Dorothy Gish | Silent film, Biograph, Lillian Gish

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Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. </div> <div class="label mt-20 mb-10">Select Citation Style</div> <select class="js-citation-format-select form-select"> <option selected value="mla">MLA</option> <option value="apa">APA</option> <option value="chicago">Chicago Manual of Style</option> </select> <div class="citation font-serif border rounded p-15 mt-20" data-authors="The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica" data-title="Dorothy Gish" data-published-date="31 May. 2024" data-url="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Dorothy-Gish" > <div class="citation-text"></div> </div> <button class="js-copy-citation-button mt-20 btn btn-xs btn-outline-blue border shadow-sm pr-10" > <em class="material-icons md-icon ml-n10 my-n5 mr-5" data-icon="file_copy"></em> <span class="js-citation-status-text">Copy Citation</span> </button> </div> </div> </div> <div> <button class="js-share-modal-button js-modal btn btn-sm btn-link gtm-topic-tool font-weight-bold btn-link" data-modal="[data-topic-id=234346] .md-share-modal"> <em class="material-icons mr-5 ml-n10 my-n5 md-icon" data-icon="share"></em> Share </button> <div class="md-share-modal size-lg d-none qa-share-modal"> <div class="md-modal-body"> <div class="h2 font-serif d-flex align-items-center pb-15 border-bottom"> <em class="material-icons text-blue mr-10" data-icon="share"></em> Share </div> <div class="label my-20">Share to social media</div> <div class="md-social-toolbar-circle d-flex align-items-start inverted" data-value="share" title="Dorothy Gish" data-url="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Dorothy-Gish" > <a class="social-icon facebook justify-content-center d-flex align-items-center align-self-center" data-provider="facebook" href="https://www.facebook.com/BRITANNICA/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span>Facebook</span></a> <a class="social-icon x justify-content-center d-flex align-items-center align-self-center" data-provider="x" href="https://x.com/britannica" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span>X</span></a> </div> <div class="label pt-20 mt-20 mb-5 border-top">URL</div> <a class="font-serif text-truncate d-inline-block" href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Dorothy-Gish">https://www.britannica.com/biography/Dorothy-Gish</a> </div> </div> </div> <div> <button class="js-feedback-modal-button js-modal btn btn-sm btn-link gtm-topic-tool font-weight-bold btn-link" data-modal=".md-feedback-modal"> <em class="material-icons mr-5 ml-n10 my-n5 md-icon" data-icon="message"></em> Feedback </button> </div> <div> <button class="qa-external-website-modal-button js-modal btn btn-sm btn-link gtm-topic-tool font-weight-bold btn-link" data-modal="[data-topic-id=234346] .md-websites-modal"> <em class="material-icons md-icon ml-n10 mr-5" data-icon="link"></em> External Websites </button> </div> </div> <div class="md-feedback-modal size-lg d-none"> <div class="md-modal-body"> <div class="h2 font-serif pb-15 border-bottom"> Feedback </div> <form method="post" action="/submission/feedback/234346"> <div class="my-20"> Corrections? 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They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors.</div> </a> <div data-popper-arrow></div> </div> <span class="btn btn-link editor-link p-0 qa-byline-link gtm-byline font-12 byline-contributor text-decoration-underline"> The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica</span></div> <div class="last-updated font-12 font-serif"> <a class="byline-edit-history" href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Dorothy-Gish/additional-info#history" rel="nofollow">Article History</a> </div></div> </div> <button class="d-flex d-lg-none btn btn-outline-blue border rounded-sm shadow-sm mobile-toc-button gtm-mobile-toc-inline-button d-none d-sm-block js-sections-inline-button module-spacing btn d-lg-none"> <em class="material-icons mr-5 ml-n10 my-n5 md-icon" data-icon="toc"></em> Table of Contents </button> <div class="d-flex d-sm-none flex-row"> <button class="d-flex d-lg-none btn btn-outline-blue border rounded-sm shadow-sm mobile-toc-button gtm-mobile-toc-inline-button js-sections-inline-button module-spacing"> <em class="material-icons mr-5 ml-n10 my-n5 md-icon" data-icon="toc"></em> Table of Contents </button> <button class="ai-ask-button btn border-2 ai-ask-button btn border-2 module-spacing btn-sm js-inline-ai-ask-button btn-outline-red-400 border-red-400 p-10 ml-5"> Ask the Chatbot a Question </button> </div> <div class="js-qf-module qf-module px-40 px-sm-20 py-15 mx-auto module-spacing font-14 bg-gray-50 rounded"> <div class="qf-title font-weight-bold font-14 mb-10 text-center"> Quick Facts</div> <div class="facts-list mt-10"> <div class=""> <div class="js-fact mb-10 line-clamp clamp-3"> <dl> <dt>In full: </dt> <dd>Dorothy Elizabeth Gish</dd> </dl> <button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-gray-50" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"> <em class="js-content link-blue">(Show more)</em> </button> </div> </div> <div class=""> <div class="js-fact mb-10 line-clamp clamp-3"> <dl> <dt>Born: </dt> <dd>March 11, 1898, <a href="/place/Massillon">Massillon</a>, <a href="/place/Ohio-state">Ohio</a>, U.S.</dd> </dl> <button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-gray-50" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"> <em class="js-content link-blue">(Show more)</em> </button> </div> </div> <div class=""> <div class="js-fact mb-10 line-clamp clamp-3"> <dl> <dt>Died: </dt> <dd>June 4, 1968, <a href="/place/Rapallo">Rapallo</a>, <a href="/place/Italy">Italy</a> (aged 70)</dd> </dl> <button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-gray-50" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"> <em class="js-content link-blue">(Show more)</em> </button> </div> </div> <div class=""> <div class="js-fact mb-10 line-clamp clamp-3"> <dl> <dt>Also Known As: </dt> <dd>Dorothy Elizabeth Gish</dd> </dl> <button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-gray-50" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"> <em class="js-content link-blue">(Show more)</em> </button> </div> </div> <div class=""> <div class="js-fact mb-10 line-clamp clamp-3"> <dl> <dt>Notable Family Members: </dt> <dd>sister <a href="/biography/Lillian-Gish">Lillian Gish</a></dd> </dl> <button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-gray-50" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"> <em class="js-content link-blue">(Show more)</em> </button> </div> <div class="text-center"> <a class="btn btn-sm btn-link p-0" href="/facts/Dorothy-Gish"> See all related content </a> </div> </div> </div> </div><span class="marker before-article"></span><section data-level="1" id="ref1"><span class="marker PREMOD1 mod-inline"></span><p class="topic-paragraph"><strong><span id="ref978736"></span>Dorothy Gish</strong> (born March 11, 1898, <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Massillon" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">Massillon</a>, <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Ohio-state" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">Ohio</a>, U.S.鈥攄ied June 4, 1968, <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Rapallo" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">Rapallo</a>, Italy) was an American actress who, like her sister <span id="ref978737"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Lillian-Gish" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Lillian</a>, was a major figure in silent films, particularly director <span id="ref978738"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/D-W-Griffith" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">D.W. Griffith</a>鈥檚 classics.