Broken Blossoms (United Artists) (1919)

Exhibitors Campaign Sheet D. W. GRIFFITH’S “BROKEN BLOSSOM Released Through United Artists Corporation ' moral in as Ithers se_ s a little of Battling Burrows. We may see in his FOREWORD TO THE STORY To what end is our s' ~ - to be beautiful—there is .. giftie gi’e us, to see oursel’s the Child." y b ® t0 the hlgh d ® cen cy of the Chink and And again, the lesson for our much vaunted civilization hnldine- itself superior to that of other nations, looking in scorn on this o?’that cmzen o? * foreign country, forgetting that practically every moral precept we know fimfus^the'chinese'phflosop^ieu^ 3 b6f ° re ° Ur from*thl , h?v„ °^l b L" , L a » l £“i n £, °,f-?,-P eaCi m e at y by a few persons in Paris ^can -— ? v o*b‘““h *■ «x pcaue u uaiy uy a lew Dersons in he written ^ ea , & \i e °/ Nations and universal peace, but there nu hearts of humanity brotherhood the lesson of understanding When a woman says: "Oh, I feel great; I have Just had a grand erv'“ iV_, s J le bas found a scientific truth. The nervousness, the mental and physical machinery is unrest, the tired, jerky uneasiness washed away and our souls made fresh and 'cleaiT'byTears thn.=fT? 1 V!a ly th £ neatest songs, verse and stories that have lived have been Tt 10 n^S f tears - , N ° trite, insipid, play or story can accomplish this purpose. It needs something compelling, deep and strong to take away your thoughts from yourself. Unless your mind Is diverted from itself it will not get the Anything that will do this gives your brain cells a rest from their gallery of film presentations that have enjoyed at the . A special program has been prepared, including the music which Mr. Griffith personally arranged and some of which he composed. All in all, we look for¬ ward with keen anticipation to the •.’s presentation of the Griffith masterpiece, for a film that has -— sensationally successful else- assured of more than a hearty welcome David Griffith Speaks r dutii Tll‘^,1 LclLl^C -"We* "Old Folks at Home,’ pathos. The greatest, rr ‘Lo'7ig, Long Trail '—1.„ t popular plays, from “Hamlet 1 'Swan: 1 those of "Camilla, These sweet stories of tears wash away your own little troubles by letting you view the imaginary sorrows of others in play or book or verse. So, we leave you to "Broken Blossoms.” Sayings of Confucius Neither courtesy nor music avail a man if he has not virtue and lov< The good man considers what is right; the bad man, what will pay. There are three thin gs w hich tft- virtuous man has to guard against; in th, lust; in full manirowlpririre; and in old age, covetousness. I hate the manner in wl ich people take away the lustre of vermilion. I those who with their sharp mouths overthrow kingdoms and families. . “■ - nation's laws, if I have the making of its ballads. i '~~ father lives, and __s little who makes _ _____ ____ A son ought to study his father's wishes as long ___ . after the father is dead, ,he should study his life and respect hi Aft Appreciation By HARRY CARR Editorial Writer "Los Angeles Times" May 9, 1919 D. W. Griffith’s latest work, “Broken Blossoms,” wa» told in pictures because > wordS delicate ( e crude and cold, nds swaying > _ exquisite enough t ! told it. For, after all, words _ The right winds swayin g >h e he.v - of a n old temple might have s uggested the story. Incense smoke curling upward In wreaths of mauve and “gray frornv a dim old altar might have suggested it; or the amber notes of a flute across the waters of a shadowy lake. But the story of "Broken Blossoms” never can be told in words. It is a drama of pity and oi death. It is the almost forgotten art of tragedy. It has the sweet, solemn sense of the inevitable, the slow dread tread of fate, the gentle melancholjLctf tji^death of a beautiful day. It is a simple story . as s mple as love and death. In some measure "The Chink and the Child,’ 1 'a stor • by [Thomas Burke, suggested it i great painting might hf Girl Mies T . ill i svnVrH i suggested by a Dickens character. __ es a place in the very forefront of r finished artistry is that the shrinking, Her terror of the death that waits modern tragediennes. horrified, sobbing child , MII . .. _ _ . _ is never the terror of a woni'an; it is evjer the agonized fright of a little child. The characterization of thesChlna nan ii delicately drawn by Richard Barthel- mess and played in admirable restraint. The prize fighter is a triumph for Donald Crisp, who fully realizes the pitiless brutality of this bully of the London mot ion pictures cease to be merely pictures 'feels “Broken Blossoms.” _ _ . 1 s drama merely a piteous tragedy of sweetness and poignance..* But' ttere are artists who will see subtle but power¬ ful symbols in the very ffimplrqi'jijMw this narrative of sorrow. They will see Cheng Huan as a sort oft’Chipese -EJlj: Galahad, the knight of the pure heart; and in Battling BurrowsjsJhe visualization of brute materiality. And as in the - 1 of all great works vbf art, tfteYe is doubtless more there than the artist self knew. There is a point beyond wbi«h .motioi and become great voiceless art-. SuOtnds There are those who jwilfr f seo in -this himself knew. Exploitation Suggestions You have bookedV'“BrjShen BJossoms,” not blindly, but after the wonder and power of this (SriffiOi masterpiece have been demonstrated in different strategic points throughout theifcountry. You have booked a production that has probably had mqrg Nationwide publicity, that has aroused more discussion and that has had more^universal tributes than any film we know. In order that you'iiiay' make the most of this opportunity, we are venturing a few suggestionsjfor which we urge your serious consideration. In the first place, bear in mimT'.that “Broken Blossoms” will absolutely make new patrons for your theatre. It will “appeal to many thousands of people who are not picture-goers. 