We Will Never Forget

January 28, 1986

September 11th, 2001

February 1st, 2003

The First Lady of the Silent Screen...

Miss Lillian Gish
October 14th, 1893 February 27th, 1993

At the turn of the 20th century, two sisters were embarking on their acting careers. In 1902 Lillian, the oldest, made her debut on the stage in Detroit, Michigan at the tender age of 9, the prelude to a career spanning 84 years (she attended the world premiere of her last movie at 94!). Dorothy, younger by 5 years, soon followed her lead. They were both ready when those eager entrepreneurs filled empty stores with chairs, a piano, a bedsheet and a projection machine then charged 5 cents for a 30 minute "flickers" show. They were both making movies when "special effects" meant that when the script called for a blizzard, you had to wait until one came along! And they were veterans at the trade when "flickers" became two-reelers and then "talkies.

Of the two Gish sisters, it was Dorothy who wanted to do tragedy, but found instead she was better suited for lighter fare. Lillian would go on to tug at a nation's heartstrings and cast the longest shadow. It was Lillian who was destined to become the most celebrated actress of her era.

Lillian Diane Gish was born in Springfield, Ohio on October 14th, 1893 to James and Mary McConnell Gish. The family moved to Dayton, Ohio where Dorothy Elizabeth was born 5 years later on March 11th, 1898. Now, for some reason, Dorothy's birth date was always correctly reported while Lillian's birthday seemed to dance to different tunes depending on who was asked. Another creative device was attributing the Gish ancestry to French nobility (de Guiche) when both sides of the family tree went back many generations as red, white and blue Americans. (however, it was later discovered with disciplined research that Diana, Princess of Wales, was her seventh cousin thrice removed!) The family moved from Dayton to Baltimore and then to New York as Mary tried desperately to hold the family together despite James' drinking problems.

But it was all in vain and Mary obtained a legal separation. To make ends meet, she rented rooms to actresses from a local stock company and eventually took a job as leading ingenue with the company herself under the name Mae Barnard to protect her family. Mary preferred to work with touring companies because they were insured 40 weeks of work every season. Soon the girls were old enough to take children's roles in the company offerings. Lillian said later that she only had one acting lesson: "Speak loud and clear, or they'll get another little girl!"

During the season the family often shared rooms with another actress, Christine Smith and her brood, Gladys, Lottie and Jack. So it was a shock when, in June, 1912, at a Baltimore nickelodeon Lillian and Dorothy saw Gladys up on the screen. Gladys introduced the sisters to the director at Biograph Studios, the beginning of Lillian's long-term association with David Wark Griffith. It was Griffith who directed Lillian and Dorothy's first feature movie "An Unseen Enemy" in 1912. By year's end, Lillian had made 13 films, 11 of them directed by D. W. Griffith. Oh, by the way, Gladys Smith became silent film star Mary Pickford.!

In 1914 Lillian won the role of Elsie Stoneman in Griffith's epic "The Birth of a Nation", the most widely seen and controversial film of the silent screen era and beyond. In 1916, she was cast in his second epic "Intolerance" but its sweeping spectacle failed to garner the same attention. However, Lillian's scenes didn't occupy all her time and she spent her leisure wisely learning the techniques of film making on the job. (in 1920 she would become the first American actress to direct a film "Remodeling Her Husband"!)By 1918 Lillian was Griffith's primary leading lady. and out of Griffith's next 14 films, Lillian stared in 9. Rumors of a romance between the two circulated with Griffith's declaration that Lillian had been the only woman in his life for many years but nothing came of it. Their professional association ended in 1921 but with Griffith as her mentor up to that time, Lillian got the recognition and acclaim she needed to become one of the greatest actresses on the American screen. And she became Griffith's standard bearer, referring to him as "the father of film".

Lillian signed with Inspiration Pictures and Charles Duell in 1922 and it may have been the most serious mistake of her life. She did two pictures with the studio.."White Sister", an unqualified success and proof she could survive without Griffith, and "Romola". A romantic involvement with Duell followed and so did a suit for contractual wrongdoing. Duell claimed she broke their engagement and her contract. Lillian denied both allegations. She eventually won the suit but Duell would countersue and harass her family for years.

The most important man in Lillian's life and perhaps her greatest love was George Jean Nathan, the most influential drama critic of his time. They met in 1924 through a mutual friendship with journalist H .L. Mencken not long after that "unofficial" engagement to Charles Duell. Fan magazines continually prophesied wedding bells.

