Scott Lord Silent Film: Blanche Sweet in Judith of Bethulia (D.W. Griffith, Biograph, 1914)

Lillian Gish's autobiographical account of "Judith of Bethulia" (D.W. Griffith at Biograph, 1914) included in her volume The Movies, Mr. Griffith and Me can again be placed in the historiography of film criticism by being a combination of reminiscences and digests of media accounts reflecting her perspective. "The advertisements later announced that 'Judith of Bethulia' was the most expensive film that Biograph ever produced . They went on to exaggerate the number of extras and costliness of the sets, ignoring Mr. Griffith's talent for making much out of little. It is true, however, that 'Judith' was more expensive and took longer to make than any Griffith picture up to that." Presaging the epic spectacle of D.W. Griffith, which quickly arrived within a two year period ,in fact still years before Cecil B. DeMille became proficient at the genre, the film stars one of the first all-star casts including Blanche Sweet in the titular role, Lillian and Dorothy Gish, Kate Bruce and Mae Marsh. It was the longer running time that allowed D.W.Griffith to film spectacle in his three reel "The Battle of Elderbush Gulch" and four reel "Judith of Bethulia", author Tom Gunning, in his volume D.W. Griffith and the origins of American narrative film: the early years at Biograph, noting "the control of space and time offered in Griffith's spectacle films from his late Biograph period."

Eric Rhode, in his volume A History of Cinema, outlines a chromology of Griffith's crescendo at Biograph, "From 1908 on Griffith directed over 400 films for Biograph. But he left the company in 1913 when it declined to change its policy and release the four reel'Judith of Bethulia', even though the public had shown an interest in five and six reel feature films."
Iris Barry, in her volume D.W. Griffith American Film Master writes of "Judith of Bethulia" having been Griffith's last film for Biograph. "'Judith of Bethulia', by reason of its legnth, its intricate composition, emotional power, ambitiousness andcistliness, provided a fitting climax to his long connection with biograph, though it is also a film which it is difficult wholly to admire today." By December of 1913, D.W. Griffith had left Biograph to join Mutual and the company had begun cutting the six reel film down to four reels.
The cinematographer to the film was G.W. Bitzer, who left Biograph with D.W. Griffith to accompany him. As quoted by Iris Barry in D.W. Griffith American Film Master, it was at first only reluctantly on Bitzer's oart, Griffith coaxing him with autonomy behind the camera. It is of interest that Griffith would grant Bitzer free reign in that Griffith began as an actor, improvised as a director without detailed shooting scripts when compared to Thomas Ince and was now aquiescing as to becoming primarily a scriptwriter.

Silent Film

Scott Lord Silent Film: Home, Sweet Home (D.W. Griffith, 1914)

Now directing for the Reliance Motion Picture and Majestic Motion Picture Corporation, D.W. Griffith had expanded his running length to six reels by 1914 with the film "Home Sweet Home", starring actresses Lillian Gish, Doroth Gish and Mae Marsh.

During 1914 Mutual Film released the seven reel film "The Escape", directed by D.W. Griffith and photographed by G.W. Bitzer. Starring in the film were Edna Foster, Mae Marsh and Blanche Sweet. The film is considered a Lost Silent Film. Silent Film D.W. Griffith

Scott Lord Silent Film: Carol Dempster in Sally of the Sawdust (D.W. Griffith, 1925)

Edward Wagenkneckt, in his volume The Films of D.W. Griffith, points out that ten reel film "Sally of the Sawdust" (1925) ,photographed by Harry Fischback and Hal Sintzernich and starring W.C. FIelds and actress Carol Dempster , was made by D.W. Griffith at Paramount but , at Griffith's behest, released through United Artists. Wagerneckt notes that the film features several sight gags involving W.C. Fields that are worth watching.

That year D.W. Griffith directed both W.C. Fields and Carol Dempster in a second ten reel film entitled "That Royle Girl", which is presumed to be a Lost Silent Film, with no surviving copies existing. Iris Barry, in her volume D.W. Griffith, American Film Master, notes that W.C. Fields played only a minor comedy part in the film. Originally slated as "a small film" with sucenes involving a statue of Abraham Lincoln, a $ 100,000 cyclone was added to the film, putting it over budget.

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