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D.W. Griffith: American Film Master
Originally published in 1940, 'D.W. Griffith: American Film Master' was the first in a monographic series by The Museum of Modern Art's foundling film curator, Iris Barry, to provide historical and aesthetic perspectives on key film collections in the Museum's care. The books were part of a coordinated program of activities that included the acquisition, restoration, and public exhibition of films, research and writing on the cinema, and the distribution of artistically important films to educational institutions. World War II ended this series of books just as it was beginning, making instant collector's items of the original limited editions. The present facsimile edition makes this sought after publication again available to fans and scholars of the silent film.
This volume first appeared in conjunction with the Museum's landmark film exhibition, 'D.W. Griffith: The Art of the Motion Picture'. Both the book and the film program were groundbreaking efforts to present Griffith as a major artist of the twentieth century as well as the seminal artist of the cinema; on both counts the project has proven to be an unqualified success.
'D.W. Griffith: American Film Master' is reissued as it first appeared in 1940, both to serve as a companion piece to the second volume in the series, Alistair Cooke's 'Douglas Fairbanks: The Making of a Screen Character', and to honour Iris Barry's prodigious achievement as a pioneer film researcher, writer, and exhibition curator.
This volume first appeared in conjunction with the Museum's landmark film exhibition, 'D.W. Griffith: The Art of the Motion Picture'. Both the book and the film program were groundbreaking efforts to present Griffith as a major artist of the twentieth century as well as the seminal artist of the cinema; on both counts the project has proven to be an unqualified success.
'D.W. Griffith: American Film Master' is reissued as it first appeared in 1940, both to serve as a companion piece to the second volume in the series, Alistair Cooke's 'Douglas Fairbanks: The Making of a Screen Character', and to honour Iris Barry's prodigious achievement as a pioneer film researcher, writer, and exhibition curator.
- GenresFilm
40 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1940
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November 27, 2020
I had always been aware of D.W. Griffith as a film maker ever since I took a serious interest in movie making but I had never read anything about him. All I really knew was that he was a pioneer in the field and was probably most famous for his controversial film 'The Birth of a Nation'. This exceptional monograph has elucidated much for me and I now realise exactly how talented the man was.
He was born David Wark Griffith in Crestwood, Oldham County, Kentucky, in January 1875 and by 1897 he was playing supporting roles with the Moffert Stock Company, Temple Theatre, Louisville. After acting with a number of touring companies, he then had small roles in 'Trilby' and 'East Lynne' with Ada Gray's company on her farewell tour. This led him to further roles in a variety of melodramatic and historical plays. And at the same time he was writing poetry and plays and James K. Hackett paid him $1,000 for his play 'A Fool and A Girl', which was produced in Washington with Fanny Ward as the star in 1907.
He then ventured into films and secured a leading role in 'Rescued From An Eagle's Nest' for the Edison Company. He also sold several stories to the Biograph Company and acted in a number of Biograph films before taking his first steps as a director in 1908 with a film entitled 'The Adventures of Dollie'. This set him on the path that he was to follow and he began directing one long and one short film per week for the company. It should be remembered that films in those days were only one reel and were hired out at $2 each.
By August of 1908 his star was rising within Biograph, who rewarded him with a contract at $50 per week plus a guaranteed commission of not less than $50. He was most innovative in that he took many more close up shots of intimate action than were previously used, introduced flash-backs into his pictures, took long shots, made the first two-reel movie (although the reels were released separately), and even demanded a change of camera, unheard of at the time, in mid-scene when making 'For Love of Gold'. To assist him in his activities he had taken his cameraman G.W. 'Billy' Blitzer with him and he was without doubt an extremely influential person in Griffith's development.
He was also a talent spotter for he gave Mack Sennett his first important role in 'Father Gets in the Game' and engaged Mary Pickford to play small roles in 'What Drink Did' and 'The Lonely Villa', all his titles being most melodramatic! He introduced Lionel Barrymore to the company and gave Lillian and Dorothy Gish their screen debuts in 'An Unseen Enemy'.
Then in 1915 came his masterpiece 'The Birth of a Nation', originally entitled 'The Clansman', and his reputation was secured. He later made another epic, 'Intolerance', and in 1917 he sailed to Europe to make a propaganda film for the Allies; the film, 'Hearts of the World' issued in 1918 had a young Noel Coward playing opposite Lillian Gish. In February 1919 he formed a distribution company, United Artists, with Mary Pickford, Douglas Fairbanks, and Charlie Chaplin before, in September of that year, he moved his production company to Mamaroneck, New York.