The romance lasted until 1936 when Lillian's continued reluctance to marry finally soured the relationship. Her portrait as "The White Sister" hung over his bed until the day he died. She was only 53 years old but George Jean Nathan would be the last name romantically linked with hers.

From 1926 until 1928 Lillian worked under contract to MGM, a new kid on the block but the one with the greatest potential. She did 5 films for MGM including "The Scarlet Letter" which brought on a torrent of controversy and "The Wind" her last silent film to be released and a summation of her artistry in speechless acting. Then, in 1929 Joseph Schenck and United Artists wooed her for a movie based on "The Swan" (released as "One Romantic Night") and lo and behold.! .Lillian Gish finally spoke! After its release she deserted Hollywood for the Broadway stage to do "Uncle Vanya". and stayed in New York for the next ten years!

By the late 1930's Lillian was anxious to get back to film work but vehicles for an actress of her caliber and age were hard to come by. After doing three films that did nothing to challenge her, Lillian was cast as the mother in the most expensive movie Hollywood had ever made..David O. Selznick's epic western "Duel in the Sun"' It was her first venture in Technicolor but the final print had cut out most of her dramatic moments. The scenes they did release were memorable, nonetheless.

By the 1950's Lillian had passed into her fifth decade as a working actress. She had been the greatest of her era but that era had gone and her name would never again stand alone above the title. Undaunted, Lillian would make 14 more films in her lifetime, over 16 plays and numerous television movies and guest roles.

The most notable of her movies, possibly the best of her sound period, was "The Night of the Hunter". where the role of Rachel gave her scope and depth, room to develop her character and a part worthy of her.

She made her final film "The Whales of August" at the ripe old age of 93, playing Sarah to Bette Davis' Libby in this tale of two elderly sisters from Maine. She appeared at the world premiere on her 94th birthday!.

Lillian died peacefully in her own bed on February 27th, 1993. She had outlived her family (Mary had died in 1948, Dorothy in 1968) and most of her peers. A "Celebration of the Life of Lillian Gish" was held two weeks later at St. Bartholomew's Episcopal Church and all of Hollywood came to pay tribute to this faithful servant of the art of entertainment..

For more about Lillian Gish on screen and off, read Arabella's Notes.

For a complete list of the books and research papers I used in this article, please e-mail me at mamalion27@aol.com

An Unseen Enemy (1912)
Two Daughters of Eve (1912)
In the Aisles of the Wild (1912)
The One She Loved (1912)
The Painted Lady (1912)
The Musketeers of Pig Alley (1912)
Gold and Glitter (1912)
My Baby (1912)
Brutality (1912)
The Informer (1912)
The New York Hat (1912)
The Burglar's Dilemma (1912)
A Cry For Help (1912)
The Unwelcome Guest (1913)
Oil and Water (1913)
A Misunderstood Boy (1913)
The Left-Handed Man (1913)
The Lady and the Mouse (1913)
The House of Darkness (1913)
Just Gold (1913)
A Timely Interception (1913)
The Mothering heart (1913)
During the Round-Up (1913)
An Indian's Loyalty (1913)
A Woman in the Ultimate (1913)
A Modest Hero (1913)
So Runs the Way (1913)
The Madonna of the Storm (1913)
The Green-Eyed Devil (1914)
Judith of Bethulia (1914)
The Battle of Elderbush Gulch (1914)
The battle of the Sexes (1914)
The Hunchback (1914)
The Quicksands (1914)
Home, Sweet Home (1914)

The Rebellion of Kitty Belle (1914)
Lord Chumley (1914)
Man's Enemy (1914)
The Angel of Contention (1914)
The Tear that Burned (1914)
The Folly of Anne (1914)
The Sisters {A Duel for Love} (1914)
The Birth of a Nation (1915)
The Lost House (1915)
Enoch Arden (1915)
Captain Macklin (1915)
The Lily and the Rose (1915)
Daphne and the Pirate (1916)
Sold for Marriage (1916)
An Innocent Magdalene (1916)
Intolerance (1916)
Diane of the Follies (1916)
Pathways of Life (1916)
The Children Pay (1916)
A House Built on Sand (1916)
Souls Triumphant (1917)
Hearts of the World (1918)
The Great Love (1918)
Liberty Bond Short (1918)
The Greatest Thing in Life (1918)
A Romance of Happy Valley (1919)
Broken Blossoms (1919)
True Heart Susie (1919)
The Greatest Question (1919)

