An Actor's Life for Me!

by Lillian Gish, Patricia Henderson Lincoln (Illustrator), Selma G. Lanes (Adapter)

Covers Lillian Gish's childhood years, spent in the theater in the early 1900s before the movie era.

Genres: Nonfiction, Biography

73 pages, Hardcover

First published November 1, 1987

About the author

Lillian Diana Gish was an American stage, screen and television actress whose film acting career spanned 75 years, from 1912 to 1987. The longevity of her career earned her the nickname "The First Lady of American Cinema".

She was a prominent film star of the 1910s and 1920s, particularly associated with the films of director D.W. Griffith, including her leading role in Griffith's seminal Birth of a Nation (1915). Her sound-era film appearances were sporadic, but included memorable roles in the controversial western Duel in the Sun (1946) and the offbeat thriller Night of the Hunter (1955).

She did considerable television work from the early 1950s into the 1980s, and closed her career playing, for the first time, opposite Bette Davis in the 1987 film The Whales of August.

The American Film Institute (AFI) named Gish 17th among the greatest female stars of all time. She was awarded an Honorary Academy Award in 1971, and in 1984 she received an AFI Life Achievement Award.

Reviews

[Kathleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lillian Gish.

[Sa Schmidt · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought it depicted the time period well. This is the way people thought in those days about children working in any job really. Many child actors brought home the bacon cause Daddy got up and left them without a word. Many of these experiences were happy with happy outcomes. Lillian seems to have had this type experience. A real trooper, with a long career.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful children's book about the Gish sisters' careers crossing the country in the melodramas that were so popular in the early days of the 20th century. Lovely illustrations and photos. Highly recommended for theatre history buffs as well as children.

[Katelyn Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not exciting writing, but a good non-fiction/biographical memoir for a child (maybe 3-6 grade or so) to get into. It had great pictures and some nice illustrations as well. This could be a great way to help a child get into biography.