D.W. Griffith
482 films · 1908 to 1931 · 4 on TSPDT
Born 22 January 1875, LaGrange, Kentucky, USA · Died 23 July 1948
D.W. Griffith was an American filmmaker who pioneered narrative techniques in early cinema, including close-ups, cross-cutting, and elaborate staging. His 1915 film *The Birth of a Nation* demonstrated the potential of cinema as a feature-length dramatic medium, though it remains historically controversial for its racist content and portrayal of the Ku Klux Klan. He followed this with *Intolerance* (1916), an ambitious four-narrative epic that explored themes across different historical periods. Griffith's technical innovations and approach to film structure significantly influenced how cinema told stories and established many conventions that filmmakers worldwide adopted throughout the 20th century.
Defining films
Films by decade
Lady of the Pavements
Drums of Love
The Battle of the Sexes
The Sorrows of Satan
That Royle Girl
Sally of the Sawdust
America
Isn’t Life Wonderful
The White Rose
One Exciting Night
Dream Street
Orphans of the Storm
The Idol Dancer
The Love Flower
Way Down East
A Romance of Happy Valley
Scarlet Days
The Girl Who Stayed At Home
The Greatest Question
The Greatest Thing in Life
The Great Love
Hearts of the World
Home, Sweet Home
The Avenging Conscience
The Escape
The Battle of the Sexes
The Battle at Elderbush Gulch
Brute Force
The Mistake
The House of Darkness
The Coming of Angelo
The Lady and the Mouse
Broken Ways
A Timely Interception
The Little Tease
The Wanderer
Olaf-An Atom
Death’s Marathon
The Mothering Heart
Near to Earth
Judith of Bethulia
The Reformers, Or the Lost Art of Minding One’s Business
Two Men of the Desert
His Mother’s Son
The Sheriff’s Baby
The Yaqui Cur
Her Mother’s Oath
Her Mother’s Oath
The Indian’s Loyalty
The Indian’s Loyalty
A Girl’s Stratagem
A Girl’s Stratagem
During the Round-Up
During the Round-Up
Just Gold
Just Gold
The Ranchero’s Revenge
The Ranchero’s Revenge
The Perfidy of Mary
The Perfidy of Mary
A Welcome Intruder
A Welcome Intruder
A Misunderstood Boy
A Misunderstood Boy
The Hero of Little Italy
The Hero of Little Italy
The Sorrowful Shore
The Sorrowful Shore
The Sands of Dee
Pirate Gold
The Lesser Evil
The Female of the Species
A Pueblo Legend
The Mender of the Nets
Under Burning Skies
The Goddess of Sagebrush Gulch
The Old Actor
A Lodging for the Night
A Beast At Bay
Home Folks
A Temporary Truce
A Feud in the Kentucky Hills
The Musketeers of Pig Alley
Gold and Glitter
My Baby
The Massacre
The Burglar’s Dilemma
The Unwelcome Guest
Oil and Water
The Telephone Girl and the Lady
Man’s Genesis
Two Daughters of Eve
Friends
So Near, Yet So Far
The Punishment
Three Friends
The Painted Lady
Black Sheep
The Narrow Road
My Hero
Fate
The Inner Circle
Brutality
Lena and the Geese
The One She Loved
The Informer
In the Aisles of the Wild
The New York Hat
The Girl and Her Trust
Just Like a Woman
Heredity
An Unseen Enemy
One is Business, the Other Crime
An Indian Summer
Iola’s Promise
A Cry for Help
A Misappropriated Turkey
A Misappropriated Turkey
Heaven Avenges
Heaven Avenges
An Outcast Among Outcasts
An Outcast Among Outcasts
A Chance Deception
A Chance Deception
The Tender-Hearted Boy
The Tender-Hearted Boy
An Adventure in the Autumn Woods
An Adventure in the Autumn Woods
A Child’s Remorse
A Child’s Remorse
His Lesson
His Lesson
When Kings Were the Law
When Kings Were the Law
The God Within
The God Within
Drink’s Lure
Drink’s Lure
Brothers
Brothers
Man’s Lust for Gold
Man’s Lust for Gold
Love in an Apartment Hotel
Love in an Apartment Hotel
A Siren of Impulse
A Siren of Impulse
The Spirit Awakened
The Spirit Awakened
The Schoolteacher and the Waif
The Schoolteacher and the Waif
A Change of Spirit
A Change of Spirit
The Transformation of Mike
Billy’s Stratagem
The Sunbeam
A String of Pearls
The Trail of the Books
The Battle
The Making of a Man
The Adventures of Billy
A Terrible Discovery
Fisher Folks
The Voice of the Child
The Failure
Saved From Himself
The Squaw’s Love
The Revenue Man and the Girl
The Eternal Mother
A Country Cupid
The Last Drop of Water
Fighting Blood
Madame Rex
His Daughter
Through Darkened Vales
Enoch Arden, part 2
The Rose of Kentucky
The Primal Call
The Unveiling
The Lonedale Operator
A Woman Scorned
Swords and Hearts
The Miser’s heart
The Long Road
The Indian Brothers
Her Awakening
The Two Sides
The Crooked Road
The Jealous Husband
The Ruling Passion
As in a Looking Glass
The Baby and the Stork
For His Son
In the Days of ’49
In the Days of ’49
The Old Confectioner’s Mistake
The Old Confectioner’s Mistake
A Sister’s Love
A Sister’s Love
A Knight of the Road
A Knight of the Road
Sunshine Through the Dark
Sunshine Through the Dark
Dan the Dandy
Dan the Dandy
The White Rose of the Wilds
The White Rose of the Wilds
Teaching Dad to Like Her
Teaching Dad to Like Her
The Blind Princess and the Poet
The Blind Princess and the Poet
The Broken Cross
The Broken Cross
The Spanish Gypsy
The Spanish Gypsy
A Smile of a Child
A Smile of a Child
The Old Bookkeeper
The Old Bookkeeper
A Tale of the Wilderness
A Tale of the Wilderness
Robby the Coward
Robby the Coward
The Thief and the Girl
The Thief and the Girl
The Chief’s Daughter
The Chief’s Daughter
Her Sacrifice
Her Sacrifice
Italian Blood
Italian Blood
A Romany Tragedy
A Romany Tragedy
Enoch Arden, Part 1
Enoch Arden, Part 1
Was He A Coward?
Was He A Coward?
A Blot on the ‘Scutcheon
A Blot on the ‘Scutcheon
The Sorrowful Example
The Sorrowful Example
Love in the Hills
Love in the Hills
The Stuff Heroes Are Made Of
The Stuff Heroes Are Made Of
Faithful
Rose O’Salem Town
His Trust
When a Man Loves
His Trust Fulfilled
Three Sisters
The Fugitive
A Child of the Ghetto
The Face at the Window
Taming a Husband
The Purgation
The Converts
The Lesson
As It Is In Life
The Call to Arms
A Victim of Jealousy
The House with the Closed Shutters
The Usurer
The Way of the World
What Shall We Do With Our Old?
Fate’s Turning
Waiter No. 5
An Arcadian Maid
Simple Charity
In Life’s Cycle
The Two Paths
Ramona
The Gold Seekers
In Old California
The Thread of Destiny
The Italian Barber
The Newlyweds
A Flash of Light
In the Season of Buds
A Plain Song
Muggsy’s First Sweetheart
The Golden Supper
The Iconoclast
The Sorrows of the Unfaithful
Love Among the Roses
That Chink at Golden Gulch
A Child’s Impulse
A Romance of the Western Hills
The Song of the Wildwood Flute
Conscience
Over Silent Paths
The Broken Doll
Sunshine Sue
Wilful Peggy
What the Daisy Said
Thou Shalt Not
In the Border States
The Modern Prodigal
The Two Brothers
The Unchanging Sea
Unexpected Help
Winning Back His Love
Serious Sixteen
Serious Sixteen
A Child’s Faith
A Child’s Faith
An Affair of Hearts
An Affair of Hearts
The Final Settlement
The Final Settlement
The Lily of the Tenements
The Lily of the Tenements
A Midnight Cupid
A Midnight Cupid
The Message of the Violin
The Message of the Violin
The Man
The Man
Gold is Not All
Gold is Not All
A Summer Idyll
A Summer Idyll
The Diamond Star
The Diamond Star
A Salutary lesson
A Salutary lesson
His Sister-In-Law
His Sister-In-Law
A Child’s Stratagem
A Child’s Stratagem
Heart Beats of Long Ago
Heart Beats of Long Ago
The Implement
The Implement
A Decree of Destiny
A Decree of Destiny
As the Bells Rang Out
As the Bells Rang Out
Little Angels of Luck
Little Angels of Luck
The Banker’s Daughters
The Banker’s Daughters
The Marked Time-Table
The Marked Time-Table
His Last Burglary
His Last Burglary
A Mohawk’s Way
A Mohawk’s Way
Two Little Waifs
Two Little Waifs
A Rich Revenge
A Rich Revenge
Examination Day at School
Examination Day at School
A Wreath of Orange Blossoms
A Wreath of Orange Blossoms
The Twisted Trail
The Twisted Trail
Her Father’s Pride
Her Father’s Pride
The Voice of the Violin
The Renunciation
Jones and His New Neighbors
They Would Elope
Confidence
His Lost Love
What Drink Did
The Cricket on the Hearth
The French Duel
The Rocky Road
The Medicine Bottle
The Death Disc
The Lure of the Gown
The Jilt
At the Altar
The Prussian Spy
In Old Kentucky
Lucky Jim
The Mountaineer’s Honor
The Last Deal
The Broken Locket
The Better Way
Twin Brothers
Getting Even
The Little Darling
On the Reef
The Light That Came
To Save Her Soul
The Friend of the Family
The Call
The Awakening
A Fair Exchange
Her Terrible Ordeal
The Message
Sweet Revenge
The Little Teacher
Pranks
A Drunkard’s Reformation
The Restoration
The Faded Lilies
Tender Hearts
The Indian Runner’s Romance
The Mills of the Gods
Comata, the Sioux
Pippa Passes
His Wife’s Mother
The Slave
The Cord of Life
His Wife’s Visitor
Wanted, A Child
Sweet and Twenty
Oh, Uncle
Through the Breakers
Resurrection
The Deception
A Trap for Santa Claus
His Duty
The Necklace
Those Awful Hats
A Change of Heart
The Gibson Goddess
The Politician’s Love Story
The Golden Louis
The Way of Man
Her First Biscuits
Two Memories
The Son’s Return
Edgar Allen Poe
A Corner in Wheat
The Violin Maker of Cremona
The Eavesdropper
The Cardinal’s Conspiracy
The Sealed Room
The Seventh Day
Lady Helen’s Escapade
The Mended Lute
The Test
What’s Your Hurry
The Wooden Leg
Nursing a Viper
The Suicide Club
The Lonely Villa
The Country Doctor
A Strange Meeting
Fools of Fate
The Joneses Have Amateur Theatricals
1776, Or the Hessian Renegade
The Redman’s View
Mr. Jones’ Burglar
The Winning Coat
The Winning Coat
A Fool’s Revenge
A Fool’s Revenge
I Did It, Mama
I Did It, Mama
The Englishman and the Girl
The Englishman and the Girl
Was Justice Served?
Was Justice Served?
The Dancing Girl of Butte
The Dancing Girl of Butte
Trying to Get Arrested
Trying to Get Arrested
The Peach Basket Hat
The Peach Basket Hat
The Woman from Mellon’s
The Woman from Mellon’s
Eradicating Auntie
Eradicating Auntie
The Mexican Sweethearts
The Mexican Sweethearts
The Drive for Life
The Drive for Life
Leather Stockings
Leather Stockings
The Road to the Heart
The Road to the Heart
A Rude Hostess
A Rude Hostess
The Children’s Friend
The Children’s Friend
A Troublesome Satchel
A Troublesome Satchel
In the Watches of the Night
In the Watches of the Night
Jealousy and the Man
Jealousy and the Man
His Ward’s Love
His Ward’s Love
Jones and the Lady Book Agent
Jones and the Lady Book Agent
The Roue’s Heart
The Roue’s Heart
The Expiation
The Expiation
Choosing a Husband
Choosing a Husband
A Burglar’s Mistake
A Burglar’s Mistake
A Midnight Adventure
A Midnight Adventure
And a Little Child Shall Lead Them
And a Little Child Shall Lead Them
A Baby’s Shoe
A Baby’s Shoe
The Open Gate
The Open Gate
Eloping With Auntie
Eloping With Auntie
In Little Italy
In Little Italy
Two Women and a Man
Two Women and a Man
One Busy Hour
One Busy Hour
A New Trick
A New Trick
A Convict’s Sacrifice
A Convict’s Sacrifice
Lines of White on the Sullen Sea
Lines of White on the Sullen Sea
A Sound Sleeper
A Sound Sleeper
The Note in the Shoe
The Note in the Shoe
The Honor of his Family
The Honor of his Family
The Trick That Failed
The Trick That Failed
The Cloister’s Touch
The Cloister’s Touch
Mrs. Jones’ Lover, Or I Want My Hat!
Mrs. Jones’ Lover, Or I Want My Hat!
One Night and Then
One Night and Then
With Her Card
With Her Card
“Tis An Ill Wind That Blows No Good
“Tis An Ill Wind That Blows No Good
In A Hempen Bag
In A Hempen Bag
The Fascinating Mrs. Frances
The Fascinating Mrs. Frances
In the Window Recess
In the Window Recess
Schneider’s Anti-Noise Crusade
Schneider’s Anti-Noise Crusade
The Duke’s Plan
The Duke’s Plan
Those Boys
Those Boys
The Brahma Diamond
The Brahma Diamond
The Man and the Woman
The Barbarian, Ingomar
A Smoked Husband
The Pirate’s Gold
The Girl and the Outlaw
After Many Years
The Call of the Wild
The Helping Hand
For Love of Gold
An Awful Moment
The Girls and Daddy
The Reckoning
Tragic Love
Money Mad
A Woman’s Way
The Salvation Army Lass
Mr. Jones Has a Card Party
The Curtain Pole
The Song of the Shirt
The Planter’s Wife
The Guerilla
One Touch of Nature
The Taming of the Shrew
Mr. Jones at the Ball
The Devil
The Zulu’s Heart
Where the Breakers Roar
Balked at the Altar
The Fatal Hour
A Calamitous Elopement
Behind the Scenes
The Sacrifice
Father Gets in the Game
The Greaser’s Gauntlet
The Stolen Jewels
The Stolen Jewels
The Heart of O’yama
The Heart of O’yama
The Welcome Burglar
The Welcome Burglar
The Red Girl
The Red Girl
Love Finds a Way
Love Finds a Way
The Vaquero’s Vow
The Vaquero’s Vow
The Clubman and the Tramp
The Clubman and the Tramp
Monday Morning in a Coney Island Police Court
Monday Morning in a Coney Island Police Court
The Adventures of Dolly
The Adventures of Dolly
The Hindoo Dagger
The Hindoo Dagger
A Wreath in Time
A Wreath in Time
The Test of Friendship
The Test of Friendship
Betrayed by a Hand Print
Betrayed by a Hand Print
A Rural Elopement
A Rural Elopement
The Tavern Keeper’s Daughter
The Tavern Keeper’s Daughter
The Redman and the Child
The Redman and the Child
The Romance of a Jewess
The Romance of a Jewess
The Ingrate
The Ingrate
The Feud and the Turkey
The Feud and the Turkey
The Honor of Thieves
The Honor of Thieves
The Christmas Burglars
The Christmas Burglars
The Maniac Cook
The Maniac Cook
The Criminal Hypnotist
The Criminal Hypnotist
Mrs. Jones Entertains
Mrs. Jones Entertains
For a Wife’s Honor
For a Wife’s Honor
Concealing a Burglar
Concealing a Burglar