The Washington herald., 1916-04-09

~HERE Is a human interest story
In Griffith, who has screened
an American epic. His work
is known to millions, but the
man himself Is not known. He has
Sept himself back OF the camera, out
ri 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
senerated classics and join the masses
at movie" exhibition, the blue stock
ings and men OF books rise to inquire
what manner Of man is he.
> In the frst place, Griffith was born
IN La Grange, near Louisville, Ky. He
b thirty-five and has strain OF the
Eelt. The blend of the canny Scot and
the babbling Irishman that came down
TO him from his overseas ancestry
shows at times in his cllmaxes. 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.
Grifith's friends say he was better
than the average as an actor, but he
stuck to the stage for two years and
quit for q place with a 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 "Psp."
: 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
5ent care Of himself and Is a bunch
of live wires. He has speed and pow
ser, but he never wastes energy, Work
-ing night and day at his side, one won
eders IL he is ever going to let up.
SOn observing closely one sees that he
is easing the strain, just as in the big
-crashes Of his Birth Of a Nation" the
sense situation is relieved by a fash Of
field flowers or golden grain or kittens
at play.
: He can tune up a player to the high
7est pitch Of nervous energy, and when
he strikes the right key he relAxes.
IF this director has a fad It is relaxa-
ttiOn. His occupation is work, and he
seeks relaxation in dancing. There is
a story going along Broadway that
.recently Grifith turned down an offer
from the manager Of a restaurant cab
.aret for $3.50 a week to perform in the
Itrottery. The director enjoyed the
but he did not tell the
BOniface why he couldn't afford to take
sthe job. This offer came at the close
-of fourteen hour day Of hard work in
the studio, and he rested by dancing
and making good at it.
: Griffith is about FIVE feet ten inches
In height. He carries no superAuous
flesh. and he is chubby when Of duty.
He has written several short stories,
sbut he Is committed absolutely to the
silent drama. He looks upon It as the
youngest sister Of the hne arts, and he
hates censorship.
His Sense Of Tone colors.
The director has a 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.
tribute which supplied the musical
score to THE Birth Of a Nation" In
the tedious and torturing months when
be was putting the finishing touches to
this great production he correlated
tone to every action and unconsciously
hummed the several tunes and chords
which now form a part of the wonder
ful score which Breil has synchronized
so well to this stirring action. These
notes were caught on the fly, as it
were, by Brefl while Grifith was work
ing like a Trojan to finish his work
and then blended into the whole with