Dorothy Gish facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Dorothy Gish
Gish in 1954
Born	Dorothy Elizabeth Gish (1898-03-11)March 11, 1898 Dayton, Ohio, U.S.
Died	June 4, 1968(1968-06-04) (aged 70) Rapallo, Italy
Occupation	Actress director writer
Years active	1912–1963
Spouse(s)	James Rennie ​ ​ (m. 1920; div. 1935)​
Parent(s)	Mary Robinson McConnell (mother)
Relatives	Lillian Gish (sister)

Dorothy Elizabeth Gish (born March 11, 1898 – died June 4, 1968) was an American actress. She worked in movies and on stage. Dorothy and her older sister Lillian Gish were very famous movie stars during the silent film era. Dorothy also had great success acting on stage. She was even added to the American Theater Hall of Fame. Dorothy Gish was known for being a wonderful comedian, and many of her movies were comedies.

Early life and first roles

Dorothy Gish was born in Dayton, Ohio. She had an older sister named Lillian. Their mother, Mary Robinson McConnell Gish, took care of the family after their father, a traveling salesman, left them. Mary Gish had been an actress before. She moved with her daughters to East St. Louis, Illinois. There, she started a candy and catering business.

In 1902, when Dorothy was just four years old, she started acting on stage. Her first role was "Little Willie" in a play called East Lynne.

In 1912, a friend from their childhood, actress Mary Pickford, introduced Dorothy and Lillian to a director named D. W. Griffith. The sisters began working as extras at Biograph Studios in New York. They earned 50 dollars a week. At first, Griffith found it hard to tell the sisters apart. So, Lillian wore a blue ribbon in her hair, and Dorothy wore a red one. The girls impressed the director. He took them with his cast and crew to California to make more films.

Dorothy's movie career

Dorothy in Stars of the Photoplay, 1916

Dorothy and Lillian first appeared in Griffith's 1912 movie An Unseen Enemy. Dorothy went on to act in over 100 short films and longer movies. She often worked with her sister Lillian. Throughout her career, Dorothy was often compared to her older sister by critics and others in the movie business.

A serious accident in 1914

Dorothy Gish's movie career almost ended in Los Angeles in 1914. The day after Thanksgiving, the 16-year-old actress was hit by a fast car. Newspapers reported the event and described her severe injuries. The accident happened while Dorothy was walking with Lillian. After the car hit her, it dragged her for about 40 to 50 feet. Other movie people, including D. W. Griffith, saw the accident happen.

Dorothy was rushed to the hospital. Surgeons treated her badly hurt left side and her damaged right foot. She had to recover for over a month. Because of this, the movie she was making, How Hazel Got Even, was delayed. It was finally released in February 1915.

Becoming a comedy star (1915–1928)

After getting better, Dorothy continued her acting career. She appeared in many short films and longer movies. Her popularity grew in 1915. Motion Picture Magazine called her "one of the most popular film stars."

In 1916 and 1917, Dorothy acted in many five-reel films for Griffith's studio. These movies were filmed in New York and on the West Coast.

In the 1918 movie Hearts of the World, which was about World War I, Dorothy found her special talent for comedy. She played a street singer. Her performance was a highlight of the film. This role helped her become a star in comedy movies.

Dorothy Gish, around 1920

While Griffith was busy with his big movies like The Birth of a Nation, Dorothy starred in many other films. These were directed by young directors who had learned from Griffith. She became very famous for her comedies from 1918 to 1920. These films made her one of the top film comedians. Sadly, almost all of these movies are now considered lost films.

Dorothy was great at pantomime (acting without words) and light comedy. Her sister Lillian, however, often played sad roles. Dorothy once said that comedy was often misunderstood. She felt people thought it was easier than serious acting.

She also made a movie in England called Nell Gwynn. This led to three more films. Dorothy earned a lot of money, about £41,000, for these movies.

Talking pictures and stage success

When movies started to have sound, Dorothy made one talking picture in 1930. It was a British crime movie called Wolves. Before this, in 1928 and 1929, her acting in the Broadway play Young Love made her want to perform live on stage again. This play was very popular in New York and other places. Its success convinced her to take a break from making movies.

Postcard of Gish in Life with Father

In 1939, Dorothy and Lillian Gish found a very special stage role. They saw the play Life with Father in New York. Lillian thought it would be perfect for them to take on tour across America. The Gish sisters took two different touring groups of the play all over the country. Another successful play for Dorothy was The Magnificent Yankee in 1946. Critics praised her performance in it.

Television and final films

In the 1950s, television gave many actors a chance to perform live plays. Dorothy appeared on NBC's Lux Video Theatre in 1955. She acted in a show called Miss Susie Slagle's. She and Lillian had acted in the movie version of this play in 1945.

From 1930 until she died, Dorothy only made five more movies. These included Our Hearts Were Young and Gay (1944), which was a big hit. Director Otto Preminger cast Dorothy in his 1946 film, Centennial Summer. In 1951, she played the widow of a mill owner in The Whistle at Eaton Falls. She also appeared in several TV shows. Her last movie role was in 1963 in another Otto Preminger film, The Cardinal. In it, she played the mother of the main character.

Personal life

Dorothy Gish with James Rennie in Flying Pat (1920)

Dorothy Gish was married once. She married James Malachi Rennie (1890–1965). He was an actor from Canada. They acted together in two movies in 1920: Remodeling Her Husband and Flying Pat. In December 1920, they got married in Greenwich, Connecticut. Dorothy's friend, actress Constance Talmadge, also got married there at the same time. Dorothy and James stayed married until they divorced in 1935. Dorothy never married again.

Death and legacy

Dorothy Gish died in 1968 at age 70. She passed away from bronchial pneumonia at a clinic in Rapallo, Italy. She had been a patient there for two years for health issues. Her sister Lillian was with her when she died. Dorothy's ashes were later buried in Saint Bartholomew's Episcopal Church in New York City. Lillian, who died in 1993, was buried next to her.

In 1960, Dorothy Gish received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. This was to honor her work in the movie industry. Her star is at 6385 Hollywood Boulevard in Los Angeles.

The Gish Film Theatre and Gallery at Bowling Green State University was named after Lillian and Dorothy Gish in 1976.

Partial filmography

Images for kids

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  Peppy Polly (1919)

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  Boots (1919)

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  Dorothy Gish with a doll.

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  Dorothy (with fan) and her sister Lillian, 1921

See also

In Spanish: Dorothy Gish para niños