11 'giYes . you ■ th e opportunity of demonstrating to these people that motion picture entertainipent has come into its own and that no one need longer look upon films as' unworthy of the highest standards of dramatic art. Do Not “Circus” “Broken Blossoms” You can count upon the support of every motion picture enthusiast in the country. Regular I’fans” and occasional patrons of picture theatres have heard all about "Broken Blossoms” and want to see it. But now you have' the chance to go beyond your usual audiences* and reach out for new patrons to whom films have not yet been properly introduced. May we urge that your entire campaign and presentation of the film be keyed up to the utmost class, refinement, dignity* and art; in other words, do not cheapen the wonderful possibilities that you have in "Broken Blossoms” by "circus” or "ballyhoo” methods. This does not mean that you should advertise less extensively. On the con¬ trary, in “Broken Blossoms” you have so enormous an opportunity, that you will be warranted in putting back of it a bigger campaign than you have ever put back of any film, for you want to bring to your house the prestige that should come to it from the engagement of this picture. But let your campaign be as high class, dignified and substantial as you can possibly put over. Let it reflect tlje artistry and beauty of --- • fll: _ . ........ film itself. Anything approaching the commonplace would only make “Broken Blossoms” seem like whereas it is everywhere conceded to be a new development Presentation Wherever possible it would be well to follow the highly artistic and splendidly successful presentations used by Mr. Griffith in his personal runs of film in New York, Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles and elsewhere. The whole theatre carried out the atmosphere of the Orient. The picture was preceded by a tableau, to musical accompaniment, symbolizing the undying purity of the love story of “Broken Blossoms.” Chinese decorations, incense, subdued lighting, ushers in Chinese costume, all were used to splendid effect. “Broken Blossoms” was first presented in New York City in the George M. Cohan Theatre, on Tuesday evening, May 13th. 1919, and the motion picture trade papers of about that date all contain detailed descriptions of D. W. Griffith’s form of presentation. , Music You can obtain at your United Artists Corporation Distributing Depot a copy of the music score used by Mr. Griffith for his presentation of "Broken Blossoms.” This music score will be furnished you without charge and nothing better could be devised than this specially prepared score, over which Mr. Griffith and Mr. Louis F. Gottschalk labored so unceasingly. Parallel Publicity . “Broken Blossoms,” as you know, is taken from a short story by Thomas 3 by _ 'Limehouse Nights” is published by __ Last 17th Street, New York City, local book store and the book department of your _ take advantage of your run of the film. The publishers of "Limehouse Nights” are already waging an extensive campaign among the book-sellers in behalf of co-operation with pictur* *■’ ' ” " ° ” you advise your local book-sellers when youi Robert M. McBride & Company, 31 Be sure to get your ’-’ department stores ♦ set. ' vocal number, in orchestration or in dance form. Music Stores and depart¬ ment stores have all been prepared for co-operation and it should be part of your campaign to .... .. ... . >- _. j 3 the outstanding artistic achieve- mpaign on "Broken Blossoms” so high class, dignified ... its very dignity will stamp the engagement as the i be offered in drama and art. ,„„ A __that both the book stores and book departments, the nusie stores and music departments work with you to your mutual advantage. Once Again To get the biggest advantage for yourself and your house out of your run of “Broken Blossoms,” be- ‘ ~~ -=--- ment in your theatre history. Make your entire ca- ! and yet powerful, that utmost that- A COMPOSITE REVIEW OF THE PRODUCTION WRITTEN BY THE DRAMATIC AND MOTION PICTURE CRITICS OF THE NEW YORK NEWSPAPERS It is not too much to say “Broken Blossoms” is the most artistic photoplay yet produced (Evening Sun). It is as if Dickens had spoken by means of the camera. Moreover there is a glamor here as if Pierre Loti or Victor Hugo had joined forces with Mr. Griffith. Is it any wonder that “Broken Blossoms” is a masterpiece of the film (Evening Telegram). It is a thing of rare and haunting charm (Evening Post). Mr. Griffith should think of a new name for his work along with a new synonym for the words "photo-play,” because his productions are so different from those of other directors that they require a separate classification. Such art, so real one can think only of the classics, and of the masterly naintiogs remembered through the ages; so exquisite, so fragile, so beautifully and fragrantly poetic is "Broken Blossoms” (Morning Telegraph), most beautiful motion picture we ever have seen or ever expect to it was over, we wanted to rush up to every one we met and cry: miss it. don’t miss it!” If we were a director, ’ ever trying to be original, and spend the rest of uing as nearly as possible like t 1 - 1 - - J has done. For the last two years e. When _ ____ 'Oh, don't should give up all idea of ___time trying to make some- wonderful, fragile thing that Mr. Griffith have seen at least one picture a day, yet with “Broken Blossoms” we sat on the e<Jge of our seat, one hand grasping t..- arm, the other crushing a wet handkerchief, and trembled and grew hysterical over what we saw before us (Tribune). He has far exceeded the power of the written word. It would be Impossible for the greatest master of language to picture the emotions as Griffith has| perpetuated them (New York Call). Not a movie melodrama with an unhappy ending, but a sincere human tragedy, that is what Mr. Griffith has had the capacity and courage to produce. All his mastery of picture-making, the technique *" " - invention and control, the skill and subtlety with has gone into the making of "Broken Blossoms." pictures. (Times). pre-eminently his by hich he can unfold a story, is a masterpiece in moving The Playing— Miss Lillian Gish, as the Girl, is so sweet and charming, and withal so touching that the presentation actually moved spectators to tears (Evening Telegram). Her work is so tender, so convincing that there comes a time when you Just can't watch her any longer (Tribune). "Broken Blossoms” reveals Lillian Gish as a tragedienne of extraordinary ability (N. Y. Commercial). She is something more than a wistful and appealing heroine; she has caught the essence of the heroine’s soul and made it live (Evening Mail). As the frightened, sensitive child she made a rare ivory cameo of her part (Sun). _ _: Miss Gish been more appealing. She is all-child and exquisite in her tragic appeal (American). She gives a performance so finished and so appealing and pitiful it will be recorded among the remembered characteriza¬ tions in this uncertain art of the unspoken drama (Morning Telegraph). Repeatedly in varying roles, she has proven her superior talent as a screen actress, but never before has she been so human and at the same time plished. The role is so difficult ~ ~ ' ’ —_i human and___ » be beyond the reach of almost any actress ~ within Miss Gish’s grasp (Times). She _- v..