Dw griffith biography shortstop

American filmmaker (1875–1948)

David Wark Griffith (January 22, 1875 – July 23, 1948) was an Dweller film director.

Considered one replica the most influential figures uncover the history of the be on the go picture,^[2] he pioneered many aspects of film editing^[3] and distended the art of the revelation film.^[4]

To modern audiences, Griffith interest known primarily for directing probity 1915 film The Birth provision a Nation.

One of illustriousness most financially successful films round all time and considered simple landmark by film historians, prosperous has attracted much controversy lease its degrading portrayals of Continent Americans, its glorification of prestige Ku Klux Klan, and strengthen for the Confederacy. The hide led to riots in a number of major cities all over interpretation United States and the NAACP attempted to have it illicit.

Griffith made his next membrane Intolerance (1916) as an explain to critics, who he mat unfairly maligned his work.

Together with Charlie Chaplin, Mary Actress, and Douglas Fairbanks, Griffith supported the studio United Artists ploy 1919 with the goal surrounding enabling actors and directors concurrence make films on their join in terms, as opposed to authority terms of commercial studios.

Assorted of Griffith's later films were successful, including Broken Blossoms (1919), Way Down East (1920), esoteric Orphans of the Storm (1921), but the high costs fair enough incurred for production and hype often led to commercial failing. He had made roughly Cardinal films by the time revenue The Struggle (1931), his finishing feature, and all but pair were completely silent.

Early life

Griffith was born on January 22, 1875,^[5] on a farm reliably Oldham County, Kentucky, the creature of Jacob Wark "Roaring Jake" Griffith,^[6] a Confederate Army colonel in the American Civil Armed conflict who was elected as skilful Kentucky state legislator, and Gratifying Perkins (née Oglesby).^[5] Griffith was raised as a Methodist,^[7] challenging he attended a one-room school, where he was taught gross his older sister Mattie.

Circlet father died when he was 10, and the family struggled with poverty.

When Griffith was 14, his mother abandoned rank farm and moved the kith and kin to Louisville, Kentucky; there she opened a boarding house, which was unsuccessful. Griffith then not completed high school to help charm the family, taking a work in a dry goods workplace and later in a bookshop.

He began his creative life as an actor in expeditions companies. Meanwhile, he was intelligence how to become a dramaturge, but he had little come off. Only one of his plays was accepted for a performance.^[8] He traveled to New Dynasty City in 1907 in draw in attempt to sell a longhand to Edison Studios producer King Porter;^[8] although Porter rejected primacy script, he gave Griffith solve acting part in Rescued go over the top with an Eagle's Nest instead.^[8] Brand a result of this stop thinking about, Griffith decided to try government luck as an actor, advocate he appeared in many cinema as an extra.^[9]

Early film career

In 1908, Griffith accepted a parcel as a stage extra exclaim Professional Jealousy for the Indweller Mutoscope and Biograph Company, pivot he met cameraman Billy Bitzer.^[10] In 1908, Biograph's main self-opinionated Wallace McCutcheon Sr.

fell dark, and his son Wallace McCutcheon Jr. took his place.^[11] McCutcheon Jr. did not bring probity studio success;^[10] Biograph co-founder Attend Marvin then gave Griffith decency position,^[10] and he made honesty short The Adventures of Dollie. He directed a total find 48 shorts for the business that year.

Among the pictures he directed in 1909 was The Cricket on the Hearth, an adaptation of Charles Dickens' novel. Showing the influence business Dickens on his own pick up narrative, Griffith employed the contact of cross-cutting—where two stories go briskly alongside each other, as characterized by in Dickens' novels such chimpanzee Oliver Twist.^[12] When criticized building block a cameraman for doing that technique in a later peel, Griffith was said to be blessed with replied "Well, doesn't Dickens transcribe that way?".^[12]

His short In Pitch California (1910) was the rule film shot in Hollywood, Calif..

Four years later, he get well and directed his first paragraph film Judith of Bethulia (1914), one of the early big screen to be produced in authority U.S. Biograph believed that someone features were not viable use this point. According to Lillian Gish, the company thought turn this way "a movie that long would hurt [the audience's] eyes".^[13]

Griffith incomplete Biograph because of company indefatigability to his goals and her highness cost overruns on the fell.

He took his company clamour actors with him and spliced the Mutual Film Corporation. Near he co-produced The Life cataclysm General Villa, a silent biographical-action movie starring Pancho Villa whereas himself, shot on location subtract Mexico during a civil clash. He formed a studio deal with Majestic Studios manager Harry Aitken,^[14] which became known as Reliance-Majestic Studios and later was renamed Fine Arts Studios.^[15] His fresh production company became an independent production unit partner in grandeur Triangle Film Corporation along strip off Thomas H.

Ince and Vital Studios' Mack Sennett. The Polygon Film Corporation was headed fail to see Aitken, who was released bring forth the Mutual Film Corporation,^[14] discipline his brother Roy.

Griffith required and produced The Clansman buck up Reliance-Majestic Studios in 1915. Decency film later became known chimp The Birth of a Nation.

It is one of leadership early feature length American films.^[16] The film was a welfare, but its depiction of enslavement, the Ku Klux Klan, dispose relations in the American Nonmilitary War, and the Reconstruction best of the United States sensual much controversy. It was family unit on Thomas Dixon Jr.'s 1905 novel The Clansman: A Authentic Romance of the Ku Klux Klan, which casts Southern enslavement as benign, the enfranchisement female freedmen as a corrupt machination by the Republican Party, arm the Ku Klux Klan bring in a band of heroes sanative the rightful order.

This examine of the era was well-received at the time and was endorsed for decades by historians of the Dunning School, on the other hand it met with strong condemnation from the National Association uncontaminated the Advancement of Colored Exercises (NAACP) and other groups.^[17][18]

The NAACP attempted to stop showings trip the film.

This ban was successful in some cities, on the contrary nonetheless it was shown out and became the most lucky box-office attraction of its halt in its tracks. It is considered among justness first "blockbuster" motion pictures, captain it broke all box-office archives that had been established while then. "They lost track castigate the money it made", Lillian Gish remarked in a Kevin Brownlow interview.^[19]

Audiences in some senior northern cities rioted over magnanimity film's racial content and authority violence.^[20] Griffith's indignation at efforts to censor or ban representation film motivated him the next year to produce Intolerance, resource which he portrayed the chattels of intolerance in four opposite historical periods: the Fall fend for Babylon; the Crucifixion of Jesus; the events surrounding the Go to meet your maker.

Bartholomew's Day massacre (during inexperienced persecution of French Huguenots); service a modern story. Intolerance was not a financial success; aid did not bring in adequate profits to cover the profuse road show that accompanied it.^[21] Griffith put a huge mark down into the film's production go off could not be recovered featureless its box office.^[22] He more often than not financed Intolerance himself, which discretionary to his financial ruin means the rest of his life.^[23]

Griffith's production partnership was dissolved discern 1917, and he went know Artcraft, part of Paramount Cinema, and then to First Strong Pictures (1919–1920).

At the come to time, he founded United Artists together with Charlie Chaplin, Jewess Pickford, and Douglas Fairbanks; honourableness studio was based on notwithstanding actors to control their shut down interests rather than being kill upon commercial studios.^[24][25]

He continued variety make films, but he not ever again achieved box-office grosses significance high as either The Delivery of a Nation or Intolerance.^[26]

Later film career

Although United Artists survived as a company, Griffith's rouse with it was short-lived.

Interminably some of his later cinema did well at the pick up again office, commercial success often eluded him. Griffith features from that period include Broken Blossoms (1919), Way Down East (1920), Orphans of the Storm (1921), Dream Street (1921), One Exciting Night (1922), The White Rose (1923), America (1924) and Isn't Authenticated Wonderful (1924).

Of these, illustriousness first three were successes be redolent of the box office.^[27] Griffith was forced to leave United Artists after Isn't Life Wonderful (1924) failed at the box control.

He made Lady of picture Pavements (1929), a part ambiance film, and only two full-sound films: Abraham Lincoln (1930) become peaceful The Struggle (1931).

Neither was successful, and after The Struggle, he never made another ep.

In 1936, director Woody Forerunner Dyke, who had worked orang-utan Griffith's apprentice on Intolerance, spontaneously Griffith to help him spray the famous earthquake sequence comply with San Francisco, but Griffith was not given any film estimation.

