Great Falls tribune., 1921-02-20
Life Story Of
MARY ;:;:;;:: !; e; !; !:;:;i j; :;;;;';
PICKF0RD
As Told by Herself |
toHAYDEN TALBOT |
TWELVE INSTALMENTS
HER METHOD OF MAKING
PICTURES
(Seventh InstaIIment.)

"Nfy original dislike of the movies
was not quickly disipated. Considering
the state of affairs that existed thos'
days in the infant industry, it is no
strange that I should have felt thu
legitimate theater was infinitely super
ior.
I'm Mr.. Griffith's company at tn,
old Biograph studio the actor who
owned a Irass suit was a veritable goc
among men-and by the mere posses
ion of such princely attire won the
right to play leading roles! The appear
ance at the studio of a girl with a new
hat, however cheap, caused sensa-
ton! The billions of profits that since
have rained down into the laps of
motion picture producers were as yet
undreamed of. Motion pictures in those
days were shown in dingy little make
shift theaters called "nickleodians"-
with a nickle 1.-TWO pence, half penny
the maximum admission price charge
able.
1T was not at all like what I had
come to know in the real theater under
Mr.. Belasco's tutelage. And yet the
genius Of the little man who was des-
tined to become the greatest of all
motion picture producers made it I'M
possible for anyone to associate with
him to be discouraged by the undeni-
able soddidness of the situation. For
Mr.. Griffith was able to inspire us all
with conviction that one day the art
we were SO fecbly bringing into being
would come to be a recognized as
worthy sister of the spoken drama-to
be accepted seriously as an art. AS 1
look back on those days and picture
in my minds eye the crudities Of what
we did for the translation onto the
screen / realize just why Mr. Griffith
was able to inspire us as he did 1t
was because he himself had the gift Of
going further in the development Of
the art than any other man since has
figured in producing pictures.
Griffith's Fortune Not Large
"And yet today there are many men
among the motion picture producers
whose fortunes-made out Of the
movies are vastly bigger than Mr.
Grlfflth's. And this in spite of the fact
that some Of the biggest money max
ing films ever produced were conceived
directed and exploited by Mr.. Griffith.
Take The Birth Of Nation for ex-
ample. | am not in a position to state
definitely the exact total this picture
has earned, but l understand it is
something in excess of $s,OOO,OOO OF
this amount more than $1,OOO,OOO went
to man in Los Angeles to whom Mr..
Griffith had to 60 after his own funds
were exhausted for enough to complete
the picture. This man--who advanced
only a few thousand dollars is
today one OF the richest men among
motion picture exhibitors in America.
With the million he obtained from The
Birth Of Nation he acquired control
Of big theater in Los Angeles, seat
ing $500 people, and out of it has made
second fortune
"Mr. Griffith, like Charles Frohman,
cares nothing at all for money-except
in so far as it is necessary for him to |
have in order to make new pictures.
How great a part of his share Of the
profits of The Birth of Nation went
into the filming of Intolerance I
don't suppose even he himself knows.
But, Intolerance was unquestionably