Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1916-03-20
~HERE is human interest story

an American epic. ms WORN
IS known TO millions but the
man himself Is not known. He has
kept himself back of the camera, out
of the picture, but now that he has
made Broadway sit back and look at
the films at Broadway prices and has
got the so called classes TO drop their
venerated classics and join the masses
al movie" exhibition, the blue stock
ings and men Of books rise to inquire
what manner of man is he.
In the first place. Griffith was born
in La Grange, near Louisville, Ky. He
is thirty-fi and has a strain of the
Celt. The blend of the canny Scot and
the bubbling Irishman that came down
to him from his overseas ancestry
shows at times in his clima1es. His
father served under Lee in the Civil
War. and the man who now stands at
the head Of his profession In this
country. and perhaps the world, has
not lost the spirit Of the old South
land.
Today he stages the great outdoors
and blends the purr Of kitten with
the crash of artillery, runs the whole
scale Of emotion in his film portraits
Of life, and he gets the heartbeats OF
the poet and the orator. He had de-
signs on grand opera when he looked
about for a career, but he found his
voice suited for the speaking stage.
Griff1th's friends say he was better
than the average as an actor, but he
stuck to the stage for two years and
quit for a place with film company
Here is where he began to develop his
talents and get his grip on the psy'
chology of the world of make believe.
Blessings Of Dramatic "Pep,"
No one questions his dramatic In
stincts He puts over his scenes
Every movie fan knows that. But
to see him at work! He takes excel
lent care of himself and is a bunch
Of live wires. He has speed and pow
er, but he never wastes energy. Work
ing night and day at his side, one won
ders if he is ever going to let up
| On observing closely one sees that ht
is easing the strain. just as in the bis
crashes of his Birth of Nation" the
tense situation is relieved by fash OF
field flowers or golden grain or kittens
at play. q
He can tune up a player to the high
! op Uh no
be strikes the right key he relayes
| If this director has fad 1t Is relaXa
ton. His occupation is work. and he
seeks relaxation in dancing. There Is
a story going along Broadway thai
recently Griffith turned down an offel
from the manager Of a restaurant cab
aret for $3.50 week to perform in the
trottery. The director enjoyed the
! compliment. but he did not tell the
Boniface why he couldn't afford to TAXI
the Job. This offer came at the clost
Of fourteen hour day Of hard work il
the studio, and he rested by dancing
and making good at it,
Griffith is about FIVE feet ten inche:
in height. He carries no superf1uou!
I flesh, and he is chubby when off duty
He has written several short stories
but he Is committed absolutely to thu
silent drama. He looks upon 1t as thu
youngest sister of the fine arts, and ht
hates censorship. Z
His Sense Of Tone colors.
The director has fine appreciation
of the tone and color Of good music
He sees dramatic situations in blend
ing of tone and color. 1t was this at
J tribute which supplied the musica
score to THE Birth of a Nation" II
the tedious and torturing months wheI
he was putting the finishing touches t.
this great production he correlated
tone to every action and unconsciousll
hummed the several tunes and chords
which now form a part Of the wonder
full score which Breil has synchronizet
so well to this stirring action. These
notes were caught on the fly. as i
were, by Breil while Griffith was work
ing like a Trojan to finish his worl
ana then blended into the whole will