Gish gosh

[AiA in Atlanta]

who is your avatar annielaurie? is that mary pickford?

[annielaurie]

She's Lillian Gish, the other famous American silent film star! All the avatars I use are thumbnail pics her. She finally died peacefully at the age of 99, in 1993!

I do believe this particular photo of her is from her 1927 silent movie, "Annie Laurie." So now you know where my internet forums persona comes from ..

[AiA in Atlanta]

Liilian Gish. Of course! I was close. I love old movies as well. Gish was the prototypical waif. I haven't seen "Annie Laurie." Was Gish in "Way Down East?" The scene on the piece of ice in the river is quite dramatic. Actually I am a big Fatty Arbuckle fan. He was done wrong.

[annielaurie]

Hahaha Atlanta, I just love what you wrote!

Yes, she did "Way Down East"! Go here to her official website, there are two pages of lists of the movies she did, it's amazing how many!

http://www.lilliangish.com/index.php

My secret is that I've chosen her pictures as me on forums, because when I was young I looked like her. That was a long time ago ..

[AiA in Atlanta]

Was Gish ever married? Did she have any children? Mary Pickford had what's-his-name .... mmmm .... ah! Douglas Fairbanks Junior. You may enjoy the novel "I, Fatty," as it is about the silent screen days and of course focuses on Fatty's story but others in that milleu make an appearance. Now that I think of it, there was a predecessor to Gish/Pickford - Evelyn Nesbit. Have you read the novel or seen the movie "Ragtime?" She was the prototype.

[annielaurie]

Doctorow's novel "Ragtime" is one of my favorites of all time, I still have the novel in paperback lying about the house somewhere! Brilliantly written story! Evelyn Nesbit was a stunning beauty, yes she was the prototype.

I don't know much about Fatty Arbuckle, but you make him sound interesting, and I'll have to check him out.

No, Gish was never married. She had dozens of marriage proposals, and it's no wonder because she was so beautiful. But she claimed that a movie career and married life simply wouldn't do for her, and she chose her career.
Still I wonder if she had a secret love of her life?

She had a sister, Dorothy. They started out in the theatre together, and Dorothy made a few films, but it was Lillian who made the impact in her lifetime.

[AiA in Atlanta]

I had forgotten about the sister .... wasn't there a movie, maybe in the 1980's ... something about "whales" that starred Gish or one or two of her contemporaries?

[annielaurie]

"The Whales of August," 1987!

Starring Bette Davis, Lillian Gish, Ann Southern and Vincent Price! Shot on location on Maine's Cliff Island. The house still stands and is a popular subject of artists on the island. The film was directed by Lindsay Anderson, his final feature film, and the screenplay was adapted by David Berry from his own play.

So says Wikipedia!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Whales_of_August

I saw that film, it was damn good. Gish was 94 that year! That seems impossible, but I've just done the arithmetic. She didn't seem that old in the film!

[JW.Frogen]

Gish's last words were "Gosh I will miss Gish."

[annielaurie]

Gosh, I hadn't heard about that, Frogs! You having a sparkling champagne this morning?

Haha!