New Britain herald., 1922-10-26

I Ice" were made by Griffith and 1lis workers.
 A reporter scenting news, made in- quiries. Grifflth's press agent, having been instructed and knowing that secrecy was being observed, told the reporter that they were preparing to take picture of Eliza crossing the Ice in Uncle Toms Cabin" The pa per next day, said Mir Smith. came out with the story of the picture of Eliza and the Ice that was to be taken at Pennington. Thus, in the summer, MT, Griffith made the correction which to his mind, perfected the pie ture Way Down East,
 Years ago. said Mir. Smith, Griffith was working for the Nitagraph peo- pie receiving a salary of $40 a week, He found a girl whom he wanted in the pictures and she went to work for s2b a week. The Vitagraph peo- pie decided after while that she was too "wishy- washy" and dis charged her. but Griffith insisted she remain. As they would not keep her, MT. Griffith left the company. That lllllF ElIl "d5 ihlS I lNhiclH'
 "The Birth of Nation" About two years later. MT, Griffith produced "The Birth of a Nation which possibly he would not have done had it hot been for the Mary Piekford episode. The history or this great masterpiece, "The Birth of Nation" reveals the fact that MT, Griffith received but the SIPS a week he was getting while working on the picture The immense profits 1t has made, something over $3,o0n,00 some time ago, went to others When about half way through the taking of the picture, MT. Griffith's packers re- fused to give more money. Griffith at that time was to get 3k per cent of the profits of the picture, as Thomas Dixon, author of the story "The Clansman,' from which it was taken, had been persuaded much against his will to accept 20 per cent of the profits in lieu of the s10,ooo which had been promised for 1t. Incident ally, said Mir. Smith, Mir. Dixon has received $Soo.ooo from that 20 per cent, instead of the promised s10,oo0.
 By Experimenting his 35 per cent of the profits Mir. Griffith raised money enough to finish this great picture, the first of its kind ever attempted. When the matter of small remunera- ton was mentioned to Griffith. said Mir Smith, he took the matter philo- sophcally, remarking that he had never been known before that picture. and perhaps 1t was all right that he had not shared more generously in its success.
 Indians See Fairbanks.
 While MT Smiths address was full of interesting references and anec- dotes, and his comment that only about per cent of the dwellers in Hollywood were guilty of the things attributed to that colony pleased his hearers, the dramatic tale he told of the presentation of a moving picture to the Indians on their reservation, stands out prominently, Douglas Fairbanks had been to the Hopi 1n- dian reservation, and had had pie lures taken there in which the h. dians figured. The red men had no q meant, and had no idea what Fair banks was doing The actor left, re- turned to the coast to complete the picture, and when it was all done wanted to keep the promise he had made the Indians to come back and show them what he had been doing.
 Mir. Smith, a friend of the actor was invited to join the party which consisted of some 35 people, actors, servants. writers and wives. They took the trip. first in special car and then for three days travelled over the plains in automobiles. As they ap- preached the reservation they saw throngs of Indians. coming from all directions, bringing little children for it was at the time of the year when Indian children are brought from all over that country to enter school.
 When the time came for showing the picture in the school house. 1t was with difficulty that the medicine man and the interpreters persuaded the Indians to enter the darkened build- ing, lighted only by beams of moon- light. Finally, however they filed in. single file, silent taciturn, looking neither to the right nor the left When the first pictures, being of Monte Carlo, were shown on the screen there was a vast silence in the room. No one moved. The Indians faces were expressioness. Thus they sat through the first of the scenes. said Mir, Smith, his dramatic instinct o,- a ir Ri fN Iror -{,II L. ture of the scene,
 The Indians Aroused.
 Silence on the part of the Indians continued until there came a scene where the villain strikes the heroine in the face The spel was broken. This action the Indians could under stand They shouted their joy; they swayed back and forth and were all excitement
 Gradually, however, when Fair banks began to chase the villain, the Indians began to gather what the story was all about, They began to utter cries of hate when the villain would appear; they exclaimed for joy when Fairbanks chased him. and thus they continued all through the rest of the picture, swaying backward and forward, uttering weird cries and showing all the symptoms of great children carried away with the in tensity of their interest,
 And then came the end. With the ceasing of the pictures. with the showing of the white blankness on the screen the excitement left the In