Notable people · Entertainment
Dorothy Gish
Younger sister of Lillian Gish, born in Dayton; known as a comedian of silent films, with a breakout in Hearts of the World (1918). Died in Rapallo, Italy.
At a glance
- Born
- 1898-03-11
- Died
- 1968-06-04
- Known as
- Entertainment
- Organizations
- D. W. Griffith, Biograph
Life story
Dorothy Gish was born in Dayton in 1898. Her mother supported the family after her father left, and Dorothy made her stage debut at four in East Lynne.
She and Lillian began as extras at Biograph in 1912 after Mary Pickford introduced them to D. W. Griffith. A 1914 car accident in Los Angeles crushed her foot.
By 1915 she was a star. Hearts of the World (1918) made her a comedy star, and she made Paramount-Artcraft comedies from 1918 to 1920.
She worked on Broadway in the 1920s onward, including Life with Father (1939) and The Magnificent Yankee (1946). She died in Rapallo, Italy, in 1968; the Dorothy and Lillian Gish Prize honors them.
Timeline
- 1898-03-11: Born in Dayton (Dayton, OH) source
- 1902: Stage debut at four in East Lynne (US) source
- 1912: Starts at Biograph (New York, NY) source
- 1914-11-26: Struck by a racing car (Los Angeles, CA) source
- 1918: Hearts of the World (US) source
- 1920: Marries James Rennie (US) source
- 1939: Life with Father on Broadway (New York, NY) source
- 1968-06-04: Dies in Rapallo, Italy (Rapallo, Italy) source
What Dorothy is known for
- Hearts of the World (1918)
- Over 100 films, 1912-1963; American Theater Hall of Fame
- Hearts of the World (1918)
- Life with Father (1939)
- The Magnificent Yankee (1946)
Honors and things named for them
- Hollywood Walk of Fame, 1960
- Dorothy and Lillian Gish Prize
Family
- sister: Lillian Gish
- husband: James Rennie
Ohio places
Where Dorothy Gish was born, lived, worked and is remembered, with the ZIP code, town and county pages for each.
- Born: Dayton, Montgomery County ZIP 45402 · Dayton · Montgomery County
Further reading
Sources
Confidence. Medium: the main facts were confirmed, but some details (often an address or ZIP code) were not.
- Dorothy Gish (Wikipedia) born Dayton OH 1898-03-11; died Rapallo Italy 1968-06-04; films