Passages of Lillian Gish costar Fritz Weaver and "Whales of August" screenwriter David Berry

Broadway veteran Fritz Weaver, 90, died November 25 at his Manhattan home. In 1958 Weaver worked with Lillian Gish in the Broadway production of T.S. Eliot's "The Family Reunion" at The Phoenix Theater. The play ran for 32 performances, October 20 to November 16, 1958. Lead actor in the pay was Conrad Bain and Lillian Gish played the role of Agatha. Weaver won a Tony Award in 1970 for the Robert Marasco Roman Catholic boys school drama, "Child's Play."  He had a long career in film, TV, and theater.




Playwright David Berry, who wrote the play and screenplay "The Whales of August" died December 16 at his Brooklyn home. He was 73 and had a heart attack.

Berry wrote the screenplay for the 1987 movie version of "The Whales of August," directed by British director Lindsay Anderson and starring Lillian Gish, Bette Davis, Ann Southern, Vincent Price, Harry Carey, Jr., Mary Steenbergen, Tisha Sterling (Southern's daughter) and Diane Ladd. This was Lillian's last film.

"The Whales of August" was filmed on location at Cliff Island, Maine, in the Casco Bay in the late summer and fall of 1986. Lillian celebrated her October 14th birthday on the island. The cast lived in trailers on the island during the production because the ferry ride from Portland was long, the ocean could be rough and the fog very thick. It was a great screenplay and a great film. Ann Southern was nominated for an Academy Award for her robust and appealing supporting role as Tisha.




Lillian Gish and Vincent Price in "The Whales of August" 1987. The film was about two elderly sisters coming to terms with their relationship, families, and their remaining time together in Lillian's Maine vacation cabin as winter approaches. Vincent Price plays Lillian's romantic interest. The play/film is set in the 1950s. It is a lovely film about how relationships change and grow over time. It is told from the perspective of the elder stars and is not explained to the audience by younger cast members.

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Jim Patterson, Editor
Writer/Speaker/Blogger
Celebrating the Life and Legend of Lillian Gish
December 27, 2016

Lillian Gish Film "The Musketeers of Pig Alley" on The National Film Registry 2016

                                              Lillian in print advert for Blackgama circa 1980s.

December 14, 2016 D.W. Griffith’s 1912 “Musketeers of Pig Alley,” the first gangster film, starring Lillian Gish and Robert Harron, was named to the National Film Registry, bringing the number of total films recognized to 700. This is Lillian’s sixth film, and her first short film, on the National Film Registry. See below.

Lillian played the role of The Little Lady. Her costars included sister Dorothy Gish, Elmer Booth, Robert Harron and two actors, Lionel Barrymore and Harry Carey, Sr, who had larger roles in other Gish films, 1947’s “Duel in the Sun,” and Harry Carey, Sr., in Griffith’s 1912 “An Unseen Enemy,” which was the film debut of The Gish Sisters. (Harry Carey, Jr., starred in Lillian’s last film “the Whales of August” in 1987.) The film also starred Jack Pickford, brother of actress Mary Pickford.  Future Academy Award-winner Donald Crisp also has a gangster role. The 17-minute film, released in October 1912 when Lillian was 19 based on an 1893 birthday, was shot at Fort Lee, New Jersey, and New York City.

Under the National Film Preservation Act, movies are only eligible to be preserved under the registry if they are at least a decade old and recognized in the National Film Preservation Board’s view as “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.” The Librarian of Congress has the final decision and the public can also nominate films for registry consideration.

Other Lillian Gish films on The National Film Registry:  The Birth of a Nation (1915), Intolerance (1916), Broken Blossoms (1919), The Wind (1928), and The Night of the Hunter (1955).

Personal note: When the National Film Registry selected Lillian’s films, I sent her a note or letter of congratulations. She always responded. Based on her letters, she was most proud “The Wind” was recognized for the film registry.  

Jim Patterson, Writer/Speaker 

Jim Patterson at the 2016 Dorothy and Lillian Gish Arts Prize Ceremony at the Whitney Museum of American Arts

Jim Patterson at the 2016 Dorothy and Lillian Gish Prize Ceremony at the Whitney Museum of American Art. November 3, 2016. I am holding an image from Ursuline Academy, the Convent School Lillian attended at the start of the 20th century. Oak Leaves, the student publication from 1935 has sweet student remembrances of Lillian. (Photos courtesy of Whitney.)

The presentation screen for the 2016, 23rd, Dorothy and Lillian Gish Prize this years at the Whitney Museum of American Art.Director Elizabeth LeCompte, The Wooster Group, was the 2016 prize recipient.