Remodeling Her Husband (1920)
Way Down East (1920)
Orphans of the Storm (1920)
The White Sister (1923)
Romola (1924)
Ben-Hur (1925)
La Boheme (1926)
The Scarlet Letter (1926)
Annie Laurie (1927)
The Enemy (1927)
The Wind (1928)
One Romantic Night (1930)
The Movie Album (1931)
His Double Life (1933)
Commandos Strike at Dawn (1942)
Top Man (1943)
Miss Susie Slagle's (1946)
Duel In the Sun (1946)
Portrait of Jennie (1948)
The Night of the Hunter (1955)
The Cobweb (1955)
Orders to Kill (1958)
The Unforgiven (1960)
The Love Goddesses (1965)
Follow Me, Boys (1966)
Warning Shot (1967)
The Comedians (1967)
The Comedians in Africa (1968)
Henri Langlois (1970)
A Wedding (1978)
Swedenborg: The Man Who had to Know (1978)
Johnny Appleseed (1981)
Lillian Gish (1983)
Hambone and Hillie (1984)
Sweet Liberty (1986)
The Whales of August (1987)

Star power can get the people to the theater but it takes a good story and a talented ensemble to keep them in the seats. It is the character actors and bit players that make up the ensemble.
A character actor is usually a specialist in secondary roles demanding unique physical or vocal characteristics,ethnic or regional dialects. They can literally transform themselves into whatever"look" and "body language" each part requires. Bit players round out the ensemble in smaller roles and "cement" the package together.

Frank Morgan was, and still is, the most recognizable character actor in Hollywood. This was possibly due in part to the continued popularity and availability of "The Wizard of Oz". But there was also that indelible stamp Frank put on all the characters he portrayed... his uncanny ability to change momentary gaffes into cinematic gems and to ad-lib scenes that are forever memorable. In "Naughty Marietta" an accidental choking during rehearsal became one of the funniest scenes in the film when Frank ad-libbed it right into the script.

Francis Philip Wuppermann was born on June 1st, 1890 to one of New York City's upper middle class families (his father headed Angostura-Wuppermann Corporation, the only North American distributor of Angostura bitters). The youngest of 11 (three siblings died shortly after birth), Frank attended parochial school and was a soloist in the church choir. .In fact, he was considered tone of the best boy sopranos in New York. After leaving Cornell, he worked at several jobs, including a stint in the advertising department of "The Boston Traveler" and then journeyed west to work on a ranch near Las Vegas.

It was in Las Vegas that brother Raphael (who became Ralph growing up) convinced Frank to follow the same path. So Frank enrolled in the American Academy of Arts and in 1914, he made his theatrical debut in "A Woman Killed With Kindness". Another sibling had also chosen acting. In 1915, Carlos replaced Ralph on Broadway in "Under Cover" in the role of "Monty Vaughn" . However, Carlos was tragically murdered in 1919. It was his death that, according to family members, contributed to Frank's lifelong battle with the bottle.

Frank split his time between the stage and the silent screen until the advent of talkies made his career soar and he settled permanently in California. . He also divided his time on the screen with the position of West Coast manager of the family business after his father's death.

In 1934 Frank got the Best Actor nomination for his work in "The Affairs of Cellini" but "It Happened One Night" swept the Oscars that year giving the award to Clark Gable. Then, in 1939, when Ed Wynn and W.C. Fields both turned down the Oz role, Frank begged for an audition. He did an ad-lib screen test for the part and got it hands down. He was nominated again in 1942 for Best Supporting Actor for his performance in "Tortilla Flat" but again lost out.(Van Heflin won that year for "Johnny Eager").

Frank was also a member in good standing with a select group of actors Sidney Skolsky affectionately nicknamed "The Irish Mafia" but was known to the insiders as just "the Boys' Club". He was known as "Big Frank" in the group to distinguish him from "Little Frank" McHugh because he was the elder of the two. The other members included James Cagney, Pat O'Brien, Ralph Bellamy, Spencer Tracy and Lynn Overman but over time

often included others. Only a few of them could really claim Irish ancestry (Frank's lineage was German).

Frank Morgan made over 102 films before he died in his sleep at age 59 on September 18, 1949.

. On the set of "Broken Blossoms" Lillian Gish screamed so realistically that people passing by in the street outside tried to break in to save her. It took the entire studio crew to keep them off the set.

