

1969 Arsenic and Old Lace (TV movie)
Martha Brewster

1967 The Comedians
Mrs. Smith

1967 Warning Shot (TV movie)
Alice Willows

1966 Follow Me, Boys!
Hetty Seibert

1964 The Alfred Hitchcock Hour (TV series)
Bessie Carnby

– Body in the Barn (1964) … Bessie Carnby

1962-1964 The Defenders (TV series)
Louisa Clarendon / Mrs. Cooper

– Stowaway (1964) … Mrs. Cooper

– Grandma TNT (1962) … Louisa Clarendon

1963 Breaking Point (TV series)
Stella Manville

– The Gnu, Now Almost Extinct (1963) … Stella Manville

1963 Mr. Novak (TV series)
Maude Phipps

– Hello, Miss Phipps (1963) … Maude Phipps

1961 Theatre '62 (TV series)

– The Spiral Staircase (1961)

1961 The Spiral Staircase (TV movie)
Mrs. Warren

1960 The Unforgiven
Mattilda Zachary

1960 Play of the Week (TV series)
Dolly Talbo

– The Grass Harp (1960) … Dolly Talbo

1958 Orders to Kill
Mrs. Summers

1956 The Alcoa Hour (TV series)
Esther Crampton

– Morning's at Seven (1956) … Esther Crampton

1956 Ford Star Jubilee (TV series)
Mary Todd Lincoln

– The Day Lincoln Was Shot (1956) … Mary Todd Lincoln

1955 Playwrights '56 (TV series)
Mrs. Compson

– The Sound and the Fury (1955) … Mrs. Compson

1955 Kraft Theatre (TV series)

– I, Mrs. Bibb (1955)

1955 The Night of the Hunter
Rachel Cooper

1955 The Cobweb
Victoria Inch

1954 Campbell Summer Soundstage (TV series)
Miss Harrington

– The Corner Druggist (1954) … Miss Harrington

1951-1954 Robert Montgomery Presents (TV series)

– The Quality of Mercy (1954)

– Ladies in Retirement (1951)

1953 Christmas Festival Hour of Music (TV movie)

1953 The Trip to Bountiful (TV movie)
Carrie Watts

1949-1953 The Philco-Goodyear Television Playhouse (TV series)
Abby / Carrie Watts

– The Trip to Bountiful (1953) … Carrie Watts

– The Late Christopher Bean (1949) … Abby

1952 Schlitz Playhouse (TV series)
Grandma Moses

– The Autobiography of Grandma Moses (1952) … Grandma Moses

1951 Celanese Theatre (TV series)
Sister Christina

– The Joyous Season (1951) … Sister Christina

1949 The Ford Theatre Hour (TV series)
Mrs. Midget

– Outward Bound (1949) … Mrs. Midget

1948 Portrait of Jennie
Mother Mary of Mercy

1946 Duel in the Sun
Laura Belle McCanles

1946 Miss Susie Slagle's
Miss Susie Slagle

1943 Top Man
Beth Warren

1942 Commandos Strike at Dawn
Mrs. Bergesen

1933 His Double Life
Alice Chalice

1930 One Romantic Night
Princess Alexandra

1928 The Wind
Letty

1927 The Enemy
Pauli Arndt

1927 Annie Laurie
Annie Laurie

1926 The Scarlet Letter
Hester Prynne

1926 La bohème
Mimi

1925 Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ
Chariot Race Spectator (uncredited)

