30 Facts About Dorothy Gish

Dorothy Elizabeth Gish was an American stage and screen actress.

Dorothy and her older sister Lillian Gish were major movie stars of the silent era.

Dorothy Gish was noted as a fine comedian, and many of her films were comedies.

Mary Dorothy Gish, who was "a former actress and department store clerk", moved with her daughters to East St Louis, Illinois, where she opened a candy and catering business.

In 1902, at the age of four, Dorothy Gish made her stage debut portraying the character "Little Willie" in East Lynne, an adaptation of the 1861 English novel by Ellen Wood.

In 1910, Mary heard from her husband's brother, Grant Dorothy Gish, who lived in Shawnee, Oklahoma and informed her that James was ill.

Dorothy Gish was in a hospital in nearby Norman, Oklahoma, so Mary sent 17-year-old Lillian to visit him.

Lillian and Dorothy Gish just melted right into the studio atmosphere without causing a ripple.

Dorothy Gish continued to play in many one and two reel Biograph films, learning the difficult technique of silent film acting, and preparing for opportunity when it came.

Dorothy Gish was still a person of insignificance, but she was a good sport about it; a likable kid, a bit too perky to interest the big director, so her talents blushed unnoticed by Mr Griffith.

Dorothy Gish was watching intently, for Dorothy had had so few opportunities, and now was doing so well, Lillian was unable to contain her surprise, and as she left the scene she said: 'Why, Dorothy is good; she's almost as good as I am.

Dorothy Gish's budding film career almost ended on a street in Los Angeles the day after Thanksgiving in 1914.

The near-fatal accident occurred as Dorothy Gish was walking with Lillian at the intersection of Vermont and Prospect avenues.

Miss Dorothy Gish, a moving picture actress, was seriously injured yesterday afternoon.

Dorothy Gish was later removed to the home of her mother at LaBelle apartments, Fourth and Hope streets.

The Chicago Sunday Tribune and trade papers reported that Dorothy Gish's "horrified friends" rushed to her aid, with Griffith being among those who lifted the unconscious teenager into an ambulance and reportedly rode with her in the emergency vehicle.

At the time of the accident, Gish was completing a two-reel romantic comedy with actor W E Lawrence.

In 1916 and 1917, Dorothy Gish continued to expand her acting credentials by starring in a variety of five-reelers for Fine Arts Film Company or "Griffith's studio", which was a subsidiary of Triangle Film Corporation.

Elmer Clifton directed a series of seven Paramount-Artcraft comedies with Dorothy Gish that were so successful and popular that the tremendous revenue they raked in helped to pay the cost of Griffith's expensive epics.

Dorothy Gish specialised in pantomime and light comedy, while her sister appeared in tragic roles.

Dorothy Gish became famous in this long series of Griffith-supervised films for the Triangle-Fine Arts and Paramount companies from 1918 through 1920, comedies that put her in the front ranks of film comedians.

Dorothy Gish made a film in England Nell Gwynn which led to three more films.

Dorothy Gish was introduced to Lindsay backstage, and immediately surprised the producers with her enthusiastic desire to head the first company to go on the road, with Dorothy taking the same part for the second road company, and the movie rights for Mary Pickford.

Pickford did not make the film version, but the Dorothy Gish sisters took the two road companies on extensive tours.

Dorothy Gish was such a witty and enchanting child that we enjoyed indulging her.

Dorothy Gish married only once, to James Malachi Rennie, a Canadian-born actor who co-starred with her in two productions in 1920: Remodeling Her Husband, directed by sister Lillian, and in the comedy Flying Pat.

Dorothy Gish died aged 70 in 1968 from bronchial pneumonia at a clinic in Rapallo, Italy, where she had been a patient for two years to treat hardening arteries.

In recognition of her contributions to the motion picture industry, in 1960 Dorothy Gish was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6385 Hollywood Boulevard in Los Angeles.

The Gish Film Theatre and Gallery of Bowling Green State University's Department of Theatre and Film was named for Lillian and Dorothy Gish and was dedicated on that campus in 1976.

Dorothy Gish was much more talented than I am because she had wit.