At the Dorothy and Lillian Gish Prize background screen raising a glass of red wine to Lillian. I rather like the Gish Glow above my head so I kept the image. Lillian credited red wine with keeping away anemia. She drank for health. In Lillian's last film "The Whales of August" she has a glass of red wine to her late husband on their anniversary and worries what to do with Libby (Bette Davis).

Program notes: past Gish price recipient Peter Sellers spoke fondly of Lillian and her silent films. He noted her work inspires of across time. A. A. M. Homes, author of The End of Alice and other works, a member of the Gish Prize selection committee this year, thanked Lillian for her artistry and the award which was from an artist to future artists.

In the audience I sat next to Carrie Mae Weems another member of the Selection Committee for 2016.


November 3 Historical Notes on Lillian Gish:

On November 3 1960, the Meredith Willson musical "The Unsinkable Molly Brown" opened on Broadway with Tammy Grimes in the title role (532 performances).  Grimes won a Tony Award for her role and in 1970 in Noel Coward’s Private Lives (198 Performances). Starred with Lillian Gish in A Musical Jubilee on Broadway in 1975 (92 performances) Jim Patterson Note: Tammy Grimes died October 31, 2016

On November 3 1990 Mary Martin, actress (Peter Pan), dies of cancer at 76. See Mary Martin interview Lillian at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z3ZUTU9fwpA
Lillian wanted the role of Peter Pan in the 1924 silent film. Role went to Betty Bronson.

Nov 3 was her 86^th birthday of actress Lois Smith who was Carrie Watts in the 2005 Peter Norton revival of "The Trip to Bountiful" at Peter Norton Space Off-Broadway in New York. Lillian was the original Mrs. Carrie Watts in the 1955 film and stage production of the Horton Foote play for 39 performances. After Broadway, Lillian toured in the production.

Lillian Gish Wished to Play Desdemona Opposite Paul Robeson

                                                                Lillian circa mid-1940s

On November 1 1604, William Shakespeare's tragedy "Othello" was presented at Whitehall Palace in London.

Lillian loved all the classics, especially Shakespeare, and in 1930, when she left Hollywood for the stage, she wanted to play Desdemona opposite Paul Robeson.

Albany Times Union August 30 1930

"[Lillian Gish] said she had not been asked to play opposite Paul Robeson, [N]egro star, in an American production of Shakespeare's "Othello," but 'if Robeson is, as one hears, the greatest actor of Othello in the world, I should be glad to play opposite him (as Desdemona)'". Assuming 1898 birth, Lillian would have been 32 at the time. 

Ward Morehouse in The New York Sun November 7, 1930

“Lillian Gish writes from Chicago that she won't appear as Desdemona this season because Jed Harris has abandoned his plan to do ‘Othello.’"

Historical Note:

Paul Robeson played Othello at The Schubert Theater for nearly 300 performances in 1943 with German Uta Hagen, then 24, as Desdemona.  He was the first African American lead with an all-white supporting cast on Broadway. Miss Gish would have been 45 then assuming an 1898 birth. Lillian was doing older roles by then. Robeson played Othello in London in 1930 with Dame Peggy Ashcroft, then 23, as Desdemona. 

Belasco Theater Opened October 16 1907 and Lillian Had a Hit There in 1960 with "All the Way Home."

                                        Lillian Gish with John Megna in "All the Way Home." 

On October 16 1907 Belasco Theater opened at 111 W 44th St NYC and  David Belasco's "Grand Army Man," premiered. 

In November 1960 Miss Gish began a long run there in "All the Way Home." Notice Jeff Conaway was in the cast as well as John Megna. The above photo is of Miss Gish with Megan. 

                                             Lillian Gish, seated, with Colleen Dewhurst. 

All the Way Home   

Belasco Theatre, (11/30/1960 - 9/16/1961)

First Preview:	Nov 29, 1960	Total Previews:	1
Opening Date:	Nov 30, 1960
Closing Date:	Sep 16, 1961	Total Performances:	333

Category: Play, Drama, Original, Broadway

Setting: In and around Knoxville, Tennessee. May 1915.

 

• Opening Night Credits
• Awards

Production Staff
Theatre Owned / Operated by The Shubert Organization
Produced by Fred Coe; Produced in association with Arthur Cantor
Written by Tad Mosel; Based on the Pulitzer Prize novel "A Death in the Family" by James Agee
Directed by Arthur Penn; Assistant Director: Gene Lasko
Scenic Design by David Hays; Costume Design by Raymond Sovey; Lighting Design by David Hays; Assistant to Mr. Sovey:Domingo Rodriguez; Production Assistant to Mr. Hays: Marshall Spiller
General Manager: Joseph Harris; Company Manager: Mitchell Brower
Production Stage Manager: Porter Van Zandt; Stage Manager: William Armitage; Assistant Stage Mgr: Richard Mulligan and Charles Gerald
General Press Representative: Arthur Cantor; Press Representative: Gertrude Kirschner and Tony Geiss; Press Assistant: Violet Welles; Creative Consultant: Emma Agee Liss

Cast

Robert Ader	A Boy
Thomas Chalmers	Joel Lynch
Jeff Conaway	A Boy
Colleen Dewhurst	Mary Follet
Lillian Gish	Catherine Lynch
Arthur Hill	Jay Follet
Clifton James	Ralph Follet
Dorrit Kelton	Aunt Sadie Follet
Aline MacMahon	Aunt Hannah Lynch
John Megna	Rufus
Christopher Month	Jim-Wilson
Gary Morgan	A Boy
Lenka Peterson	Sally Follet
Larry Provost	A Boy
Georgia Simmons	Jessie Follet
Art Smith	Father Jackson
Lylah Tiffany Broadway debut	Great-Great-Granmaw
Tom Wheatley	Andrew Lynch
Edwin Wolfe	John Henry Follet

Understudies: Robert Ader (Jim-Wilson), Shirley Gale (Catherine Lynch, Great-Great-Granmaw), Charles Gerald (Father Jackson, Ralph Follet), Christopher Month (Rufus), Richard Mulligan (Andrew Lynch, Jay Follet), Mary Perry (Aunt Sadie Follet, Jessie Follet)and Lenka Peterson (Mary Follet) Critics: Ed Sullivan wrote below:  "All the Way Home," at the Belasco, is one of the greatest shows I've seen on a Broadway stage."  Brooks Atkinson:  The Gish Sisters "are as much a part of American folklore as Jack Dempsey, Jimmy Durante, and Harry Truman. Having been consistently modern for half a century, they gave their country continuity."  December 27, 1960.

Noteworthy Items from the Career of Lillian Gish on October 15 Gish Historian Jim Patterson

                                                       Lillian in love scene circa early 1930s

Deaths of Note from October 15

1969 Rod[erique] La Rocque, US western actor (Mystery Woman), dies Starred with Miss Gish in her first talkie in 1930 “One Romantic Night.” It was a disaster and Mary Pickford told Miss Gish, Rod did not do his part in the film. Rod got a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in February 1960 at the same time as Miss Gish. Awkward meeting, I suppose. "One Romantic Night" was the end of Lillian's film career for a few years. She returned to the stage and did a film with Roland Young in New York. She returned to Hollywood in character parts for the war film "Commandos Strike at Dawn."  

1983 Pat O'Brien, actor (Some Like It Hot), dies of heart attack at 83

1937 James Marcus, American actor (The Eagle, The Lonely Trail) dies at 70 Starred in The Scarlet Letter (1926) with Miss Gish

1948 Edythe Chapman, American actress (b. 1863)

1958 John Hamilton, actor (Perry White-Superman), dies at 61

1960 Clara Kimball Young, actress (Return of Chandu), dies of stroke at 70

1960 Henny Porten, silent screen actress (Mother Love), dies at 70 Germany’s first major film star

1960 Maude Eburne, actress (Ladies They Talk About, Guardsman), dies at 84

About Jim Patterson

Jim Patterson is a Washington DC-based writer and speaker on silent and international films. He began a friendship with actress Lillian Gish in the early 1970s and learned from her film history, writing, research, speaking, and how to stay active and productive throughout life. For assignments contact Jim Patterson JEPWriter@gmail.com  Jim's Writing credentials are posted at JEPWriter.blogspot.com 

Happy Birthday Lillian Gish October 14 2016

"Let us be grateful to people who make us happy, they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom."   Marcel Proust

Dear Miss Gish, Happy birthday.

James Patterson

October 14 2016

Plenty of news coverage on Bob Dylan receiving the Nobel Prize for Literature. Best coverage in Wall Street Journal.  He was also recipient of the Dorothy and Lillian Gish Prize! 

Also, on page D5 of the Wall Street Journal is a small photo of Constance Talmadge. The Mountain Girl from Griffith's 1916 "Intolerance."   Placement in connection with a cable service that broadcasts classic silent films for around $8 per month. 