1924 Romola
Romola

1923 The White Sister
Angela Chiaromonte

1921 Orphans of the Storm
Henriette Girard

1920 Way Down East
Anna Moore

1919 The Greatest Question
Nellie Jarvis

1919 True Heart Susie
True Heart Susie

1919 Broken Blossoms or The Yellow Man and the Girl
Lucy - The Girl (as Miss Lillian Gish)

1919 A Romance of Happy Valley
Jennie Timberlake

1918 The Greatest Thing in Life
Jeannette Peret

1918 The Great Love
Susie Broadplains

1918 Hearts of the World
The Girl - Marie Stephenson

1917 Souls Triumphant
Lillian Vale

1916 The House Built Upon Sand
Evelyn Dare

1916 The Children Pay
Millicent

1916 Diane of the Follies
Diane

1916 Intolerance: Love's Struggle Throughout the Ages
The Woman Who Rocks the Cradle/Eternal Mother

1916 An Innocent Magdalene
Dorothy Raleigh

1916 Sold for Marriage
Marfa

1916 Daphne and the Pirate
Daphne La Tour

1916 Pathways of Life (short)

1915 The Lily and the Rose
Mary Randolph

1915 Captain Macklin
Beatrice

1915 Enoch Arden (short)
Annie Lee

1915 The Lost House (short)
Dosia Dale

1915 The Birth of a Nation
Elsie - Stoneman's Daughter

1914 The Sisters (short)
May

1914 The Folly of Anne (short)
Anne

1914 The Tear That Burned (short)
Meg - the Wild Girl

1914 Man's Enemy (short)

1914 The Angel of Contention (short)
The Angel

1914 The Rebellion of Kitty Belle (short)
Kitty Bell

1914 Lord Chumley (short)
Eleanor Butterworth

1914 Home, Sweet Home
Payne's Sweetheart

1914/I The Quicksands (short)

1914/I The Hunchback (short)
The Orphan - as an Adult

1914 The Battle of the Sexes
Jane Andrews, the daughter

1914 Judith of Bethulia
The young mother

1914 The Green-Eyed Devil (short)
Mary Miller

1914 A Duel for Love (short)

1913 The Conscience of Hassan Bey (short) (unconfirmed)

1913 The Battle at Elderbush Gulch (short)
Melissa Harlow

1913 Madonna of the Storm (short)
The Mother

1913 So Runs the Way (short)
Fred's Wife

1913 A Modest Hero (short)
The Wife

1913 A Woman in the Ultimate (short)
Verda

1913 An Indian's Loyalty (short)
The Ranchero's Daughter

1913 During the Round-Up (short)
The Ranchero's Daughter

1913 The Mothering Heart (short)
The Young Wife

1913 A Timely Interception (short)
The Farmer's Daughter

1913 Just Gold (short)
The Sweetheart

1913 The House of Darkness (short)
Nurse Playing Piano

1913 The Lady and the Mouse (short)
The Young Woman

1913 The Left-Handed Man (short)
The Old Soldier's Daughter

1913 A Misunderstood Boy (short)
The Daughter

1913 The Unwelcome Guest (short)
At Auction (uncredited)

1913 Oil and Water (short)
In First Audience

1912 A Cry for Help (short)
The Maid

1912 The Burglar's Dilemma (short)
Birthday Wellwisher

1912 The New York Hat (short)
Customer in Shop/Outside Church

1912 Brutality (short)
At Theatre

1912 The Informer (short)

1912 My Baby (short)

1912 Gold and Glitter (short)
The Young Woman

1912 The Musketeers of Pig Alley (short)
The Little Lady

1912 The Painted Lady (short)
Belle at Ice Cream Festival

1912 The One She Loved (short)

1912 In the Aisles of the Wild (short)
The Younger Daughter

1912 So Near, Yet So Far (short)
A Friend

1912 Two Daughters of Eve (short)
Theater crowd extra

1912 An Unseen Enemy (short)
The Sister (older)

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Writer (3 titles)

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Soundtrack (2 titles)

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Producer (1 title)

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Director (1 title)

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Miscellaneous Crew (1 title)

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Thanks (2 titles)

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Self (40 titles)

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Archive Footage (32 titles)

Personal Details

Other Works:

(1973) Stage: Appeared in "Uncle Vanya" on Broadway. See more »

Publicity Listings:

Official Sites:

The Official Site of Lillian Gish | See more »

Alternate Names:

Dorothy Elizabeth Carter | Miss Lillian Gish

Height:

5' 5½" (1.66 m)

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Did You Know?

Personal Quote:

[Receiving an honorary Oscar in 1971] Oh, all the charming ghosts I feel around me who should share this! It was our privilege for a little while to serve that beautiful thing, the film, and we never doubted for a moment that it was the most powerful thing, the mind and heartbeat of our technical century. See more »

Trivia:

Is portrayed by Mackenzie Phillips in The Silent Lovers See more »

Trademark:

Later often played willful but conflicted women See more »

Star Sign:

Libra

Lillian Gish (1893–1993)

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Known For

Filmography

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Personal Details

Other Works:

Publicity Listings:

Official Sites:

Alternate Names:

Height:

Did You Know?

Personal Quote:

Trivia:

Trademark:

Star Sign: