Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1921-05-12
WHO-WHY-WHAT
is DAVID GRIFFITH,
MASTER OF MOVIES?

IVHO-,ohat-iohp David Wdrk
w G16fthf
That, ir essence, u Uhat t,oo dit-
knop.
How did he stortf What pdS his
traininof Where did he get the er-
perience Which has made his name
knovn all oper the ioorldf Under Uhnt
auspices did he develop unfN he tods
able to pisudli-e aud produce such b,g
things as 1.-THE Birth OF q Nation.
and Dream Streef'f
Hoo does he take such little knoon
players as Charles Mack and Ralph
GrdreS and Carol Dempster and put
them before the public after te,o short
months as finished artists, ready and
BILE 10 stand on their oion feet and
capitalize the regulations ,ohtch he has
made for hemY
And hoto ranv other no,o famous
stars has he started and developed IN
inst the same ,oay until today their
names and their fame are household
cordSf
DAvID WARK GRIFFITH was
- born in La Grange, Kentucky tnear
Louisyille) in 1890 His father, Gen
eral Jacob Wark Griffith, was an othcer
whose Confederate regiment never dld
really surrender; the men simply and
individually wandered to their respec
tive homes as soon as Robert e. Lee
had capitulated.
As soon as he was big enough to fol-
low his ambitions, Mr.. Griffith went
to Louisville and got n job as a reporter
on the Courier Journal. he was put
to work writing notes about the theatre
and 70 became interested in Things
theatrical.
Before many weeks he appeared IN
District School" His acting attracted
the attention of Oscar Eagle, stage
director of the Meffert Stock Company,
then playing at the Masonic Temple,
| Louisville, and he was engaged as Il
member of that company.
His first season gave him wide va Z,
riety Of parts, and when later he joined
John Griffith's $ travelling stock company
he had gained sufficient experience &c
| be intruSted with leading roles.
! In 1905 Mr.. Griffith appeared with
TIE Memphis stock Repertoire COMPANY
on tour. and the following season Joined
Miss Nance O'Neil in Elizabeth in
which he appeared as Sir Francis
I Drake, Mckee Rankin also was a mem
! Der of this company.
In 1908 Mr.. Griffith became inter
ested in motion pictures. he asso-
ciated himself with the American Muta
scope and Biograph CO., at II Eas'
Fourteenth street. New York, where his
many innovations gained him such rec
ognition that he was made director gen
eral of productions.
TT IS a matter of record that Mr.
i Griffith. while with the Biograpf
Co., invented and put into operation
such improvements as the closeup. tht
fade away, the long shot. the cut ,bact
and mist photography. all OF which arr
in general use today.
Mr.. Griffith remained with the Bio
graph Co. until 1913. Among the pro
ductons he made there were The IA
ventures of Dollay," THE Red Mar
Pima Passes" The Blot on tn
'Scutcheon. " "Enoch Arden" Fight
ing Blood" Friends" ''Oil ant
Water" ''Thc Sealed Room" 'Silen
Paths" "a Drunkard's Reformation,
THE Tanning of the Shrew. Line
Of White on Sullcn Sea, That 30
Wedding" For the Sak Ike of the so
: of the House" IAN on Account Of tn
Milk. " with the Enemy's Help" an
many others. 49,.
Among the players who we're dis
, coveredf and trained by Mr.. Gritit
r during his stay with Biograph are
| Mary Piclford Mae Marsh
Blanche Sweet Alice Joyce
O Robert HarrGn Miriam Cooper
Deceased Florence Lawrenc
p Mabel Normand Owen Moore
k Lillian Gish Henry Is. Waltha
Jack and IOttie Arthur johnson
k PickfOrd (Deceased)
. Marion Leonard James Kirkwo0d
q Dorothy Gish Courtney FOOte
His discoveries" also include sue