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Jim Patterson JEPWriter@gmail.com


About Jim Patterson

Jim Patterson is a Washington DC-based writer and speaker on silent and international films. He began a friendship with actress Lillian Gish in the early 1970s and learned from her film history, writing, research, speaking, and how to stay active and productive throughout life. For assignments contact Jim Patterson JEPWriter@gmail.com  Jim's Writing credentials are posted at JEPWriter.blogspot.com 

Eightieth Anniversary of Lillian Gish's Ophelia at The Empire Theater in New York

October 8, 1936, Miss Gish opened as Ophelia in "Hamlet." Eighty years ago and people are still talking about her performance. Source: Broadway Internet Database.  See Notes on People : Lillian Gish Recalls a Part, NYT February 16, 1981 at end. 

Hamlet   

Empire Theatre, (10/08/1936 - circa. 1/1937)

St. James Theatre, (1/1937 - Closing date unknown)

First Preview:		Total Previews:	0
Opening Date:	Oct 08, 1936
Closing Date:	Closing date unknown	Total Performances:	132

Category: Play, Tragedy, Revival, Broadway

Description: A play in five acts

Setting: In and around Elsinore Castle in Denmark

 

• Opening Night Credits

Production Staff
Theatre Leased by Nesca Realty Co., Inc.
Produced by Guthrie McClintic
Written by William Shakespeare
Staged by Guthrie McClintic
Scenic Design by Jo Mielziner; Costume Design by Jo Mielziner; Technical Assistant to Jo Mielziner: Rose Bogdanoff
General Manager: Stanley Gilkey; Company Manager: William G. Tisdale
Stage Manager: William Richardson; Assistant Stage Mgr: John Cornell, Kurt Steinbart and Donaldson Murphy

Cast

John Gielgud	Hamlet son to the late, and nephew to the present King
Judith Anderson	Gertrude Queen of Denmark and mother to Hamlet
Arthur Byron	Polonius Lord Chamberlain
John Emery	Laertes son to Polonius
Lillian Gish	Ophelia daughter to Polonius
Malcolm Keen	Ghost
	Claudius King of Denmark
Evelyn Abbott	Ensemble
Harry Andrews	Horatio friend to Hamlet
Neal Berry	Ensemble
Whitner Bissell	Cornelius
	Lucianus
John Cromwell	Rosencrantz Courtier
James Dinan	Voltemand
	Ensemble
Morgan Farley	Osric a Courtier
John Galland	Ensemble
Stanley Gould	Ensemble
Peter Gray	Ensemble
Reed Herring	Bernardo Officer
	Fortinbras Prince of Norway
Henry Hull Jr.	Ensemble
Barry Kelly	Marcellus Officer
	Gravedigger
Mary Lee Logan	Ensemble
Ruth March	Player Queen
Harry Mestayer	Player King
Donaldson Murphy	Ensemble
George Nash	Gravedigger
William Roehrick	Guildenstern Courtier
Sydna Scott	Ensemble
William Stanley	Sailor
Kurt Steinbart	Ensemble
Ivan Triesault	Prologue
	Priest
George Vincent	Captain
Murvyn Vye	Francisco Officer
	Reynaldo
Francis Wayne  Notes on People New York Times February 16, 1981, Page B4 Lillian Gish recalls a Part One reason she consented to be honorary chairman of the Friends of French Opera benefit performance of Ambroise Thomas’s “Hamlet,” says Lillian Gish, is because she has “a special affection for the role of Ophelia, Hamlet’s ill-fated lady.” Miss Gish, who has been working for tomorrow’s Carnegie Hall benefit despite a persistent cold, recalled the other day that Ophelia was the first role she played opposite Sir John Gielgud, “and I almost didn’t get it.” The actress, who is 83 years old, was 40 when the director Guthrie McClintic suggested to Sir John that she play Ophelia to his Hamlet. “Gielgud’s reply got back to me,” she said. “She’s lovely, but is she young enough?” He was appearing on Broadway – it was 1936 – and undaunted I presented myself in his dressing room and asked him pointblank – ‘Well, am I young enough?’” He apparently said yes, for Miss Gish recalled, “We had a long run at the Empire Theater, with Judith Anderson as Queen Gertrude.” Source: New York Times 2/16/81 Page B4. The brief article is accompanied with a black –and-white photograph of Miss Gish that is too grainy to reproduce here. Special Note: Lillian’s friend Helen Hayes was born October 10, 1900, in Washington DC. Lillian was born October 14 1898/1893 in Springfield, OH. About Jim Patterson Former U.S. diplomat Jim Patterson is a Washington, DC-based speaker, writer, longtime Friend of Gish and a lifelong Gish student. He speaks on her career, introduces her films, gives quotes to journalists and researchers, and contributes articles on her life and career to publications like Christian Science Monitor, San Francisco Chronicle, Classic Images, Auburn Magazine, and others. He travels from Washington DC Contact: JEPWriter@gmail.com