Silent Film Life Long Friendships?

[salus]

Being that there were many film companies in the early days did most silent film people know one another and can anybody remember who were friends from silent days to the end of their lives. I read once that Mary Pickford would only allow her friend from the early days Lillian Gish to see her in her latter years, wonder if Lillian stayed at Pickfair when she came to work in Hollywood in the 1960s and 1970s since Lillian had long before relocated to New York and dont remember hearing her keeping a home in LA. Who else stayed close their whole lives?

[Sisterluke]

The Pickfords and the Gishs were close family friends since they were youngsters traveling performing in plays during the turn of the century.

I read somewhere that Lillian Gish and Mary Pickford became estranged in the 1960s and didn't see each other since due to Mary's alcoholism but I could be wrong.

Douglas Fairbanks and Charlie Chaplin were very close friends till Fairbanks death in 1939.