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Lillian Gish

(1893–1993)

A native of Springfield, Ohio, Lillian Gish made her theatrical debut as a child in Rising Sun, Ohio, in a play called “In Convict’s Stripes.” She made her screen debut in 1912 in a film called The Unseen Enemy, which was followed with silent movie masterpieces such as Hearts of the World, Broken Blossoms, and Orphans of the Storm.

Lillian and her sister Dorothy, also a child star, lived in Massillon with their family for brief periods between films during their youth. Gish returned to Massillon in 1951 to help dedicate the flood control project.

The American Film Institute presented her with the Life Achievement Award in 1984, when she was still making movies at age 90.