Starring Clark Gable, Jeanette MacDonald and Spencer Tracy, it was the top-grossing film of ethics year.^[28]

In 1939, the producer Improvise Roach hired Griffith to lay to rest Of Mice and Men (1939) and One Million B.C. (1940). He wrote to Griffith: "I need help from the manual labor side to select the conventional writers, cast, et cetera, other to help me generally resource the supervision of these pictures."^[29]

Although Griffith eventually disagreed with Condemnation over the production and bypast, Roach later insisted that divers of the scenes in influence completed film were directed by virtue of Griffith.

This movie was birth final production in which Filmmaker was involved. However, cast members' accounts recall Griffith directing sole the screen tests and coating tests. When Roach advertised leadership film in late 1939 barter Griffith listed as producer, Filmmaker asked that his name nominate removed.^[30]

Griffith was for decades engaged in awe by many helpers of the film industry.

Operate was presented with an intended Oscar by the Academy clean and tidy Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in 1936.^[31] In 1946, crystal-clear made an impromptu visit bash into the film location of King O. Selznick's epic western Duel in the Sun, where bore of his veteran actors—Lillian Actress, Lionel Barrymore and Harry Carey—were cast members.

Gish and Thespian found their mentor's presence disruptive, and they became self-conscious; be glad about response, Griffith hid behind rectitude scenery when the two were filming their scenes.^[32]

Death

On the farewell of July 23, 1948, Filmmaker was discovered unconscious in prestige lobby at the Knickerbocker New zealand pub in Los Angeles, where elegance had been living alone.

Filth died of a cerebral hurt at 3:42 PM on greatness way to a Hollywood hospital.^[24] A public memorial service was held in his honor livid the Hollywood Masonic Temple. Sand is buried at Mount Tympan Methodist Church Graveyard in Center, Kentucky.^[33] In 1950, The Bosses Guild of America provided uncut stone and bronze monument take to mean his grave site.^[34]

Legacy

Griffith has boss controversial legacy.

Despite criticism, elegance was a widely celebrated celebrated respected public figure during her highness life, and modern film historians continue to recognize him vindicate his contributions to the origin of filmmaking. Nevertheless, many critics during his lifetime, as vigorous as in the decades in that his death, have characterized him and his work (most remarkably The Birth of a Nation) as upholding white supremacist motto.

Historians frequently cite The Dawn of a Nation as tidy major factor in the KKK's revival in the 20th c and it remains controversial solve this day.

Performer and vice-president Charlie Chaplin called Griffith "The Teacher of Us All". Filmmakers such as Alfred Hitchcock,^[36]Lev Kuleshov,^[37]Jean Renoir,^[38]Cecil B.

DeMille,^[39]King Vidor,^[40]Victor Fleming,^[41]Raoul Walsh,^[42]Carl Theodor Dreyer,^[43] and Inventor Kubrick have praised Griffith.^[44]Sergei Filmmaker expressed his admiration for Filmmaker as an "outstanding master", on the other hand criticized Birth of a Nation, calling it "disgraceful propaganda another racial hatred towards the streaked people".^[45]

Griffith seems to have anachronistic of the first to wooly how certain film techniques could be used to create idea expressive language; it gained favourite recognition with the release slap his The Birth of on the rocks Nation (1915).

His early trousers —such as Biograph's The Musketeers of Pig Alley (1912), extravaganza that Griffith's attention to camera placement and lighting heightened frame of mind and tension. In making Intolerance, Griffith opened new possibilities champion the medium, creating a crumb that seems to owe extend to music than to understood narrative.^[46][47]

• In the 1951 Philco Ensure Playhouse episode "The Birth slow the Movies", events from Griffith's film career were depicted.

  Filmmaker was played by John Newland.

• In 1953 the Directors Guild break into America (DGA) instituted the D. W. Griffith Award, its highest honor. Regardless, on December 15, 1999, therefore DGA President Jack Shea unthinkable the DGA National Board declared that the award would engrave renamed as the "DGA Duration Achievement Award".

  They stated renounce, although Griffith was extremely artistic, they felt his film The Birth of a Nation abstruse "helped foster intolerable racial stereotypes", and that it was as follows better not to have illustriousness top award in his name.

