D.W. Griffith
Biography
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
Acting
1961
asSelf (archive footage)
1912
asAt Stage Door
1908
asSuitor
1908
asHusband
1908
asRescuer
1908
asPoliceman
1908
as
1908
as1908
asCannibal in Top Hat
1908
asFather
1909
as
1908
asFather
1908
as
2014
asSelf (archive footage)
1908
asDoctor, Charity Worker
1908
asMessenger
1908
asMailman
1908
asStation Agent
1908
as1908
asPhil Bowen
1908
asReginald O.C. Wittington
1908
asMan on Footpath
1908
asFootman
2023
asSelf
2008
asSelf (archive footage)
1930
asSelf
1908
as1908
asExtra
1936
asOrchestra Conductor (uncredited)
1921
asHimself
1909
as
1911
asOn Bench
1908
asPaddy
1908
asMr. Phlipp
1915
asMr. Ray
1998
asSelf (archive footage)
2002
asSelf (archive footage) (uncredited)
1908
as
2007
asSelf (archive footage)
1908
asCop in Court
1909
asMan - First Couple
1908
asPoliceman
1909
asAt Black & Tan Ball
1908
as1908
asLover
1908
asExtra on stage
1908
asPrisoner
1908
asLover
asSelf
Production
1915
as
1919
as
1922
as
1914
as
1911
as
1915
as
1913
as
1919
as
1919
as
1919
as
1919
as
1919
as
1915
as
1916
as
1921
as
1921
as
1920
as
1919
as
1918
as
1918
as
1920
as
1915
as
1915
as
1916
as
1916
as
1916
as
1917
as
1917
as
1914
as
1909
as
1918
as
1926
as1914
as
1918
as
1928
as
1931
as
1923
as
1919
as
1924
as
1912
as
1924
as
1909
as
1912
asCrew
Directing
1910
as1919
as
1912
as1912
as
1916
as1913
as1913
as1913
as1913
as1913
as1913
as1913
as
1913
as1913
as1913
as1913
as1913
as
1909
as1914
as1920
as1922
as1914
as1919
as1921
as
1912
as
1914
as1908
as
1908
as1908
as1913
as1908
as1909
as1909
as
1912
as1913
as1913
as1924
as
1912
as1913
as
1914
as
1929
as1909
as1928
as
1913
as1911
as
1912
as
1930
as
1909
as
1912
as1931
as
1909
as
1912
as
1912
as
1911
as
1908
as
1913
as
1909
as
1909
as
1910
as
1909
as
1910
as
1909
as
1909
as1923
as
1913
as
1913
as
1913
as
1911
as
1911
as
1911
as1918
as1919
as1919
as
1912
as
1912
as
1912
as
1912
as
1912
as
1911
as
1911
as
1910
as
1910
as1921
as1926
as
1909
as
1909
as
1913
as
1910
as1919
as
1910
as1924
as
1910
as1920
as
1925
as
1910
as
1911
as
1911
as
1911
as
1912
as
1912
as1908
as1908
as
1908
as
1908
as
1911
as
1912
as
1909
as
1912
as
1912
as
1912
as
1912
as
1912
as
1912
as
1912
as
1912
as
1912
as
1912
as
1911
as
1911
as
1911
as
1911
as
1911
as1911
as
1911
as
1911
as
1910
as
1910
as
1910
as
1910
as
1910
as
1909
as1909
as
1909
as1909
as
1909
as
1909
as
1909
as
1909
as
1914
as
1910
as
1914
as
1908
as1908
as
1909
as1908
as
1909
as
1909
as
1909
as
1909
as
1908
as
1908
as
1909
as
1909
as1909
as
1911
as
1912
as
1908
as
1909
as
1912
as
1920
as
1908
as
1910
as1913
as1913
as1908
as1919
as1919
as1909
as
1909
as
1912
as
1908
as
1910
as
1913
as
1909
as
1909
as
1928
as
1909
as1909
as1919
as
1909
as
1909
as
1911
as
1910
as
1927
as
1910
as
1909
as
1913
as
1912
as
1910
as
1920
as1908
as1908
as
1908
as1908
as1908
as1908
as
1908
as1910
as
1908
as
1908
as
1908
as1908
as
1908
as1908
as1908
as1908
as1908
as1908
as1908
as1908
as1908
as
1913
as1918
as1918
as
1909
as
1909
as
1909
as
1909
as
1910
as
1910
as
1911
as
1909
as
1909
as
1912
as
1909
as
1911
as1908
as
1908
as1908
as1909
as1909
as1909
as
1909
as1909
as1909
as1909
as
1909
as1909
as1909
as
1909
as
1909
as
1911
as
1911
as
1909
as
1910
as
1910
as
1951
as
1909
as
1910
as
1909
as1909
as1911
as1910
as
1910
as1910
as1909
as
1910
as1909
as
1911
as
1913
as
1910
as
1910
as
1911
as
1911
as1911
as
1909
as
1911
as1911
as
1909
as
1909
as
1909
as1909
as
1909
as
1909
as
1909
as
1909
as
1909
as1909
as
1909
as1909
as
1909
as
1909
as1909
as1909
as
1909
as1909
as
1909
as1909
as1910
as1910
as
1910
as1910
as1910
as
1910
as1918
as
1910
as
1910
as
1910
as
1910
as
1910
as
1910
as
1910
as
1910
as
1913
as
1912
as
1912
as
1912
as
1912
as
1912
as
1913
as
1912
as
1912
as1912
as
1912
as1912
as
1912
as
1912
as1936
as
1913
as
1911
as
1910
as
1908
as
1912
as
1911
as1912
as1909
as
1913
as
1913
as1910
as
1909
as
1914
as
1913
as
1908
as
1913
as1910
as1910
as
1910
as1910
as1910
as1910
as1910
as1910
as1910
as1910
as1910
as1910
as1910
as1910
as1910
as1910
as1910
as1911
as
1911
as1911
as1911
as1910
as1910
as1910
as1910
as1910
as1910
as1910
as1910
as1910
as1910
as1910
as
1910
as1910
as
1913
as
1911
as1912
as1911
as
1911
as
1911
as
1910
as
1913
as1912
as
1912
as
1912
as
1912
as1913
as1913
as1913
as1913
as1913
as1909
as1909
as1909
as1910
as1911
as1912
as
1909
as1915
as
1911
as
1925
as1912
as1908
as1908
as
1908
as1909
as
1909
as1909
as
1909
as
1909
as1909
as1909
as
1909
as1909
as1909
as1909
as1909
as1909
as1909
as1909
as1909
as1909
as1908
as1908
as1909
as1909
as1909
as1909
as1909
as1909
as1909
as1909
as1909
as1909
as1909
as1909
as1909
as1910
as1908
as1909
as1909
as1909
as1909
as1909
as1909
as1909
as1909
as1909
as1909
as1910
as1910
as1910
as1911
as1911
as1912
as
as
as1930
as1912
as1912
as1911
as1911
as
1909
as
