1 When it comes to Hollywood actresses who impress the world with their beauty, many people think of Audrey Hepburn or Marilyn Monroe. But before these two legendary actresses, there is another actress who is remembered for her ethereal temperament and elf-like beauty, and she is Lillian Diana Gish.
2 Lillian Gish was born in Ohio in 1893. Her father was an alcoholic and abandoned his wife and children at a very young age. The mother moved with her two young daughters and lived with relatives. To make ends meet, her mother sells popcorn and candy by the theater, and Lilian Gisch and her sister come to help out as soon as school is over. It was also at that time that the brilliant stage took root in The Heart of Lilian Gisch. Later, a fire broke out in the theater, but Lillian Gish's dream did not disappear.
A few years later, the mother moved to New York with her daughters. At that time, Lillian Gisch was eighteen or nineteen years old, and she had a rounded and soft face and clear eyes, like a porcelain doll that could not be touched. She became friends with the girl next door, who in turn introduced her to her owner, the talented director David Griffith.
4 Griffith was immediately attracted to this particular girl. He was 18 years older than Lillian Gisch, but he considered her his own muse. He considered Lillian Gisch to be the most ideal actor, like a character in Dickens's novel. Under griffith's guidance, Lillian Gisch embarked on the path of acting.
5 Griffiths set many records for the film "The Birth of a Nation," in which Lillian Gish played a helpless naïve girl who was imprisoned by a mob and had nowhere to hide. The shot of her fainting resonated with countless viewers, many of whom even stood up to pray for her.
6 Lillian Gish became Griffith's royal actress, appearing in many of his films. Her rare girlish temperament, even after years of washing, is still amazing.
7 It was winter when Breaking Flowers was filmed and it was cold. Lillian Gisch shoots in thin clothes. The sister was very distressed, and said to the director viciously, "If my sister freezes to death, I will kill you!" My sister's fear was justified, as the "Spanish flu" broke out and she might die if she was infected.
8 When she starred in "Broken Flowers", she was 25 years old, but playing a 15-year-old girl did not violate it, and that kind of childishness and innocence made people move. The girl was finally beaten to death by her father, and she had been living in fear and pain, not knowing how to smile. When she was asked to smile, she could only hold up the corners of her mouth with her fingers. That scene was very painful.
9 Lillian Gisch didn't study acting, but she was talented. The style of the silent film era is generally exaggerated, but her performance is very natural. As a result, she became a pioneer of the naturalistic performance genre.
10 Lilian Gisch in the screen is weak and I see pity, but in reality she is very strong. In order to make a good movie, she is willing to give everything. She was lying on the ice floes in a snowstorm, thinly dressed, and almost swept away by the rapids. She almost froze to death that time, and Griffith was so worried that he bought her a high amount of insurance. In order to play the scene of serious illness and dying, she went on hunger strike and water for three days, and used cotton to dry up saliva, making herself haggard. She really fainted during filming, and the director noticed that she had stopped breathing and thought she was really dead.
11 Lillian Gisch's love life was not rich. After leaving Griffith, she came to MGM and her acting skills got better and better. MGM wanted to create some gimmicks, wanted to create gossip, but Lilian Gisch refused. She did not listen to the company's arrangement and was eventually ostracized.
12 After the rise of sound films, she took the opportunity to return to the theater stage, away from the chaotic Hollywood. Later, she was active on stage and on television, and her appearance was still moving. She received lifetime achievement awards from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and the American Film Institute in 1971 and 1984. At the age of 94, she also co-starred with Bette Davis in "The Whale of August," the last work of her career. When everyone saw her on the screen, they found that she still had a girlish appearance like a "porcelain doll".
13 Lillian Gish never married, had no children, and dedicated everything to the acting career. Some people say that she had a romance with Griffith, but in fact she has always regarded Griffith as a mentor in life, calling him "Mr. Griffith". Griffiths's career went downhill, and she respected him as before. Griffiths was impoverished and ill in his later years, and Lilian Gisch guarded him until his death. Lillian Gish also promoted the issuance of Griffith stamps so that the great director would not be forgotten. The relationship between these two men has long since transcended the mundane.
In 1993, Lillian Gisch left the world in a dream at the age of 99. She is like an ethereal fairy, bringing beautiful dreams to the world, and then quietly leaving. No matter how long it has been, the charm of this goddess is impressive.