Collection Summary
Lillian Gish Papers
1829-1978
(bulk 1920-1969)
1829-1978
(bulk 1920-1969)
MSS22871
Gish, Lillian,
1893-1993
9,750
items
25 containers plus 1 artifact
10.8 linear feet
English
Collection material in
English
Manuscript Division, Library of
Congress
Washington, D.C.
Actress. Chiefly
synopses of silent films and scripts of plays, films, and television
productions in which Gish did not appear; scripts, some annotated, for
productions in which she did perform; letters received by Gish; and legal
files.
Selected Search Terms
The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the LC Catalog. They are grouped by name of person or organization, by subject or location, and by occupation and listed alphabetically.
People
Duell, Charles H. (Charles Holland), 1889- --Trials, litigation, etc.
Gish, Dorothy.
Gish, Lillian, 1893-1993.
O'Neill, Carlotta.
O'Neill, Eugene, 1888-1953.
Organizations
America First Committee.
American Academy of Dramatic Arts.
Subjects
Acting.
Drama--Stories, plots, etc.
Motion pictures--Production and direction.
Titles
All the way home (Play)
Anya (Play)
Arsenic and old lace (Television play)
I never sang for my father (Play)
Night of the hunter (Motion picture)
Nine Pine street (Play)
Portrait of a Madonna (Play)
Star-wagon (Play)
Uncle Vanya (Play)
Occupations
Actresses.
Provenance
The papers of Lillian Gish, actress and author, were given to the
Library of Congress by Gish, 1970-1980. An additional item was purchased in
1992.
Processing History
The papers of Lillian Gish were processed in 1980. Additional material
was added in 1985 and 2012. The finding aid was revised in 2012.
Transfers
Items have been transferred from the Manuscript Division to other
custodial divisions of the Library. Some photographs, posters, and drawings
have been transferred to the Prints and Photographs Division. Maps have been
transferred to the Geography and Map Division. All transfers are identified in
these divisions as part of the Lillian Gish Papers.
Other Repositories
Other papers of Lillian Gish can be found in the Billy Rose Theater
Division of the New York Public Library, New York, N.Y.
Copyright Status
Copyright in the unpublished writings of Lillian Gish in these papers
and in other collections of papers in the custody of the Library of Congress
has been dedicated to the public.
Access and Restrictions
The papers of Lillian Gish are open to research. Researchers are
advised to contact the Manuscript Reading Room prior to visiting. Many
collections are stored off-site and advance notice is needed to retrieve these
items for research use.
Preferred Citation
Researchers wishing to cite this collection should include the
following information: Container number, Lillian Gish Papers, Manuscript
Division, Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.
Biographical Note
Date
Event
1893 Oct. 14
Born, Springfield, Ohio
1901
Made her stage debut
1905
Danced in Sarah Bernhardt's stage production, New York,
N.Y.
1912
Began her movie career, working for D. W. Griffith's Biograph
Studio, film debut in
An Unseen Enemy
1913
Appeared on stage with Mary Pickford in
A Good Little Devil
1914
Appeared in the film
Birth of a Nation
1915
1916
Appeared in the film
Intolerance
1917
Traveled to Europe to appear in D. W. Griffith's film
Hearts of the World
1919
Appeared in the film
Broken Blossoms
1920
Appeared in the film
Way Down East
Directed the film
Remodeling Her Husband
1921
Appeared in her last D. W. Griffith film
Orphans of the Storm
1925
Joined the Metro-Goldwyn Co.