. According to several people connected with the film "The Wizard of Oz". Something happened so bizarre that even the media wouldn't print it. Mary Mayer from Wardrobe tells it this way: "For Professor Marvel's coat, they(the studio) wanted grandeur gone to seed." The wardrobe department scouted around and found a old second-hand store on Main Street. Frank Morgan, Victor Fleming and the wardrobe head chose one from the racks. "It was a kind of Prince Albert coat. It was black broadcloth and it had a velvet collar...worn...and ratty with age." The coat fit Frank and had just the right look. Then one day, Frank turned the pocket out and inside was the name "Frank L. Baum"! When contacted later, both Baum's widow and his tailor confirmed it did indeed belong to the author of "The Wizard of Oz"! But they never could get anyone to believe it!

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Carolyn from the Nelson-Jeanette Group asks..

What else did Tom Drake do besides "Meet Me In St. Louis" with Judy Garland and "Words And Music"? What do you know about him?

Dear Carolyn,

Tom was born Alfred Alderdeiss on August 5th, 1919 in the Flatbush section of Brooklyn, N.Y. but grew up in New Rochelle. His parents died when he was 18 and he moved with his sister to Manhattan to seek an acting career. He changed the spelling of his name to Alderdice, then shortened it to Alden. In 1938, after seeing his performance on Broadway in "Clean Beds" MGM signed him to a contract as "Tom Drake".

But Drake never got the star treatment and, with the exception of "Meet Me in St. Louis" ( where he really played the boy next door) and "Words and Music" (as Richard Rodgers) Tom was stereotyped in bland boy-next-door roles when rugged he-men types were in vogue. He soon was only offered small parts in big pictures or big parts in small pictures and eventually faded from the Hollywood scene. Tom did a few European films and then went into television. He dated Judy Garland, Gloria De Haven and Cardinal Spellman's niece but none of them got him to the altar. In later years when he wasn't doing television spots, he made a living selling used cars ..across the street from the MGM lot!

Tom Drake died of lung cancer on August 11th, 1982 in Torrance, California just 6 days after his 63rd birthday,, even though he had quit both smoking and drinking years before. He had made just 22 films.

Arabella

From Rachel and David Haupt , Dothan, AL.

In your last issue, you never mentioned our hometown boy, Johnny Mack Brown. He was a star football player for the University of Alabama before he became a big western star. Whatever happened to him?

Dear Brown fans,

The omission was not intentional but space is limited. Never fear, there will be another western issue in the future and I promise Johnny will be in it. Yes, Johnny played for the Crimson Tide in the Rose Bowl game of 1926 against the Washington Huskies and it was his touchdown that won the game for Alabama 20-19! After the game he married his childhood sweetheart and took a job coaching Alabama's freshman team. But a talent scout was already on his trail and MGM signed him to a 5 year contract. The future Western star was leading man to Marion Davies, Greta Garbo, Mary Pickford and Joan Crawford before he was loaned out for King Vidor's "Billy the Kid" in 1930 and became a Western icon. He made over 200 films , most of them Westerns and most of them at Universal and Monogram after leaving MGM in the early 1930's. But by 1950 parts became scarce and he took other jobs to make ends meet (in the 1960's he was a maitre 'd at a Los Angeles restaurant!).

Johnny Mack Brown died of heart failure at 70 years of age on November 14th, 1974.

Arabella

From Georgine Hopplemeier in Seattle, WA....

Ronald Reagan was the first actor to become president and I know George Murphy, Fred Thompson, Sonny Bono and Fred Grandy all made it to Capitol Hill. But who was the first person in show business to grace the halls of Congress?

Dear Georgine,

If my files are correct, that would be Senator Glen Taylor, also from California, a stock trouper who formed his own drama-stock company and billed himself as the "Crooning Cowboy"!. As he tramped the countryside during the depression years he became painfully aware of the poverty around him. He began his political career in 1935 when he tried to organize a farm-labor party in the Nevada/Montana mountains. His first try for Congress in 1937 was also unsuccessful. Then he ran for the Senate in Idaho in 1938 and was again thwarted. After three failed bids for Congress, Taylor finally made it to the Senate in 1944. A life-long Democrat, he bolted the party to run with Henry Wallace on the Progressive Party ticket in 1948 only to lose his seat in a Truman landslide. Out of office, he became a successful business man making toupees!

Arabella