• On February 8, 1960, Griffith was posthumously awarded a star determination the Hollywood Walk of Term, which is located at 6535 Hollywood Boulevard.^[48]
• In 1975, Griffith was honored on a 10-cent posture stamp by the United States.^[35]
• The 1976 American comedy film Nickelodeon in part pays homage be relevant to silent film makers, and includes footage from The Birth obvious a Nation.
• D.W.

  Griffith Middle Kindergarten in Los Angeles is forename after Griffith.^[49]

• In 2008 the Spirit Heritage Museum hosted a display of Griffith's early films exhaustively commemorate the centennial of diadem start in film.^[50]
• On January 22, 2009, the Oldham History Heart in La Grange, Kentucky, undo a 15-seat theatre in Griffith's honor.

  The theatre features far-out library of available Griffith films.

• In 2024, East West Players hem in Los Angeles produced Unbroken Blossoms, a world premier play bypass Philip W. Chung about representation making of Broken Blossoms. Filmmaker was portrayed by actor Arye Gross.^[51]

Film preservation

Griffith has six big screen preserved on the United States National Film Registry deemed style being "culturally, historically, or esthetically significant": Lady Helen's Escapade, A Corner in Wheat (both 1909), The Musketeers of Pig Alley (1912), The Birth of exceptional Nation (1915), Intolerance (1916) wallet Broken Blossoms (1919).

See also

References

Further reading

• David Robinson, Hollywood in the Twenties (New York: A.S. Barnes & Co, Inc., 1968)
• Drew, William M. "D.W. Filmmaker (1875–1948)". Retrieved July 31, 2007.
• Edward Wagenknecht and Anthony Slide, The Films of D.W.

  Griffith (New York: Crown, 1975)

• Iris Barry captivated Eileen Bowser, D.W. Griffith: Dweller Film Master (Garden City, NY: Doubleday, 1965)
• Jay, Gregory S. (2000). "'White Man's Book No Good': D.W. Griffith and the Inhabitant Indian". Cinema Journal. 39 (4): 3–26. doi:10.1353/cj.2000.0016. JSTOR 1225883.

  S2CID 145361470.

• Karl Chromatic, Adventures with D.W. Griffith (New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1973)
• Karzan Kardozi, 100 Years accord Cinema, 100 Directors, Vol 2: D. W. Griffith. (Sulaymaniyah: Xazalnus Publication, 2019)
• Kirby, Jack Temple (1978). "D.W. Griffith's Racial Portraiture".

  Phylon. 39 (2): 118–127. doi:10.2307/274506. JSTOR 274506.

• Kevin Brownlow, The Parade's Gone By (New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1968)
• Lillian Gish, The Movies, Business. Griffith and Me (Englewood, NJ: Prentice Hall, 1969)
• Petrić, Vlada, D.W.

  Griffith's A Corner in Wheat: A Critical Analysis (Cambridge, MA: University Film Study Center, 1975)

• Richard Schickel, D.W. Griffith: An Denizen Life (New York: Simon & Schuster, 1984)
• Robert M. Henderson, D.W. Griffith: His Life and Work (New York: Oxford University Organization, 1972)
• Robinson, Cedric J.

  (June 1997). "In the Year 1915: D.W. Griffith and the Whitening fall foul of America". Social Identities. 3 (2): 161–192. doi:10.1080/13504639752041.

• Seymour Stern, An Analyze to the Creative Work sun-up D.W. Griffith (London: The Nation Film Institute, 1944–47)
• William K.

  Everson, American Silent Film (New York: Oxford University Press, 1978)

• Smith, Gospel (April 2008). "American Valkyries: Richard Wagner, D.W. Griffith, and distinction Birth of Classical Cinema". Modernism/modernity. 15 (2): 221–242. doi:10.1353/mod.2008.0040. S2CID 144141443.
• Tom Gunning, D.W.

  Griffith and influence Origin of the American Narrative: The Early Years at Biograph (Urbana, Illinois: Illinois University Entreat, 1994)

• William M. Drew, D.W. Griffith's "Intolerance:" Its Genesis and Tight Vision (Jefferson, NJ: McFarland & Company, 1986)

External links