D. W. Griffith

Lore & Background

Griffith was born on a farm in Oldham County, Kentucky, the son of a Confederate Army colonel and state legislator. He was raised as a Methodist and attended a one-room schoolhouse. After his father died when he was 10, the family struggled with poverty. At 14, his mother moved the family to Louisville, where he left high school to work. He began his creative career as an actor in touring companies and later tried playwriting with little success. In 1907, he traveled to New York City to sell a script to Edison Studios producer Edwin Porter; Porter rejected the script but gave Griffith an acting part in Rescued from an Eagle's Nest. In 1908, he accepted a role as a stage extra for the American Mutoscope and Biograph Company, where he met cameraman Billy Bitzer. When Biograph's main director fell ill, Griffith was given the position and made the short The Adventures of Dollie, directing 48 shorts that year. In 1909, he directed The Cricket on the Hearth, an adaptation of Charles Dickens's novel, employing cross-cutting. His short In Old California (1910) was the first film shot in Hollywood, California. In 1914, he produced and directed his first feature film Judith of Bethulia. Biograph believed longer features were not viable; Griffith left Biograph due to company resistance and cost overruns. He joined Mutual Film Corporation, co-produced The Life of General Villa, and formed a studio with Harry Aitken, later known as Reliance-Majestic Studios. He directed and produced The Clansman (later The Birth of a Nation) in 1915, which became the first Hollywood epic. The film was financially successful but controversial for its depictions of African Americans, the Ku Klux Klan, and the Confederacy. The NAACP attempted to ban it, and riots occurred in several major cities. Griffith made Intolerance (1916) as an answer to critics. In 1919, he co-founded United Artists with Charlie Chaplin, Mary Pickford, and Douglas Fairbanks. Later successful films included Broken Blossoms (1919), Way Down East (1920), and Orphans of the Storm (1921), but high costs often led to commercial failure. He made nearly 520 films, including nearly 480 short movies, by the time of The Struggle (1931), his final feature. All but three were completely silent.

Reader's Guide

Griffith's early film career began in 1908 at Biograph, where he directed numerous shorts. His use of cross-cutting was influenced by Charles Dickens. In Old California (1910) is noted as the first film shot in Hollywood. His first feature was Judith of Bethulia (1914). The Birth of a Nation (1915) was a landmark but controversial epic. Intolerance (1916) was a response to criticism. He co-founded United Artists in 1919. His later films included Broken Blossoms, Way Down East, and Orphans of the Storm. He made only two full-sound films: Abraham Lincoln (1930) and The Struggle (1931). After The Struggle, he never made another film.

Did You Know?

• Griffith directed nearly 520 films, including nearly 480 short movies.
• All but three of Griffith's films were completely silent.
• Griffith's father was a Confederate Army colonel and Kentucky state legislator.
• Griffith met cameraman Billy Bitzer in 1908 while working as a stage extra.
• The Birth of a Nation is considered the first Hollywood epic.