Synopses & Reviews
At the time of her death in 1993, Lillian Gish was universally recognized as a film legend. In this revealing and absorbing narrative, Charles Affron uses newly released documents to uncover a life that was cast in the shadow of self-generated myth. Filling the gaps left by Gish's selective memoirs and authorized biographies, he shows how the actress carefully shaped her public identity while keeping much of her life private.
A New York Times Notable Book
Review
"A biography of Lillian Gish, arguably the greatest silent film actress, was long overdue. Her important place in the birth of American film is generally appreciated. Her own life and personality, however, remain tantalizingly unclear. When Gish wrote or spoke about herself, it was generally with extreme reluctance, and she usually attempted to shift the subject to her sister Dorothy or her mentor D.W. Griffith. Charles Affron does his best to cover the gap, making use of some recently released papers at the New York Public Library. On the whole, however, he is unable to provide a very intimate portrait of Lillian Gish the person. This biography is essentially one of her professional career as an actress, containing only moderate insight into her political proclivities and very little insight into her private life. This is not really Affron's fault, however; Gish was simply very successful in her desire to hide her personal life from the prying eyes of the public. This book remains a must-have for her fans." Reviewed by Andrew Witmer, Virginia Quarterly Review (Copyright 2006 Virginia Quarterly Review)
Synopsis
"As someone who worked with and knew Lillian Gish for years, I found Charles Affronand#8217;s portrait revealing and moving. He rekindles the life of this intuitive and generous artist beautifully."and#151;Eva Marie Saint
About the Author
Charles Affron is Professor of French at New York University. He is the author of Sets in Motion, Cinema and Sentiment, Divine Garbo, and Star Acting: Gish, Garbo, Davis. He lives in New York City.