</p><span class="marker MOD1 mod-inline"></span><span class="marker PREMOD2 mod-inline"></span><p class="topic-paragraph">Gish grew up in <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/New-York-City" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">New York City</a> and made her stage debut at age four. She and Lillian formed close friendships with the actress <a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Mary-Pickford" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Mary Pickford</a> (then known as Gladys Mary Smith) during their childhood. Pickford introduced them to Griffith in 1912. Griffith immediately gave them small parts in a series of silent movies, beginning with <em>An Unseen Enemy</em> (1912), and placed them under contract to his studio the next year.</p><span class="marker MOD2 mod-inline"></span><span class="marker PREMOD3 mod-inline"></span><div class="assemblies"><div class="w-100"><figure class="md-assembly m-0 mb-md-0 card card-borderless print-false" data-assembly-id="109182" data-asm-type="image"><div class="md-assembly-wrapper card-media " data-type="image"><a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/41/90641-050-2A9CD2CA/Dorothy-Gish-The-Little-School-Maam.jpg" class="gtm-assembly-link position-relative d-flex align-items-center justify-content-center media-overlay-link card-media" data-href="/media/1/234346/109182"><picture><source media="(min-width: 680px)" srcset="https://cdn.britannica.com/41/90641-050-2A9CD2CA/Dorothy-Gish-The-Little-School-Maam.jpg?w=300"><img src="https://cdn.britannica.com/41/90641-050-2A9CD2CA/Dorothy-Gish-The-Little-School-Maam.jpg?w=300" alt="Dorothy Gish in The Little School Ma'am (1916)." data-width="1600" data-height="1125" loading="eager"></picture><button class="magnifying-glass btn btn-circle position-absolute shadow btn-white top-10 right-10" aria-label="Zoom in"><em class="material-icons link-blue" data-icon="zoom_in"></em></button></a></div><figcaption class="card-body"><div class="md-assembly-caption text-muted font-14 font-serif line-clamp"><span><a class="gtm-assembly-link md-assembly-title font-weight-bold d-inline font-sans-serif mr-5 media-overlay-link" href="https://cdn.britannica.com/41/90641-050-2A9CD2CA/Dorothy-Gish-The-Little-School-Maam.jpg" data-href="/media/1/234346/109182">Dorothy Gish in <em>The Little School Ma'am</em> (1916).</a><button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-white js-content" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"><span class="link-blue">(more)</span></button></span></div></figcaption></figure></div></div><p class="topic-paragraph">Dorothy, who was more <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off mw" data-term="vivacious" href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/vivacious" data-type="MW">vivacious</a> than her sister, attracted a following in <em>The Mountain Rat</em> (1914), <em>The Mysterious Shot</em> (1914), and other films. Together, Dorothy and Lillian appeared in several of Griffith鈥檚 greatest films, including <em>Home, Sweet Home</em> (1914), <em>The Sisters</em> (1914), <em>Hearts of the World</em> (1918), and <em>Orphans of the Storm</em> (1921). In 1920 Dorothy appeared in <em>Remodeling Her Husband</em>, which was directed by Lillian. Two years later they both left Griffith, Dorothy going to Paramount Studios and Lillian to the Tiffany Company and later to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Dorothy鈥檚 subsequent films include <em>Romola</em> (1924), in which Lillian also appeared; <em>Clothes Make the Pirate</em> (1925); and two movies made in England, <em>Nell Gwyn</em> (1926) and <em>Madame Pompadour</em> (1927).</p><a class="link-module shadow-sm d-block qa-quiz-module" href="/quiz/pop-culture-quiz" data-link-module-iframe-link=""> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/65/129465-131-8F637272/USA-Annual-Academy-Awards-Closeup-entrance-statue-2009.jpg" alt="USA 2006 - 78th Annual Academy Awards. Closeup of giant Oscar statue at the entrance of the Kodak Theatre in Los Angeles, California. Hompepage blog 2009, arts and entertainment, film movie hollywood" class="rounded-sm mr-15" width="70" /> <div class="line-clamp clamp-5"> <div class="module-title bg-green">Britannica Quiz</div> <div class="font-weight-semi-bold mt-5">Pop Culture Quiz</div> </div> </a><div