Actor

D.W. Griffith

Directing

Career Snapshot

Explained

These indicators come from TMDB. They are relative signals, not review ratings.

Acting credits

Established

Large and steady acting portfolio.

TMDB popularity

0.8

Low visibility

TMDB internal trend index. Higher usually means more searches and page activity now.

Movies: 348Series: 1Crew credits: 333

TMDB ID: 100036

IMDb ID: nm0000428

Known for: Directing

Born: January 22, 1875

Died: July 23, 1948

Age: 73

Place of birth: LaGrange, Kentucky, USA

Gender: Male

Adult content flag: No

Career span: 1908 - 2023

Years active: 116

Average TMDB rating: 5.95

Wikidata: Q51123

Also known as

David Llewelyn Wark Griffith • David Wark Griffith • David W. Griffith • Lawrence Griffith • Captain Victor Marier • Capt. Victor Marier • Victor Marier • Granville Hicks • Irene Sinclair • Roy Sinclair • +7 more

Other jobs

Director (268)Writer (31)Producer (18)Story (5)Supervising Producer (4)Production Supervisor (2)Screenplay (2)Assistant Director (1)

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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.