1925
1932
Involved in litigation resulting from suits filed by producer
Charles Duell
1929
Appeared in her first talking motion picture,
One Romantic Night
1930
Returned to the stage in the play
Uncle Vanya
1948
Appeared on stage in
Crime and Punishment
Television debut in
The Late Christopher Bean
,
Philco Playhouse
1950
Appeared on stage in
Miss Mabel
and
The Curious Savage
1954
1960
Appeared in the films
Night of the Hunter
,
Duel in the Sun
,
Portrait of Jennie
, and
The Unforgiven
1960
1961
Appeared on stage in
The Family Reunion
and
All the Way Home
1963
Appeared on stage in
Too True To Be Good
and
A Passage to India
1965
Appeared on stage in
Romeo and Juliet
1967
Appeared in the film
The Comedians
Appeared on the stage in
I Never Sang for My Father
1968
Appeared with Helen Hayes in the television version of
Arsenic and Old Lace
1969
Published with Ann Pinchot
Lillian Gish; The Movies, Mr. Griffith, and Me
. Englewood Cliffs, N.J.: Prentice-Hall
1969, 1971
1973
Toured Europe, Russia, and United States as lecturer on the
art of film
1971
Received Honorary Academy Award
1973
Published
Dorothy and Lillian Gish
. New York: Scribner
Received Handel medallion, City of New York, N.Y.
1978
Appeared in the films
La Boheme
and
A Wedding
1980
Appeared in the television film
Thin Ice
1982
Received Kennedy Center Honors, Washington, D.C.
1983
Appeared in television production of
Hobson's Choice
1984
Received the Lifetime Achievement Award, American Film
Institute
Appeared in the film
Hambone and Hillie
1987
Last film role in
The Whales of August
1993, Feb. 27
Died, New York, N.Y.
Scope and Content Note
The papers of Lillian Diana Gish (1893-1993) span the years 1829-1978
with the bulk of the material dating from 1920 to 1969. They are arranged into
the following series:
[
General
Correspondence
](gc);
[
Subject
File
](sub);
[
Speech, Article,
and Drama File
](sp);
[
Miscellany
](misc);
[
Additions
](add);
and
[
Artifacts
](art).
Lillian Gish was a silent film star whose acting career on stage, in
motion pictures, and on television spanned more that eighty years. The bulk of
the Gish Papers consists of scripts of plays, movie and television scenarios,
and synopses of silent films that are part of the
[
Speech, Article,
and Drama File
](sp), but the majority of these are works in which Gish did not
perform. However, there are scripts, a few of which are annotated, of
productions in which she did appear, including the plays
All the Way Home
,
Anya
,
I Never Sang for My Father
,
Nine Pine Street
,
Portrait of a Madonna
,
The Star-Wagon
, and
Uncle Vanya
; the movie
The Night of the Hunter
; and the television production of
Arsenic and Old Lace
.
Included in the
[
Subject File
](sub)
are papers pertaining to Gish's involvement with groups and organizations such
as the America First Committee and the American Academy of Dramatic Arts.
[
Miscellany
](misc)
includes financial papers, interviews, printed matter about Gish that includes
material about her younger sister, the actress Dorothy Gish, scrapbook pages
featuring printed portraits of Gish in the silent film era, as well as a
holograph testimonial written by the author Eugene O'Neill to his wife
Carlotta.
An
[
Additions
](add)
series is comprised of material added to the papers after 1980. Addition I
consists of correspondence and legal papers involving lawsuits brought against
Gish by producer Charles Duell in the 1920s. Addition II is a typed letter
signed by Gish in which she provides answers to two questions about actors and
acting.
Arrangement of the Papers
This collection is arranged in six series:
-
[
General
Correspondence, 1924-1970
](gc)
-
[
Subject File,
1906-1969
](sub)
-
[
Speech, Article,
and Drama File, 1923-1968
](sp)
-
[
Miscellany,
1829-1969
](misc)
-
[
Additions,
1922-1978
](add)
-
[
Artifact,
1940
](art)
Container List
Container
Contents
1
General Correspondence,
1924-1970
1924-1970
Letters received by Gish.
Arranged alphabetically by name of correspondent.
1
A miscellaneous
1
Bushman, Francis X.
1
B miscellaneous
1
Cukor, George
1
C-E miscellaneous
1
Flynn, John T.
