James Abbe Day

Lillian Gish (1893-1993) by James Abbe (1883-1973).

By inviting Abbe to join the crew of THE WHITE SISTER (1923) in Italy, Lillian Gish changed the course of his life: he never returned to New York, where he had been based, and he left his second wife for his third, the Ziegfeld Follies dancer Polly Platt. 

Lillian Gish's keen eye for talent is most obvious in her choice of James Abbe as a portrait and stills photographer, so it is nice to have one of Abbe's portraits of her to mark that relationship.

Lillian Gish and Ronald Colman (1891-1958) filming THE WHITE SISTER.

Lillian Gish and John Gilbert

Perhaps it's no coincidence that Sartov was also the cinematographer for Lillian Gish's LA BOHÈME (1926), since a picture of John Gilbert with Gish from that film elicits a like response in me.

Academy Founders

Just as I have collected photos of many of the performers in Florenz Ziegfeld’s FOLLIES, I have put together a group of images of the founders of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. The numbers follow The Internet Movie Database's list order announcing the Academy in January 1927. 

1. Richard Barthelmess (1895-1963) of the Actors Branch. 

Barthelmess made his debut in Alla Nazimova's WAR BRIDES (1916) and played opposite Lillian Gish in BROKEN BLOSSOMS (1919) and WAY DOWN EAST (1920). He was nominated for Academy Awards for both THE PATENT LEATHER KID (1927) and THE NOOSE (1928). His career waned in the early sound era, although he made a comeback with ONLY ANGELS HAVE WINGS (1939).