D W Griffith
/ˌdiː ˌdʌbljuː ˈɡrɪfɪθ/
/ˌdiː ˌdʌbljuː ˈɡrɪfɪθ/
- David Wark Griffith (1875-1948) the leading US director of silent films. He is remembered especially for making films on a large scale, using grand scenery and many actors. These included The Birth of a Nation (1915), Intolerance (1916) and Broken Blossoms (1919). In 1919 Griffith, together with Mary Pickford, Douglas Fairbanks and Charlie Chaplin, established the independent film production company United Artists. He later made two sound films, and received a special Oscar in 1936.