1
F miscellaneous
1
Hall, Julian
1
Hayes, Helen
1
H-J miscellaneous
1
Kohler, Helene
1
K-M miscellaneous
1
P miscellaneous
1
Reagan, Ronald
1
Rogers, Buddy
1
R miscellaneous
1
Stone, Harlan
1
S miscellaneous
1
Thompson, Frank, Jr.
1
T-U miscellaneous
1
Wanger, Walter F.
1
Weigel, Helene
1
Wilder, Thornton
1
W miscellaneous
1
Unidentified
2-6
Subject File,
1906-1969
1906-1969
Correspondence, printed matter, and other papers.
Arranged alphabetically by topic, organization, or name of
person.
2
America First
Committee
3
American Academy of Dramatic
Arts, New York, N.Y.
4
American Institute of
Architects
4
Atkinson, Brooks
4
Commission of Fine Arts, report
to the president
4
Congress Hall, Berlin,
Germany
4
Daughters of the American
Revolution
4
European trip,
1935
1935
4
Federal Advisory Committee on the
Arts
4
Federal grants for fine arts
programs and projects
4
Fine Arts secretary, presidential
cabinet position
5
George Eastman House Second
Festival of Film Artists, Rochester, N.Y.
5
Griffith, D. W.
5
Lincoln Center for the Performing
Arts, New York, N.Y.
5
Marsh, Mae
5
National Council on the Arts and
Government
6
Purves, Edmund R.
[
See Container 4, American Institute of
Architects](AIA4)
6
Rollins College, Winter Park,
Fla.
6
Rooke, James S.
7-17
Speech, Article, and Drama
File,
1923-1968
1923-1968
Scripts, speeches, articles.
Organized by type of writing or production and alphabetically
therein. Speeches are arranged chronologically.
6
Speeches
6
1940, Apr. 1
1940, Apr. 1
6
1941, Apr. 1
1941, Apr. 1
6
1957, May 15
6
Untitled,
undated
undated
6
Articles
6
"Women in the
Theatre"
6
"Woman with a
Broom"
6
Untitled,
undated
undated
7
Plays
7
All the Way Home
7
Anya
7
Autumn Blooming
7
Broken Silence
7
Brother to Dragons
7
Bub
7
The Burnt Flower Bed
8
The Cave Dwellers
8
A Charm of Finches
8
The Children's Playhouse
8
The Cotillion
8
Cracks
8
Daughters of Atreus
8
Dear Liar
9
The Family Reunion
9
Farewell, Farewell Eugene
9
The Good Pretenders
9
The Great Big Doorstop
9
The Green Stick
9
High Tor
9
Hurrahs! And Fare Thee Wells
9
I Never Sang for My Father
10
The Infinite Light
10
The Joyous Season
10
Lady from the Sea
10
Mother's Day
10
The Nightingale
10
Nine Pine Street
10
Pagan in the Parlor
10
Pavillon sur Mer
11
Peer Gynt
11
A Play on Mesmer
11
Portrait of a Madonna
11
The Quiet Room
11
Romeo and Juliet
11
A Sea Shell
12
Seven Women
12
Siren
12
The Star-Wagon
12
A Stranger in This City
12
The Sweet Birds Sang
12
The Third Day
12
Tippie and Me
12
Too True to Be Good
12
The Tower Beyond Tragedy
13
Uncle Vanya
13
The Wreck on the Five-Twenty-Five
13
The Yearling
13
Untitled
13
Plays performed on Broadway,
list
13
Plays performed, but not on
Broadway, list
13
Plays read but not performed,
list
13
Synopses of miscellaneous plays
and movies
14
Movies
14
Alarm and Flight
14
The Belles of Long Ago
14
The Cobweb
14
Crime and Punishment
14
The Emperor Jones
14
Follow Me, Boys
15
Orders to Kill
15
The Night of the Hunter
15
The Streets of New York
15
Thou Shalt Not Kill
15
The Warning Shot
16
Silent movie
scripts
16
Film stories and scripts not
performed, list
16
Television
productions
16
Arsenic and Old Lace
16
Body in the Barn
16
Breaking Point
17
Coincidence
17
The Defenders
17
Lillian Gish Remembers
17
Mr. Novak
17
Mrs. Herman and Mrs. Kenmore
17
Morning's at Seven
17
Remember the Women
17
The Retiring of Mrs. Hasbrouck
17
The Spiral Staircase
17
Too Much for Granted
17
The Trip to Bountiful
17
Television scripts performed,
list
17
Television scripts not
performed, list
17
Productions in which Lillian and
Dorothy Gish appeared, list
18-21
Miscellany,
1829-1969
1829-1969
Financial papers, interviews, music, printed matter, scrapbook
pages, and other papers.
