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.

Academy Founders 9

N.B. The member numbers follow The Internet Movie Database's list order announcing the Academy in January 1927.

9. Henry King (1886-1982) of the Directors Branch. The photo is by Woodbury Studio. 

Harry King was a reliable spotter of talent, picking out Ronald Colman, Gary Cooper, and Tyrone Power (Jr.), among others. As with Cecil B. DeMille, the Academy was chary with honors: King was twice nominated for Oscars, but never won as Best Director. That said, in 1956 the Directors Guild of America honored him for lifetime achievement.