D.W. Griffith
David Llewelyn Wark Griffith was a premier pioneering American film director. He is best known as the director of the controversial and groundbreaking 1915 film The Birth of a Nation and the subsequent film Intolerance (1916). Griffith's film The Birth of a Nation made pioneering use of advanced camera and narrative techniques, and its immense popularity set the stage for the dominance of the feature-length film. It also proved extremely controversial at the time and ever since for its negative depiction of Black Americans and their supporters, and its positive portrayal of slavery and the Ku Klux Klan. Griffith responded to his critics with his next film, Intolerance, intended to show the dangers of prejudiced thought and behavior. The film was not the financial success that its predecessor had been, but was received warmly by critics. Several of his later films were also successful, but high production, promotional, and roadshow costs often made his ventures commercial failures. Even so, he is generally considered one of the most important figures of early cinema.
Known for
American Experience
Self
San Francisco
Orchestra Conductor (uncredited)
The Legend of Rudolph Valentino
Self (archive footage)
Why Be Good?: Sexuality & Censorship in Early Cinema
Self (archive footage)
The Tramp and the Dictator
Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
1776, or The Hessian Renegades
The Black Viper
Rescuer
At the Altar
A Calamitous Elopement
Policeman
The Fatal Hour
Policeman
The Adventures of Billy
On Bench
Classmates
Extra
Enoch Arden
Mr. Ray
The Girls and Daddy
At Black & Tan Ball
Falsely Accused!
Cop in Court
At the Crossroads of Life
Suitor
The Man in the Box
Station Agent
1930 Prelude to "The Birth of a Nation"
Self
The Invisible Fluid
Mailman
Caught by Wireless
Paddy
Her First Adventure
Father
Mary Pickford: The Muse of the Movies
Self (archive footage)
Two Daughters of Eve
At Stage Door
Star Power: The Creation Of United Artists
Self (archive footage)
Screen Snapshots (Series 1, No. 20)
Himself
The Kentuckian
Rescued from an Eagle's Nest
Father
Balked at the Altar
The Heart of O Yama
Footman
Deceived Slumming Party
Reginald O.C. Wittington
Cupid’s Pranks
When Knights Were Bold
Yellow Peril
Mr. Phlipp
The Politician's Love Story
Man - First Couple
The Sculptor's Nightmare
The King's Messenger
Messenger
The Music Master
The Stage Rustler
Phil Bowen
The Red Girl
Man on Footpath
Old Isaacs, the Pawnbroker
Doctor, Charity Worker
Professional Jealousy
Extra on stage
The King of the Cannibal Islands
Cannibal in Top Hat
Mary Pickford a Blessing and a Curse
Self
At the French Ball
Husband
A Famous Escape
Prisoner
Flashback: The First World War
Self (archive footage)
'Ostler Joe
Lover
Hulda's Lovers
The Princess in the Vase
Lover