The Washington times., 1917-01-25
Producer of Birth of a Nation"
To Lecture at Arts
Club.
"sUPER" IN STOCK COMPANY
Later With Walker Whiteside
and Thomas Dixon Before
Entering Picture Field.

Under the auspices OF the Arts Club
of this city. David Wark Griffith will
give a lecture on the moving pictures
of today, at the club house, 2o17 i
street northwest, tonight.
Singular interest attaches itself to
this talk because OF the present en-
Eagement Of the Griffith film master
piece. The Birth of a Nation" at
the National Theater this week.
Beginning with the first days of the
moving picture, Griffith Joined the
BioEraph forces seven years ago, ana
has risen steadily since.
He was born in La Grange. KY,
just a few miles from Louisville.
Born In Kentucky.
David w. Griffith, the producer Of
1.-The Birth of q Nation" was born
in La Grange, KY just few miles
from Louisville. He earned his first
money as a clerk in the old c. t.
bearing booksfIop in Louisville, and
later found employment as a super"
at the old Masonic Temple Theater,
on Fourth and Jefferson streets, dur
ing the incumbency Of the Meffert-
Eagle Stock Company, about twenty
years ago, at q salary OF $500
week.
In a recent interview Mr.. Griffith
SAID: TIL never forget the day 1
called upon Colonel Meffert and ask
ed him to raise my salary from $500
, to 5000 week. He turned me
down, but J. didn't quit my job, for
! considered myself lucky. to have
Q Job in those days" Not many weeks
sfterward he was given his first real
opportunity. An emergency arose, ana
Oscar Eagle and his wife, Esther
Lyons, leading man and woman or
the company, selected young Griffith
for the vacant role, and his salary
jumped from $500 to $1,000 q week.
When 1.-THE Birth of Nation" was
first presented in New York. Mr..
Griffth was standing in the lobby,
his frisnds surrounding him on all
sides. Suddenly he broke from the
little group and ran Up to q woman
and embraced and kissed her. A tall
man accompanying the woman seized
him by the arm and demanded:
"sir, how dare you kiss my wifs7"
"'Tn kiss her any time I like and
I'm going to Kiss you, too" replied
Griffith, suiting the action to the
word. Then the man saw who It
vas and he wrumg Griffth's hand
WaTmiYG ne Inoo lutFOuuCcu Inc
man and woman to his friends as
"Mr. and Mrs. Oscar Eagle, the best
friends I eyer had in the world"
with waIIuer whitesIde.
when Griffith's father died he was
q Vad Of fifteen. After the closing Of
471a stock company he went to New
Yak. He procured a position with
walker whiteside. who was touring
the country in ''Hambet" THE Red
Cockade." I'VE Are King" Robert
of Sicily" and Heart and Sword"
He aftSrward was q member of
company under the direction OF Thorn
as Dixon, who was appearing in q
dramatization OF one of Dixcn's nov
els. Later he wak leading juvenile
in an "alI-star" revival OF Caste"
In that company were Robert Ferg-
uson, William HazeBtine, the Countess
CastIevecchIo and Mary Scott.
Then came his engagement with the
Biozraph Company. That was the end
of his career as an actor and the
beginning OF his meteoric rise in seven
years from q small salary to one OF
500, 900 a year. which he was receiv-
ing before he produced THE Birth Of
q Nation"