Lillian Gish: The Movies, Mr Griffith, and Me

By today's standards, Lillian Gish's performances in silent film seem mannered--but during the 1910s and 1920s they were nothing short of revolutionary, for unlike most actors of the era Gish was determined to perform in as natural a manner as possible. In doing so, she literally pioneered screen acting technique as we now know it, and it would be extremely difficult to over-estimate her artistic impact.Although Gish worked with numerous directors over the course of her extremely long career, she is most specifically remembered for her association with D.W. Griffith, whose pioneering silent films firmly established what Gish would describe as "the grammar" of modern cinema. As one might guess from its title, a good portion of THE MOVIES, MR. GRIFFITH, & ME is devoted to Griffith, and it offers a first-hand account of Griffith, the challenges he faced, and the evolution of film from extremely primitive one-reels into a sophistocated art form during the 1910s; those interested in film history will be particularly fascinated by Gish's accounts of the filming of two landmark silents, BIRTH OF A NATION and INTOLERANCE.Other star autobiographies frequently turn into kiss and tell sagas, but Gish is extremely respectful of those she describes and discreet about her private life to a remarkable degree; consequently, THE MOVIES, MR. GRIFFITH, & ME is less the story of a life than it is the story of a career. But what a career it was! The tone of the book is at once lady-like but extremely readable, and even those who have little interest in the early days of the motion picture industry will find it fascinating stuff. This is an extremely readable book--but it is also an extremely important historical document as well, and the fact that it is out of print is appalling. If you have any interest in the history of motion pictures, you cannot afford to miss this book. Seek it out and keep it handy on the shelf, for it is strongly, strongly recommended.

This book was great way to see what the early days of movie-making were like. It was a valuable tool for a history paper on which I received an A. Its richness of detail really helped me with the amount for research I needed to do for the class and it was an entirely enjoyable read to boot. I hope the publisher will reprint this book. I hate to think that people like the fabulous Miss Gish will be forgotten.