The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1916-01-27
THE MEANING OF
GRIFFITH SUPERVISED

d. W. Grifih has made a great name
in the motion picture world of today.
He is said to be ahead of his time.
Beginning February 20. the Electric
theatre will begin weekly showings Of
the famed Griffith Triangle productions.
The following is from the pen Of Car
lysle Ellis:
To watch David Griffith at work; to
see in actual productive operation the
mind that has made the deepest imprint
of any on the photo-drama-i it is the
hearts desire of every interviewer and
writer Of personality studies from New
York to-but there is no outer boundry.
Being in Los Angeles. it seemed a
simple thing to do. One had but to gain
entrance to the big Fine Arts studio,
where Director General Griffith spends
his life producing pbotoplays. and
watch.
Entrance was gained. Luckily we
had a certain password that opened
several doors before it led US to the
first big open-air stages, shaded from
the southern California sun by top
shades of white cotton. We were free
to wander about where we liked and
for as long as we liked, so long as we
obeyed studio laws.
Chief of these is: Never step in front
Of camera. That rule is obeyed even
by the studio dogs, Of which there are
sure to be several. Most Of these dogs
have either to be led or the set, so
thorough is their understanding of the
rule, or else rehearsed in the one scene
till they know they belong there.
The second law has purely local sp-
plication and is not really law at all.
1t is expressed by everyone in about
the same words: Better not bother
Mr.. Griffin unless it's absolutely neces-
sary. He's a very busy man." We
conclude that he must be, not only be-
cause everyone We speak to says so,
repeatedly, but because during one
whole busy morning we failed to catch
even a glimpse OF the man. He is
there, too. He is rehearsing OF direct.
ing or consulting or all three, here or
there or somewhere about, but you do
not see him.
On the big. orderly stage, crowded
with sets and players and technical
assistants. there is al dominant spirit
that you cannot at once put your finger
on. If you are used to motion picture
studies so you get dozen impressions
| from dozen different details and they
all dovetail into an individuality-the
personality of the studio, which is sure
to mirror accurately the personality Of
its director general.
Looking for this man Griffith you
wander from stage to stage of the Fine
Arts studio, up and down the paved
streets of this miniature city. from the
group of technical buildings In one cor
ner to the outdoor gymnasium in the
court of the mems dressing rooms or
on to the great storehouses of furnish
ings and the shops.
Everywhere you hear one name-Mr.
Griffith. The big projection room is to
be clear for his work at five o'clock
he suggested certain kind of hanging
for this Renaissance drawing room and
SO that kind will be found at all cost
MIR. Griffith saw it in rehearsal and let
it 60 through so that it might be all
right. That's piece of business that
Mr.. Griffith suggested and it makes
the scene. Mr.. Griffith said to be there
at nine sharp and. you know, he must
not be kept waiting.
The listening visitor becomes pos
sessed by the conviction that this in
visible director is at least FIVE men.
How else is such ubiquity possible?
We stand among the quiet watchers
behind the battery of cameras. Here
are directors and assistant directors,
operators and their assistants, players
off duty or waiting for their entrance
into the scene. Occasionally, a bit OF
vigorous, high.pitched dialogue from q
set marks sharply the recording Of
some intense moment in play, where
the use of speech will help the players
to an accentuation of dramatic values
but for the most part voices are sub.
dued to ordinary conversational tone.
There is none of the traditional
shouting Of directors. no fine frenzy al
all. These are Griffith directors.