The Washington times., 1916-09-18
Pioneer Producer States Men
Who Produce Plays Poorest
Paid. -
WORK LIKE DAY LABoRERs
Believes Pictures Big Future
Lies In Capacity to In
struot.

David w. Griffith has unwittinsly
plunged his name and reputation
into the ever growing controversy as
to who made the motion picture
with the nat statement that the d.
rector Ia the man who takes the
idea for picture and gives II tho
power to earn n oncy for It's owner.
Incidentally Mr.. Griffith remarks
that the director Ia the poorest paid
factor In the making OF q picture.
The opinion Of Griffith with re-
gard to the work OF the director IL
probably the most authoritative In
motion pictures. Most people who
know anythin~ about the, photopisy
know OF Griffith and his work. He
BY HE work. 4 student ana an -" q
dreamer, but with more practical
experience than the average stu
dent and considerably more energy
and ptick-to-itiveness than the
average dreamer: A..
generations will give to Griffith the
credit OF having made an art Of what
10 Thomas A. Edison was q labora-
tory achievement-a mechanical in
vention. without In any way lower
Ing the standard of the arts or the
wonder OF Edison's accomplishment.
therefore what Griffith has to say
about motion picture directing will
be read with Interest. He was the
first man 20 realise what q director
could do and, realixing Il. he was
the first man to do II. Many of his
fellow directors are a. great artists
as Grifhth-but he was the FIRST Of
them all.
Day Laborer's Job.
Motion picture directing 10 moth
ing more than day labor, he
states. THE ability to work in the
hot sun ten or twelve hours at a
stretch, frequently with the Their
mometer registering 10 degrees, IL q
primary necessity for q director.
But the successful director. In ad-
dition to his ability to work In the
hot sun during the day must be
ready to come home and labor half
the night planning his work for the
future.
1.-THE director 10 the poorest paid
man in the motion picture industry.
That Is, the poorest paid In proper
ton to the amount Of work done.
and the amount OF money thar has
been made as a result Of the birth
and development OF the picture; l
among the directors. even those
with the greatest regulations. yet
the number of millionaires among
those who have benefited as q result
Of the directors work are legion.
.In this respect. though The Birth
of q Nation made thousands. yet
little Of that enormous income came
to me. Mr.. Dixon. the author OF the
book, made more money out Of The
Birth OF q Nation, than did. Do
not think that I am trying to dis
parage Mr.. Dixon's work.
His was o big idea. and a. such
weE worth every cent that he was
able to get out Of It.
1.-THE only point that ! am trying
to make is that the director. the man
who takes the idea and increases Its
earning capacity until II runs up into
the hundreds of thousands, seldom
benefits from a monetary standpoint
In proportion to that which he has
created and made.
Future of Pictures.
"The future of the picture will BE-
largely instructive. believe. Re-
Gently DR.. David Starr Jordan. presi'
dent of Leland Stanford, Jr., Uni.
versity, said to me that irrespective
of all he had read of history. of all
that his professors had been able Il
tell him, he received O clearer co
ception of the actual manners and
customs Of the people in the short
time In which he viewed my new
picture. Intolerance than all tht
reading and studying that he had
done throughout his life.
He illustrated this by calling my
attention to n catapult saying tina
he always had a hazy idea Of whai
catapult was, but that II was moi
until he saw one In actual operation
as shown on the screen that, It be-
came crystaAzed In his mind.
And SO II IL with every phase o.
the historical picture: II presents
manners. customs. and costumes 81
WILDLY before the eye that they can
not help but be comprehended. Tn,
historical picture must be like tn,
historical novel. II will do NOR,
good and be a greater agent Of In
struction II II Is put together will
the sugar coating of romance. II Il
absolutely necessary that the no
nance carry the facts and not tn,
facts the romance"