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254 When the Movies were Young
Griffith heroine on the ice-blocked river? Of the stormtossed career of Mabel Normand?
Of the magic city of Hollywood? And the Hollywooders? Of the exotic and hectic life of the beautiful stars? Of the saner careers of the domestically happy? Who was greatest ? Who produced the best pictures ? Who was the most popular? Who made the most money?
All this will be told of in books reposing on dusty library shelves. Possibly a name alone will be left to whisper to posterity of their endeavor, or tinned celluloid reels shown maybe on special occasions, only to be greeted by roars of laughter — even scenes of tender death-bed partings — so old-fashioned will the technique be.
But David Wark Griffith's record may yet perhaps shine with the steady bright light of his courage, of his patient laboring day by day, of his consecration to his work ; and of his faithful love for his calling, once thought so lowly.
And so eventually 'The Birth of A Nation" was finished. At the Liberty Theatre in West Forty-second Street, New York — 191 5 was the time — it had its premiere — one wholly novel for a moving picture — for it was the first time a movie was presented bedecked in the same fashion as the more luxurious drama, and shown at two dollars per seat. It was not the first picture to be given in a legitimate theatre, however, for Mr. Aitken had previously booked at the Cort Theatre "The Escape/* the picture made from the Paul Armstrong play of the same name.
At this first public projection of "The Birth of A Nation," an audience sat spellbound for three hours. The