Arranged alphabetically by type of material, topic, or name of
person.
18
Financial papers
18
"The Gish Girls," by John
Vlahos
18
General miscellany
18
Interviews
18
Invitation to twenty-fifth
anniversary screening of
Birth of a Nation
,
1940
[
See Artifacts
](art1)
1940
18
Music
18
O'Neill, Eugene, testimonial to
Carlotta O'Neill
18
Photographs
18
Playbills
18
Prayer books
19
Printed matter
19
About Lillian Gish and Dorothy
Gish
20
Miscellaneous
21
Miscellaneous
21
Scrapbook pages
21
The Theatre in France
22-25
Additions,
1922-1978
1922-1978
A legal file of correspondence, briefs, affidavits, and related
documents in the case of Duell v. Gish, and one letter.
Organized into two additions. Addition I is arranged as received
from the donor and includes a guide at the beginning of the file.
22
Addition I, legal file, Duell v.
Gish
22
Letters regarding
files
22
Guide to files (on which the
following titles are based)
22
File I. general E -
Z
22
A. letters
22
C.
meetings-minutes-resolutions
33
D. memoranda used at
trial
22
E. memoranda of
law
22
F.
memoranda-miscellaneous
22
I. questions asked Gish by J.
A. Leve
22
J. release
22
K. statements
22
L. statements to all
papers
22
N. [unmarked file
folder]
22
File II. pleadings
22
A. loose items
22
B. pleadings,
1927
1927
22
D. pleadings,
1925
1925
22
E.
pleadings-(Duell-Ince)
23
File III. briefs-exhibit
books
23
A. loose
23
B. briefs
23
C. exhibits
23
File IV. Metro-Goldwyn
Corp.
23
A. 3227
[untitled]
23
B. memoranda
23
C. bills and
receipts
23
D. agreements
23
File V. general A-Z
23
A. clippings
23
B. affidavit
23
C. bills and
receipts
23
D. briefs
24
E. certificates
24
F. code
24
G. deposition and memorandum
regarding conversation
24
H. letters
24
I.
letters-confirmations
24
J. memoranda
24
K.
minutes-stenographers
24
L. questions
24
M. statement
24
File VI.
correspondence/pleadings
24
A. 4259 [untitled],
1927
1927
25
B. 4259 [untitled],
1928
1928
25
C. loose
documents
25
D. pleadings
25
E. pleadings-extra
copies
25
File VII.
Gish-Albin
25
A. 4780
[untitled]
25
B. bills and
receipts
25
C. letters and
cables
25
D. memoranda
25
E. notes
25
F. notice-sale
notice
25
G. loose
documents
25
File VIII. Players, Inc. and
Franz Lederer
25
A. 5519
[untitled]
25
B. letters
25
C.
memoranda-office
25
D. statement
25
Addition II, letter,
1975
1975
VA 1
Artifact,
1940
1940
Invitation.
Described according to the series, container, and folder from
which the item was removed.
VA 1
Miscellany
VA 1
Invitation to twenty-fifth
anniversary screening of
Birth of a Nation
,
1940
(Container 18)
1940