=_,. — girl—timid, forlorn, a fantastic little creature—she contributes much to "Broken Blossoms” (Evening Post). Richard Barthelmess makes a very convincing and appealing Chinese hero (Evening Sun). There is good pantomime in his impersonation (World). . . . A sensitive, convincing yello ' A few months back playing simple juvenile roles, he suddenly steps forward and gives us one of the best character roles ever seen on the screen (Morning Telegraph). He conveys the Chinaman poet’s nature better than any other screen player one can call to mind (Evening Mail). It is the most beautiful and delicate work of his career (Tribune). He is particularly happy in the role of the Chink, presenting the character with the repression and aloofness it required (Evening Telegram). Donald Crisp as Battling Burrows, is as much like Bill Sykes as may be, with something thrown in for good measure (Tribune). Convincingly realistic (Evening Mail). Portrays the father realistically even to th~ **- ' (Sun). Griffith’s “Broken Blos¬ soms” To Be Seen At .Theatre Film That Has Been Sensational Success Wherever Shown Will Be Brought to. Soon. Of extraordinary interest ..u. to lovers of the motion picture, but likewise to all who appreciate ’the highest in art in its various manifesta¬ tions, is the announcement of the . Theatre that it has secured David Wark Griffith’s superb screen creation, "Broken Blossoms,” to be shown . Never has a motion picture been accorded a reception comparable to the triumph that has followed every show¬ ing of this production. Newspapers have devoted column after column to its beauties and wonders. Everywhere its success has been instantaneous and it is safe to say that in bringing "Broken Blossoms” to our city, the management of the . has to its credit the biggest accomplish¬ ment in artistic entertainment that we have yet enjoyed. Mr. Griffith, it will be remembered, together with Mary Pickford Charlie Chaplin and Douglas Fairbanks, early in 1919 organized United Artists Cor¬ poration—popularly known as "The Big Four”—for the making and mar¬ keting of their own productions. It is through this organization that "Broken Blossoms” is being placed- in the the¬ atres of the country. lirTr&’t n' s acf ap ted from a tale by Thomas Burke called "The Chink and the Child” which is part of that author’s famous volume “Limehouse Nights.” Around this story, and we speak from the opin¬ ions of dramatic critics the country over, Mr. Griffith has built the most alluring, yet pitiful, beautiful, yet tragic love story ever filmed. It has become habit, almost, to look upon a Griffith production as something more than a motion picture, yet even the most ardent admirers of the art of this master of the films did not dream of the wonders that he would reveal in "Broken Blossoms.” And of acting, let a word be added. Lillian Gish as “The Girl” has reached a height of dramatic interpretation the like of which has never been seen on the screen before. This little artist has labored faithfully, steadily, with an understanding marvelous in one so young, and now she comes into her full glory in "Broken Blossoms." “The Chink” is played by Richard Barthel¬ mess and to his work the critics have paid high tributes likewise. To the telling of the love story of “Broken Blossoms,” it is said that both Miss Gish and Mr. Barthelmess have brought a never-to-be-forgotten artistry. Donald Crisp plays the part of "Battling Bur¬ rows,” the brute on whom fatherhood has been forced, and his portrayal of a difficult role with rare talent and strength, completes the triangle of chief characters in the story. “Broken Blossoms" should prove the crowning achievement in the splendid A Word About “Broken Blos¬ soms” As He Sees His Photo¬ play—A Hint Also of Ambi¬ tions and Faiths for the Future. That the leadership in the art of the silver screen belongs to David Griffith since his creation of “Broken Blos¬ soms,” which !; soon to be shown at Theatre., is almost —- — r - The beautiful and colorful entertainment he has devised from the pitiful story by Thomas Burke "The Chink and the Child," will help people to understand something of the high ideals for which Mr. Griffith strives, and the respect and ambition in which ho holds an art for which he has already done so much. T think,” he says, "that one of the first duties for a man who deliberately tries to bring home a new art to the 3 of t _ity which__ nature and reach so far back mysterious history of man. Literature cannot express these wholly; nor mu¬ sic, nor painting, nor sculpture; but all these arts, in some phase of their being, may be used as aids in the new medium of the photoplay and bring it -p er f ec tion. step by step the nearer ___ . Thus it is that, gradually, and care¬ fully feeling my way, I have been able I hope, to bring the musical score into closer harmony and touch with the more obvious message that my screen conveys.” "Then - vpu_ believe that the screen has a message?” “What art has not a message?” was his reply. "Up to the present I think that we producers of entertainment on the screen have been led away more or less along the paths of a stern and often unlovely realism. Experience is bringing me to see that if we are to be indeed artists our finished art- product must not only be true, but be lovable; we must not only be able to convince but to enchant. It is not to the screen that any motion picture producer can hope to reproduce the wonders and beauties that are in men’s souls. All we may hope to do is to picture such phases of life as we may be impelled to select, so that these things shall be more beautiful to men’s eyes; more thrilling and inspiring to the soul. You rem mber what Robert Louis Stevenson said ’We admire splen¬ did views and great pictures; and yet what is truly admirable is rather the mind within us, that gathers together these scattered details for its delight, and makes out of certain colors, cer¬ tain distributions of graduated light and darkness, that intelligible whole which alone we call a picture or a view.’ It is precisely in that way, I think, that all art speaks to us by sug¬ gestion; by the stimulation of our bet¬ ter qualities. The true realists are the artists who spend their talents in searching out life’s joys and showing -‘ us where those joys re¬ side. 'And what of the future of this mo¬ tion picture art?” ”1 firmly believe,” Mr. Griffith an¬ swered, “that the motion picture will come to be regarded as much more than a mere entertainment—such en¬ tertainment, I mean, as the modern musical play or vaudeville turns are. My newest picture ‘Broken Blossoms’ has been spoken of by some not very deep thinkers as a gloomy production. If I thought that I would take the pic¬ ture off tomorrow, for I wish to spread the gospel of joy, not gloom. But I think that by showing the people the wonderful pageant of consciousness we can teach them to enjoy. From such an appeal as ’Broken Blossoms’ people will learn for themselves to sympath¬ ize and they will be the better, the kindlier, the more truly human for it. Surely to accomplish this is no light “The morion picture camera,' Mr. Griffith concluded, “can never be used solely to record drear or dread things, for lyric beauty and joyous laughter are the very essence of this, as of every other art. And I think it is a finely intellectual and pleasurable task for those who go to see ‘Broken Blos¬ soms’ to find, to search out for them¬ selves, in the pure love story and be¬ neath the superficially drab tale of Thomas Burke, the lyric beauty and joy and sympathy that underlie it all. It is along such lines as this that I am working now, and the one reward I have in making money from my pic¬ tures is that I mav thus have enough o spend in making better pictures in the days to come.” A Glimpse of D. W. Griffith Famous Motion Picture Genius David Wark Griffith, whose new photoplay drama, "Broken Blossoms,” will soon be seen at the . Theatre, is the sort of man who, leav¬ ing nothing to chance, or to his sub¬ ordinates always insists on personally looking after every artistic detail of his productiohs, however seemingly in¬ significant. In “Broken Blossoms” Mr. Griffith has achieved new distinction in the field of motion-picture drama, for here for the first time, instead of using tre¬ mendous scenic effects and great crowds of people, he works on the emotions of his audiences by the sim¬ plest and most artistic means. His picture, made from the story “The Chink and the Child” taken from Thomas Burke’s “Limehouse Nights,” contains less than half a dozen charac¬ ters, and yet its appeal to the deeper emotions is quite as striking and po¬ tent as was the appeal of “The Birth of a Nation” or “Hearts of the World.” Mr. Griffith says: “I make no pre¬ tense to be the spokesman of the mo¬ tion picture art, and yet, becaus ______ _ my good rortune to introduce, people expert me- to prophesy as to the future of this form of entertainment. Of my own plans, hopes and ideals it would be sheer egotism for me to speak and yet I may say that I can discern ~ — coming in which closer - r closer shall come the art of the spoken drama and the new art in which the motion picture camera plays so large a part. “As the art of the cineomatograph has grown, it has grown steadily away from mere action for action’s sake. There was a time when, simply because of the facility with which the camera could depict large masses and drama lies depict in “Broken Blossoms." the gigantic action so much better than the regular drama could do these things, that all of us producers went rather mad about battle scenes anfl mobs and violent action. I think thaft as the art of the camera has become more ductile in the hands of the pro¬ ducer we have come to see that the real strength of the motion picture “- ’lie simpler emotions, j- my pleasure to - —lossoms.” Some ^IS^^Sna before very long, there going to be a much closer harmony _ tween the spoken and the voiceli drama, whether that harmony ’ brought about by myself other producer. For I c___ there is no factor.>n the real educatio! of our natioh that is coming to hav>. more real force than the factor of motion-pictures v. hich enters so large¬ ly into the life of our people. “For myself I may say that I am glad and pr.oud t lat it has been given me to fit so' wonderfully into the changing times we live in. I have come to see that in the motion-picture I have been given -- *--*-' Mr. Griffith’s big features has _ less than $150,000 to produce. Sev¬ eral of them have cost much more. It is Interesting to note that while s” wit- ... T le f _ --- s ___instrument that shall work a tremendous influence on he nation in th* years to come and great, ambition of my life is so to direct and pu D. W. Griffith Dis¬ cusses His Methods And Ambitions * |^f s , • watched by It Is alive The popularUy of D. W. Griffith’s "Broken Blossom's,” which is creating a well-recognized furore throughout the country will be shared by local patrons when this superb creation is shown at the . Theatre next . The explanation of his methods, where¬ by he is able to, accomplish such won¬ ders, was given by Mr. Griffith to a New York interviewer. “In the first place, I think that a motion picture Should have a.big idea. In ‘The Birth of a Nation’ the big idea was patriotism, the silent, hidden, tierce loyalty to America which -lr.Tly in the heart of the most commonplace, the most selfish of her citizens. In ‘In¬ tolerance’ , the idea is the passion for personal, .individual liberty, the nat¬ ural impulse to resist oppression. That same feeling is what is setting ~~ many races seething today. ** ' and lively everywhere. “In the motion picture, beauty is the second great essential. The thing that is the matter with the lives of people Is not acute suffering, but colorless monotony. Incidentally, that is what is the matter with many screen pro¬ ductions, too. People who lead dull lives, and they are in the great ma¬ jority, love to imagine themselves the heroes and heroines of crimson scenes. But, unassisted, their imaginations are not strong enough to construct such roles. That is why they are admired on the screen. “At the risk of contradiction, I will say that people like to see tragedy. I don’t believe they go to the theatre mainly to laugh. The reception of most of my pictures testifies that. But finally, as the great desideratum, there must be perfect acting. Let me state that the most gigantic, spectacular scenes I have produced have not given me as much work as the requiring of. members of my casts to act naturally. Naturalness in acting forms the hu¬ man touch, wtfliout which the photo¬ play is worth nothing more than a scenic display. Recently we worked hours trying to get a girl naturally. We wanted just human smile, and yet, no matter we did, it seemed to elude us. I nare not yet succeeded in these human touches to my satisfaction, but I an hopeful at the progress made." est production Mr. Griffith ever has 1 turned out, it cost more to produce f than “The Birth of a Nation,” with its cast of hundreds and its horses, I battle scenes, mob scenes and what- ' not. The lighting effects alone in j 'Broken Blossoms” cost more than j $30,000 and twenty-five electricians i were at work on it for weeks to get J the effect Mr. Griffith wanted. The J production being a Chinese one, the * costumes represent a big item of -<x- J pense. while the Chinese furnishings, l -the —-majority of them imported, ecst-fc thousands of dollars. The Real Lillian Gish “I would be terribly nervous were I to become a star and be exploited everywhere. So much is expected of a star, for the public is of such ex¬ acting and changing tastes. Fortun¬ ately for me, my experiences have been - c' the most ploasant Jcjud^iiDd, people have been good enough to say many nice and encouraging things about my work in 'Broken Blossoms.’ ” Thus spoke Miss Lillian Gish—the real Lillian Gish. And to show the' simplicity of her taste and the modesty her wishes, she was induced ' speak of her work under D. w. Grif¬ fith’s direction, a work that found itsi first real expression in “The Birth ■" * Nation." and which, has been ;d by a devoted public through numerous other Griffith prod .etions --- v.- - 0 splendidly t sensation . simple, The Commercial Side of Motion Pictures Being an Interview with David Wark Griffith The commercial side of the motitn picture is a subject that holds little interest, strange as that may seem, ;o D. W. G.;tfliV.,-thc very man who fint made whai has been know* e.s "tie- two-dollai picture.The average bus- in that remarks “Broken Blossoms’ . Theatre. "Mr. Griffith trains all of his play¬ ers how not to act. That is the very first thing he insists upon; We must move through our parts just as we would in real life. There must be n-s- artificial expressions and no posing. Mr. Griffith teaches that to express an emotion you must feel it: then the ex¬ pression will be real. Mr. Griffith is a dreamer who makes his dreams come -trim. And his __id.egjs of trut h - »-» „ beauty are contagious. It is'mOr'e cat" ' fieult not to understand him than it is to understand him. His very sim¬ plicity of method and his quiet di¬ rection make for complete harmony be¬ tween his players and himself.” Next to her admiration for Mr. Grif¬ fith and her love of her work films, Miss Gish is devoted to her library and her treasured books. With mother and sister Dorothy she " pretty white house in Holly- " '-'— and spends her ,__ rea< jj ng . lives___ _ wood, Los Angeles, * hours away from the studio and motoring. Ve^y few motion picture fans know Mrs. Mary Gish, __ popular Gish sisters, who way for her daughters to that . of the paved - .. -w* uauguccbB become prominent in the world of the movies. Mrs. Gish was left a widow in Baltimore when she was but twenty- three years of age. Some montiis after the husband and father had pas¬ sed away Mrs. Gish was in New York. She had her two girls with her, tiny little blondes with curly locks, and soon became a problem what should he done for their support. One day a friend of hers mentioned a popular stock company. “Why don’t you try for there?” the friend asked, was astonished. “I never “ the stage,” she respond ’somethin) Mrs. Gish have been __ __ ed. “That doesn’t matter,’ _ assurance; “all you need is the job. the The result of it was that Mrs. Gi 3 h applied for the “job” and, of all won¬ ders to her, she was accepted. From a very humble beginning she was ad¬ vanced to better parts, and her work provided a good living for herself and her little golden-haired daughters. : But a very few years after tlfat the beautiful little Gish sisters were taken to the old Biograph studio tin Fourteenth Street, New York, by - other than our own Mary Pickford, a neighbor. The first picture in which they appeared was called "An Unseen Enemy.” It was a “two-reeler” and <he cast included Grace Henderson, Elmer Booth Glow dead), Harry Carey end young Robert Harron, now a Griffith star. One critic wrote: “the two little girls are not actresses, but they are in a good place to learn acting.” And that prophecy has been fulfilled _ _ hears almost daily of tie staggering figures realized in the mai- ufacture, and distribution of moti|n pictures, and in the projection of tie big features in the theatres throughait the world. He hears, too, of the unle- lievable salaries paid to prominait stars of the films—salaries that prbr to the introduction of the movies ne'er had been dreamed of in connection wth any project, however big. But, wth the advancement of this uncertain irt the vast sums paid to grand opga singers fade Into insignificance can- pared to the weekly earnings of he stars of the films. ; And yet th.s very phase, whllenf course der.iamfing the attention of M". screen ’producers anif directors, little interest in the concrete. It is true that the famous “D. W.” p^ys some attention to the business side of his vast enterprises, but such tion merely is negligible. merely ™ __ This fact ___ clearlv established recently in New York when a prominent business Mr. Griffith ~ 0,1 msi ivir vti mirif dinner given in honor of the producer by William Gibbs McAdoo. “What a tremendous amount of calculation you must have to do, __:r vuiDinnan “considering compelled to pay. to yoi matter of ftet I couldn’t tell you to save my life Ihe amount of money that is being pud nui any L.~ ... any spirit of super¬ ciliousness or arrogance but because it is the truth. Were I to concern my¬ self with the dollars and cents in¬ volved in the things I am trying to do I would not get anywhere. Those who have had faith in me have been willing to assume the financial responsibility and allow me to be entirely free_ of that phase of the producing of tures. Were it not so, probably I would not have had any measure of success in my work. The min who has to stop to count the pennies cannot get very far in creative work. It does not matter to me what it may cost to present a given production of the standard I have striven to maintain, iviv faith ir. t-hs public is such thatdt never occurs to me to question tmlr support of any artistic thing I nuy have in mind." And there can be Griffith has attained j doubt that R:r. rnm naa - very high meas- > of success, artistically and flnaji- cially, 1 with'"such productions as “The Birth of a Nation," “Intelorance/ Birth of “Hearts of the World," and his . latest ACCESSORY ORDER BLANK FOR “BROKEN BLOSSOMS” NAME OF THEATRE . POSTERS One sheet, number 1, 7 cents. One sheet, number 2, 7 cents.". One sheet, number 3, 7 cents. Three sheet, number 1, 21 cents. Three sheet, number 2, 21 cents. Six sheet, 42 cents. Twenty-rour sheet, number 1, $1.68. Twenty-four sheet, number 2, $1.68. LOBBY PHOTOGRAPHS 22x28 (two in a set), 60 cents per set. 11x14 (eight in a set), 75 cents per set. 8x10 (ten in a set), 35 cents per set. STAR PHOTOGRAPHS 8x10 black and white squeegees— D. W. Griffith, 10 cents each. Lillian Gish, 10 cents each. Richard Barthelmess, 10 cents each. SLIDE—Twelve cents . USE OF MUSIC SCORE WITHOUT CHARGE 8x10 BLACK AND WHITE SQUEEGEE STILLS OF PRO- DUO£ L ON FOR NEWSPAPER PTTBLTPLTY WTWr PROGRAM STAR CUTS G1A—Griffith thumbnail, 16 cents. G2A—Griffith one column, 16 cents. G3A—Griffith two column, 25 cents. B2A—Gish one column, 15 cents. B6A—Barthelmess one column, 16 cents. NEWSPAPER STAR CUTS G1—Griffith thumbnail, 15 cents. G2—Griffith one column, 15 cents. G3—Griffith two column, 25 cents. G4—Griffith three column, 50 cents. G5—Griffith one column line cut, 15 cents. G6—Griffith two column line cut, 25 cents. B1—Gish one column costume, 15 cents. B2—Gish one column straight, 15 cents. B3—Gish two column costume, 25 cents. B4—Gish two column straight, 26 cents.. B5—Barthelmess one colutnn costume, 20 cents. B6—Barthelmess one column straight, 15 cents. B7—Barthelmess two column costume, 25 cents.... B8—Barthelmess two column straight, 30 cents. B9—Gish and Barthelmess three column costume, 35 cents B10—Crisp one column, 16 cents. .. SCENE CUTS Bll—One column, 15 cents. B12—One column, 15 cents. B13—Two column, 20 cents.. B14—-Two column, 35 cents. B15—Three column, 40 cents. ADVERTISING CUTS BD1—One column, 15 cents. BD2—One column, 20 cents. BD3—Two column, 25 cents. BD4—Two column, 35 cents. BD5—Three column, 70 cents. TOTAL . Kindly remit full payment with accessory order Lillian Gish as a Child^ In “Broken Blossoms” Miss Lillian Gish has again proved her remarkable talent as a screen ac¬ tress in her performance of Lucy, the ” ild in "Broken Blossoms,” D. W. Griffith’s art sensation, soon to be shown at the.Theatre. In Thomas Burke’s story, “The Chink and the Child,” taken from “Limehouse Nights,” Lucy, the daughter of "Battling Bur¬ rows,” is supposed to be 12 years yld. but with the license of the artistic jro- ducer, Mr. Griffith took the liberty of adding three years to her age. Few who see her performances as when 'at ' her "bullying fatlieT^ c ?'ft3 1 - mand she tries to push her wan lips into the semblance of a smile. Mr. Griffith declares that this was a purely involuntary piece of acting; for when, during the photography of the first scene of cruelty, between her father and herself and she was all in /ery real tears, he suggested as dire:tor, that she smile through her tears. She was so wrought up over the scene that she tried to smile, but could not, and then, quite natu:ally and without thought of artifice, she, with trqmbling fingers tried to Dush up the corners of her lips. It wrs so pathetic and human a gesture thal Mr. Griffith at once realized its value and it remains one of the striking lotes - moving Griffith Sent Barthel¬ mess to China The - important thing in casting the part of the Chinese poet, Cheng Huan, in “Broken Blossoms,” whbh is soon coming to the.Theatre, was, according to D. W. Griffith, to " player whose facial' exlres- 'unphasfize as fully as pos- lehouse Nights,” ”‘‘his“love' and holy thing. Even his yore* enemies admitted that." It TJOSt chanced that, looking around foj the right player, Mr. Griffith heard that Richard Barthelmess was, for the time being, at liberty to accept the diffi¬ cult engagement. A college man, educated at Trinity College, Hartford, he had already worked for Mr. Griffith, who knew well of his abilities. Mr. Barthelmes 3 be¬ gan his career as an actor for the screen in "War Brides” and “The Eternal Sin;” though prior to his ap¬ pearance in the films he had done not¬ able work in New York stock panies. He appeared in “Bab’s Bur¬ glar,” "The Seven Swans,” “Rich Man, Poor Man” and “Three Men and a Girl,” “Nearly Married;” “The Hope Chest” and _ The qualities of simplicity and nat¬ uralness which he had displayed in other films suggested him as the ideal actor for the part of Cheng Huan and, in order that Mr. Barthelmess might get thoroughly into the atmos- - -. .. Griffith sent Shaighai, phere__ __, him from San Francisco __ _ _ _ where he steeped himsSIf irr-ehe-culm and beauty of the Orient. There, learn- * the wonderfully kindly attitude came imbued __ _ ables him in “Broken Blossoms” convey the ideal love which the Chin¬ ese poet feels for the poor little bruis- and broken English girl. It is love without of selfishness ... ., human sympathy ingle thought - love of pity and ..