He was to continue making films until 1931 when his final production, 'The Struggle' was released. Iris Barry gives an excellent critical evaluation of the man under who was very much responsible for forming the basic principles of the art of making motion pictures. And to finish off the book, Beaumont Newhall writes 'A Note of the Photography of Griffith's Films'
As Barry writes in the book's conclusion, '[T]he men who make films today know who it was that taught them the basis of their craft. The American public, which for 45 years has so keenly enjoyed and supported the motion picture, has been somewhat reluctant to allow it the status of an art. Now, gradually, they too are recognizing that in Griffith they have one of the greatest and most original artists of our time.' And this is made very clear in this first-rate biography.
He was born David Wark Griffith in Crestwood, Oldham County, Kentucky, in January 1875 and by 1897 he was playing supporting roles with the Moffert Stock Company, Temple Theatre, Louisville. After acting with a number of touring companies, he then had small roles in 'Trilby' and 'East Lynne' with Ada Gray's company on her farewell tour. This led him to further roles in a variety of melodramatic and historical plays. And at the same time he was writing poetry and plays and James K. Hackett paid him $1,000 for his play 'A Fool and A Girl', which was produced in Washington with Fanny Ward as the star in 1907.
He then ventured into films and secured a leading role in 'Rescued From An Eagle's Nest' for the Edison Company. He also sold several stories to the Biograph Company and acted in a number of Biograph films before taking his first steps as a director in 1908 with a film entitled 'The Adventures of Dollie'. This set him on the path that he was to follow and he began directing one long and one short film per week for the company. It should be remembered that films in those days were only one reel and were hired out at $2 each.
By August of 1908 his star was rising within Biograph, who rewarded him with a contract at $50 per week plus a guaranteed commission of not less than $50. He was most innovative in that he took many more close up shots of intimate action than were previously used, introduced flash-backs into his pictures, took long shots, made the first two-reel movie (although the reels were released separately), and even demanded a change of camera, unheard of at the time, in mid-scene when making 'For Love of Gold'. To assist him in his activities he had taken his cameraman G.W. 'Billy' Blitzer with him and he was without doubt an extremely influential person in Griffith's development.
He was also a talent spotter for he gave Mack Sennett his first important role in 'Father Gets in the Game' and engaged Mary Pickford to play small roles in 'What Drink Did' and 'The Lonely Villa', all his titles being most melodramatic! He introduced Lionel Barrymore to the company and gave Lillian and Dorothy Gish their screen debuts in 'An Unseen Enemy'.
Then in 1915 came his masterpiece 'The Birth of a Nation', originally entitled 'The Clansman', and his reputation was secured. He later made another epic, 'Intolerance', and in 1917 he sailed to Europe to make a propaganda film for the Allies; the film, 'Hearts of the World' issued in 1918 had a young Noel Coward playing opposite Lillian Gish. In February 1919 he formed a distribution company, United Artists, with Mary Pickford, Douglas Fairbanks, and Charlie Chaplin before, in September of that year, he moved his production company to Mamaroneck, New York.
He was to continue making films until 1931 when his final production, 'The Struggle' was released. Iris Barry gives an excellent critical evaluation of the man under who was very much responsible for forming the basic principles of the art of making motion pictures. And to finish off the book, Beaumont Newhall writes 'A Note of the Photography of Griffith's Films'
As Barry writes in the book's conclusion, '[T]he men who make films today know who it was that taught them the basis of their craft. The American public, which for 45 years has so keenly enjoyed and supported the motion picture, has been somewhat reluctant to allow it the status of an art. Now, gradually, they too are recognizing that in Griffith they have one of the greatest and most original artists of our time.' And this is made very clear in this first-rate biography.
September 6, 2012
I found this book on the shelves at Strand Bookstore in New York city. They had a great selection on American Film, and I picked up a few books on Griffith there. This one provides a thorough if brief look at Griffith's life and films. I really enjoy having it as it contains multiple images from Intolerance. It also contained an interesting short section on the technical contributions of photographer Billy Bitzer. I especially found it cool that the author actually interacted with Griffith during the writing of the book (Griffith was still alive in 1940 when this was written) and was able to present what Griffith agreed/disagreed with within the text.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews