TOILING IN CHAINS.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LII, Issue 17080, 8 July 1926, Page 9

TOILING IN CHAINS.

FILM M.ASTERPIECES THAT DROUGHT PRODUCER NOTHING. PAYING HIS DEBTS. DISCLOSURES BY LILLIAN GISH. LONDON. May Hi. _ An amazing story of Mr. D. \V. Griffith, creator of 1 In'. photn-phiy, (oilins; in i.cflmnoioi.'il chains to pay his creditors while his films make millions for oilier people, was related yefctorday with nil the warmth of emotional sineecitv Lv .Miss Lillian Gish, the world's best-loved screen "star.”

There are few peoplo in this country who do not count among their happy memories an evening spent in watching Lillian Gish in "Tim Birth of a Nation,'’ “Broken Blossoms,” “ Intolerance,'’ "Way Down East.” “Orphans of the Storm.” or "Hearts of the World" (the film which, made by co-operation with British Government, brought America into the war.) "I left Mr. GnHHli with his consent.” said Miss Gish, "because he could no longer afford to make films himself, lit never tnado any nionev out of his films. He is a poor man and has always been a poor man. For weeks and weeks he was unable to pay our salaries. "When his debts became mountainous. In' sold himself to the iilm producing trust. He is now making ‘pot-boilers’ for the mob. and asking himself whether each scene that he produces will please mob taste. “When I last saw him lie said: 'T have fiftv- bosses, Lillian, hut I am paying my debts.’ ” Miss Gish asked him if she should look at any of the films he. was now making. “No,” said Mr. Griffith, "1 would prefer that you did not.’ “And 1 have not, and will not,” said Miss Gish firmly. Colossal fortunes have been made by film distributors out of Mr. Griffith, who personally built- up nearly all the prestige that tlie cinema entertainment has acquired "in public opinion. SUCCESSES. “The Birth of a Nation,” which cost £20.000 to produce, lias made nearly L 1,200,000 profit for-its fortunate owners. ‘‘Way Down East” lias passed the million mark, and the others, with the exception .of “Broken Blossoms,” which had a more limited appeal, arc not far behind. Mr. Griffith was. however, always in the position of having to borrow - money at high rates of interest in order to “carry on,” The cinema industry, jealous of his fa,mo, would not, finance him. This load of mortgage, gradually increasing, finally broke his stand for independence. “People were dissatisfied with the crowd around the guillotine rn “ ‘Orphans of the Storm,’ ” said Miss Gish. "They thought the crowd wasn’t good enough. The truth was that Mr. Griffith couldn't a lim'd to hire a crowd. "What he did was to engage local people ami arrange for them (o act as a crowd on Sunday, when they were pot working. Everything depended on that Sunday being fine. WE AT TIBER PROPHETS. “Wo were so anxious about the weather that, wo even consulted all the old people with rheumatism. They are better weather guides than any weather bureau. They promised fine weather, and, as a matter of fact, it did not rain, though the sky was overcast-. Always we had to work against this Jack of money.” “Hollywood,” she,' said, “is just an emotional Detroit. The people there standardise cheap emotions as others standardise cheap ears, from the same motives, and bv almost the same methods. They never strike a blow for art or prestige. Each film has to yield its full box-office quota. They told me that I would have to shed tears, but 1 told them that I never shed tears. I loft that- to the audience.” Miss Gish is the same wistful and win. some figure in private life ns she is on the screen—an ethereal creature whom ail extra strong puff of wind might blow away. Her personality seems to have stepped straight out of the pages of Jane Austen. Any one less like Diet conventional film star it would he impossible to find.