-it makes those -and realize it come away from picture with a more tender and ’ " kind. gentle feeling toward I The Cry of the Children masterpiece, In D. W. Griffith’ “Broken Blossoms,” now c. , Theatre, there are some slriking scenes showing the picturesque j China that the poet Cheng Huan know be- '!u 4^U h S.,'\ £ W^ f a plu 1 ^.^°?,7 Pennyfields and the dock district of London’s East End. One of > these scenes shows a kindly old Malndarin who stops his "Kago” or sedai'i-chair to distribute sweetmeats and “cdsh” to a bevy of richly dressed little Chinese maidens. The camera cannot tell yod *1.11 the truth about China, but Mr. Griffith was quick to see that something of the truth, the contrast between the kindly treatment accorded children by the Chinese, and the brutality, vicious¬ ness and unthinking cruelty meted out to the children of the poor in other places, had to be drawn, so as to emphasize the naturalness of the Chinese rivalry that made Cheng Huan inevitably care for little fifteen year old Lucy, after her beast of a father. Battling Burrows, had driven her from his wretched one-room home. Nothing could be more pitiable than the condition of the children whlo have to live through "Limehouse Nights” in London. In Mr. Griffith’s latest production—-by far the greatest one he has made—’you are made to see the noisome alleys; the wretched rooms, the calls to vice. Fortunately this "Christian” treatment of the little ones is in sharp contrast to the at¬ titude toward youngsters in America. In China, as in our own country, everyone has a kindly word for the little ones. In Hong Kong, where D. W. Griffith studied the Chinese, there are magnificent palaces built high up on the Peak. The material for these was, every bit of it, carried up the steep incline by hand. And the D. W. GRIFFITH’S Presents “BROKEN BLOSSOMS” Adapted from a story l»y Thomas Burke Personally Produced by DAVID WARK GRIFFITH THE CAST The Girl ..Miss Lillian Gish “Battling” Burrows .Donnld Crisp His Manager..Arthur Howard The Chiuuiuan .Richard Barthelmess Evil Eye.Edward Pell A Prize Fighter .Norman f=»lby The Spying One.George Bernnger SYNOPSIS The episodes of “Broken Blossoms” involve three persons—Battling Burrows, a bully of the London slums; a young Chinese poet nnmed - Cheng Hvbd. who has come out of the Far l^ast to spread to other peoples the doctrines of brotherly love, nml Lucy, a girl of fifteen who when hut a mere liahe, was thrust into the arms of Battling Burrows—n bundle of white rags—the gift of one of Battler’s girls. The scenes are carried from China into the crooked alleys of e dlstr III it of temper, the Battler, a prize lighter, s his rage upon this piteous child. Her starved, bruised little creeps sorrowfully around the crooked alleys. Concerned with Its sins, Limehouse has no time to bother about Lucy or her sorrows, there is one who does care. As Lucy creeps down through the hndowy alleys there is one who looks after her with a sort-of holy deration. This pitying one is the young Chinaman. His highest hopes eaten down, all that remains to him of beauty and of light is his fistful, almost saereil love for this helpless child who passes by his Tenderly he gathers “1 to bis lonely room, cy he dresses her in One day the Battler be and her fainting, broken and falls in through the Chini... the little one in liis arms and bears her There he bathes her wounds. With a qu wonderful old silken robes and tends her ■ lion (iMt n “Object might bestow upon a wounded princess'. n the prize tighter oursis into g-“rt- trons paws. Through the cloaking'mist the cringing little figure being dragged back to her doom. Some terrible instinct tells the child tlint this lient- will be the Inst. She tries to escape into n closet, but n ruthless hntehet beats dow the bni The Chinaman broken little figure With n deadly cab inly a > ■ scene; lie finds still on her dear lips, t of holy sacrifice, the through the ■lours of happu hands, he bids b ■nines too lnte t her last lonely wistful n , as one who performs an ac the pitiful figure in bis arms nml carries it back l»ty fog to his room, where the girl knew her few brief ly in her grubby little lyer to a little figure of dreams with a dagger With : of the shattered what of the end of Battling Burrows? with five bullet holes in bis body, C took the broken little girl to her Inst i He t incline is so steep that no white per¬ son living in Hong Kong ever cares to walk it, but is carried up in chairs. Every day there is a steady proces¬ sion of Chinese workmen carrying building material up the hill. Across their shoulders they balance a bamboo pole, at each end of which.is a basket heavily laden with brick or sand. It is not a light thing that men so heavily laden should be forced to take a single unnecessary step and yet, groaning under their back-breaking loads, if a little Chinese child—c white child for that matter—gets in the path of one of these men, he will step aside, load and all, and if he greets the child at all it will be with a smile. In London’s East End, such children could expect to hear nothing but foul curses. To understand something of the truth of such a contrast as this is necessary to comprehend at their full¬ est artistic value the nuances of “Bro¬ ken Blossoms” and the striking moral lessons this work of art is intended to convey. And the inclusion of these scenes of Chinese childhood with their subtle suggestions of Oriental happi¬ ness is only another proof of the keen sense of artistic values that charac¬ terize every piece of photoplay drama that D. W. Griffith has done. Here's a Mystery That Needs Solving There is a big mystery at the. ....... Theatre. Mr.the manager, cannot solve it; the orchestra leader, has become haggard over it, and even young lady in the box office has been losing If you begin to stop long enough be¬ fore the Buddhist shrine in the lobby of the.Theatre, you will see on the richly embroidered table covering, coins and dollar bills. The money has come to the feet of the Buddha in some mysterious manner and no one has yet sg.