The Washington herald., 1917-01-09
INTOLERANCE RIVALS
birth OF A nation"
Griffith Production Mighty Spectacle
of Historic Events.

In an audience made up of Senators.
Representatives, diplomats, newspaper
men and their guests, David Wark Grif-
nth presented his latest masterpiece OF
cinema endeavor, Intolerance" in the
ballroom Of the Willard Hotel. last night
The performance was under the auspices
OF the National Press Club.
Griffith spanned the chasm of CEN
turies In the story of his production
which divided into four different episodes
with the same theme of Intolerance
running throuh the whole tale.
Mr.. Griffith addressed the audience
during the intermission between the
scenes of the picture and after express
ing his appreciation at the reception
OF ms picture ed a protest against
censorship, quoting from the works of
John Milton to show that even CEN
turtles ago censorship was endangering
knowledge.
Adjectives Fail to Describe.
newspaper cannot criticise "Intoler-
ance, nor can its columns carry a COM
prehensiye review of such a spectacle.
AdJectives indicative of vastness, splen-
dor and fineness fail in their scope to
| ten of the elaborate production.
Imagine the mind travelling from a
I
l512 to the Holy Land at the birth of the
Christian era. and thence to Babylon, the
| city Of antiquity. where the first records
OF an advance civilization are discovered
many centuries after the citadel of the
east passed away and was hidden under
the drifting sands. Imagination is stag
gered at the thoughts of such an under
taxing, but this is what Griffith has done
| in Intolerance"
In one portion of the story. a grea,
tent is shown as it was pitched on the
banks of the Euphrates River 1000 years
ago. Within the towering walls of that
| ancient city ofN Babylon Is shown the
mighty hosts under the leadership OF
Belshazzari the prince OF luxury, whose
feast was of such splendor that it has
come down through the ages as the acme
OF human excesses.
| Intolerance in All Ages
Other views bring the onlooker through
the developments of Christianity show
ing the same intolerant farce which
brought about the fall of Babylon con
tinuing its work down through all period.
into the medieval days of France wher
that country emerged from four civi
wars within a period OF two decades.
Relentless In its story through all tim.
the same compelling force is sketchet
| right into our modern civilization. Iosins
none OF its intensity as the producer re
Veals his leading characters of toda,
| caught in the maelstrom of life's com
plexities.
Dramatic, poetic spectacular ant
unique as the production is. its real nur.
| pose seems to be the expression of aetna
| happenings stimulating the interest b,
unfolding the close relationship tina,
humanity bears to all ages.
SuxEests "Birth of Natton,
comparisons are odius. yet when one
seeks for something with which To com
pare intolerance" but one other sur-
gests itself, The Birth of a Nation. g
Many will say that it surpasses Intel
erance.' Perhaps 1t will from a box o.
hce standpoint, but in his latest picture
Griffith has placed the pinnacle of The
moving picture far beyond the level which
ne reached with "The Birth Of a Nation ;.
Though they were but pawns on the
chessboard OF Griffith's imagination and
executive artistry, the work OF the ac-
tors or Intolerance" is of such uniform
excellence that 1t is hard indeed to pick
from among them those deserving of sne-
cial mention
Mae Marsh, Robert Harron. Miriam,
Cooper, Walter Long, BESSIE Love Com
stance Talmadge, Seena Owen. and AL
fred Paget, with the important roles OF
the spectacle. carried off all honors which
their parts demanded, but down to the
most insignificant supernumerary Mr..
Grifhth's cast is made up OF actors
Intolerance" will remain the greatest
or pictures for many years to come. even
taking into consideration the rapid strides
of this infant industry.
7. a