class="one-good-fact-module"> </div><span class="marker MOD3 mod-inline"></span><span class="marker PREMOD4 mod-inline"></span><p class="topic-paragraph">Gish returned to the stage with the rise of talking pictures. She enjoyed a number of Broadway and London successes in <em>Young Love</em> (1928), <em>The Inspector General</em> (1930), <em>By Your Leave</em> (1934), <em>Missouri Legend</em> (1938), <em>Life with Father</em> (1940), <em>Magnificent Yankee</em> (1946), <em>The Man</em> (1950), and other plays. She continued to appear from time to time in films, notably <em>Our Hearts Were Young and Gay</em> (1944). Her last performances were in a 1956 Broadway revival of <em>Life with Father</em> and in the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/art/motion-picture" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">film</a> <em>The Cardinal</em> (1963).</p><span class="marker MOD4 mod-inline"></span></section> <span class="md-signature">This article was most recently revised and updated by <a href="/contributor/encyclopaedia-britannica/12989892">Encyclopaedia Britannica</a>.</span><span class="marker end-of-content"></span><span class="marker after-article"></span></div> <div id="chatbot-root"></div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="ai-dialog-placeholder"></div> </div> </div> <aside class="col-md-da-320"></aside> </div> </div> </div> </div> </article></div> </div></div> </div> </main> <div id="md-footer"></div> <noscript><iframe src="//www.googletagmanager.com/ns.html?id=GTM-5W6NC8" height="0" width="0" style="display:none;visibility:hidden"></iframe></noscript> <script type="text/javascript" id="_informizely_script_tag"> var IzWidget = IzWidget || {}; (function (d) { var scriptElement = d.createElement('script'); scriptElement.type = 'text/javascript'; scriptElement.async = true; scriptElement.src = "https://insitez.blob.core.windows.net/site/f780f33e-a610-4ac2-af81-3eb184037547.js"; var node = d.getElementById('_informizely_script_tag'); node.parentNode.insertBefore(scriptElement, node); } )(document); </script>  <script> window.ap3c = window.ap3c || {}; var ap3c = window.ap3c; ap3c.cmd = ap3c.cmd || []; ap3c.cmd.push(function() { ap3c.init('ZO4siT4cLwnykPnzZWJtd3Byb2Q', 'https://engage.email.britannica.com/'); ap3c.track({v: 0}); }); ap3c.activity = function(act) { ap3c.act = (ap3c.act || []); ap3c.act.push(act); }; var s, t; s = document.createElement('script'); s.type = 'text/javascript'; s.src = "https://engage.email.britannica.com/app.js"; t = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; t.parentNode.insertBefore(s, t); </script> <script class="marketing-page-info" type="application/json"> {"pageType":"Topic","templateName":"DESKTOP","pageNumber":1,"pagesTotal":1,"pageId":234346,"pageLength":297,"initialLoad":true,"lastPageOfScroll":false} </script> <script class="marketing-content-info" type="application/json"> [] </script> <script src="https://cdn.britannica.com/mendel-resources/3-130/js/libs/jquery-3.5.0.min.js?v=3.130.14"></script> <script type="text/javascript" data-type="Init Mendel Code Splitting"> (function() { $.ajax({ dataType: 'script', cache: true, url: 'https://cdn.britannica.com/mendel-resources/3-130/dist/topic-page.js?v=3.130.14' }); })(); </script> <script class="analytics-metadata" type="application/json"> {"leg":"C","adLeg":"C","userType":"ANONYMOUS","pageType":"Topic","pageSubtype":null,"articleTemplateType":"BIO_MEDIUM","gisted":false,"pageNumber":1,"hasSummarizeButton":false,"hasAskButton":false} </script> <script type="text/javascript"> EBStat={accountId:-1,hostnameOverride:'webstats.eb.com',domain:'www.britannica.com', json:''}; </script> <script type="text/javascript"> ( function() { $.ajax( { dataType: 'script', cache: true, url: '//www.britannica.com/webstats/mendelstats.js?v=1' } ) .done( function() { try {writeStat(null,EBStat);} catch(err){} } ); })(); </script> <div id="bc-fixed-dialogue"></div> </body> </html>

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Dorothy Gish | Silent film, Biograph, Lillian Gish | Britannica