*m...th e person _or_ persons _who bute before the image. During the days that D. W. Grif¬ fith’s “Broken Blossoms” has been playing at the.Theatre the money has been pouring in to Buddha. At first it was but a few pennies, then it grew to silver coins, and now paper money rests in the upturned hands of the image. What influence the Buddha in “Bro¬ ken Blossoms” may have on Christian people is hard to understand. No one has been able to tell what motive inspired the giving of the tri¬ butes but whether it is superstition, reverence, artistic appreciation or fear of the god, the fact remains that from day to day the money piles up, and not even the colored porter at the theatre has the temerity to touch it. (Note: You can use the story above if your lobby or theatre display in¬ cludes a figure of Buddha or a Chinese The Nameless One It is one of the wonderful things about the motion-picture art of David Wark Griffith that even when con¬ structing a master-piece such as "Bro¬ ken Blossoms," he is able to forget for a time the largeness and main ap¬ peal of his story to pay minute, even microscopic, attention to some small detail that, perhaps not ten percent of ilia audiences would ever regard as essential. In his grimly beautiful spectacle, “Broken Blossoms,” now at the .Theatre, that takes place in “the low-lit Causeway that slinks from the West India Dock Road to the dark waste of water beyond,” Mr. Griffith has stripped the original story by Thomas Burke down to its essential characters. And yet he has understood that to make people thor¬ oughly understand the true nature of the Chinese poet, Cheng Huan, some¬ thing must be known of his past; he must show that Cheng Huan was not simply a product of that one room over Tai ■ Fu’s store in Pennyfields, but must bring his audiences to realize that this Chinese poet had a heart filled with the murmuring of plum blossoms, rice-fields and the stream. And so there is brought into the picture a vision of Cheng Huan tak¬ ing his departure from the lands of his ancestors. Like a good Buddhist that he is, he pays strict attention to the religious and poetic ceremonial, —ii«-ilh» last thing he. dojjs before leaving for Shanghai is to ~ visit a Buddhist temple and recite the “Lei- hei” or the prayers of “The Day." That this ceremony might be fittingly portrayed, Mr. Griffith secured the services of an eminent Chinese ed¬ ucator, holding a professorship in one of our leading universities. When consulted about this scene in which Cheng Huan is first introduced, this Chinese professor became so inter¬ ested that he confessed to Mr. Grif¬ fith that in his youth he had been educated for the Buddha priesthood. Of his own accord he accompanied Mr. Griffith to a Buddha temple; shaved his venerable head, after the manner of the Buddha priests, and donned the simple but artistic robes of the order. Then Mr. Richard Barthelmess came before him, the entire Buddhist ceremony was gone through elaborately and with strict attention to correct detail. The gentle¬ man who played the part of the priest declined to be paid for his services. He is now back at his professorial ■Aities. ^-but^his^ ban- which__he junsel- Grifflth's^art^has grown again and ft is unlikely that any of his friends will distinguish him on the screen. Mr. Griffith was anxious to give him credit on the program for his excellent act¬ ing but for many reasons the disting¬ uished Chinese student asked that his name be not used; and in the Grif¬ fith studios he is known only a? "The Nameless One!" a Chinese artist for Art's sake. Distinctive Art as Exhibited in “Broken Blossoms” The difference between a romance in the “voiceless art” as presented by David Wark Griffith and any other producer is the difference in the dis¬ tinctive quality of the art, as easily felt and discerned as the difference be¬ tween an etching by Whistler and the same subject handled by a lesser artist. In "Broken Blossoms,” the latest tri¬ umph in photoplay by Mr. Griffith, which is the present attraction at the .Theatre, there are so many wonders of the camera-art that have been invented merely to bring out the finer points of the tender romance, that many of them are just taken for granted by the audience, though to most other producers those effects are regarded as technically wonderful Thomas Burke, who wrote “Lime¬ house Nigh'3,” from which Mr. Grif¬ fith has chosen the story of "The Chink and the Child,” to illustrate his lity, religion philosophy of l--— and art, speaks often of that rather dreary district hard by the East India “ London, where gather the ““ people from all parts strange ____ _ _ of the world. The streets, that are peo¬ pled with these characters, the Lime¬ house Road, the Mile End Road, Pen¬ nyfields and the rest, were once low- lying swamps that have been wrung, in the onnrse ef years, from the grip — the course c of the misty river; So'it isthat'w“hen elsewhere the skies are fair, this dis¬ trict is wrapped in fogs, fit cover for hatred and cruelty that the deeds i _ _ so often take place there. Now it is one thing to see and t perience a fog; quite another to photo- SUaph it. In a still photograph a fog effect 'may be gained by under-de¬ velopment, but it is obvious that for the motion picture camera there can be no under-development if the mys¬ tic shows moving behind the veil have to be recorded. It would be interesting to know what pains and money D. W. Griffith spent in experimenting on this one feature alone. The effect was gained at the last, lor the one outstanding artistic quality Griffith is persistence, but it vinning this success that the “Broken Blossoms” cast, than he did on __ w . Nation," which employed whole ; Little Lucy A Poetic Creation by Lillian Gish Miss Lillian Gish who was first in- “ C ,^ lr , b i n Da ',' i f W ark^ Griffith to Blossoms”—by'"far V the*"mfflrtr T artlstic' ' production Mr. Griffith ever has done, —now showing at the. Theatre. It is quite certain that a girl less clever than Miss Gish might have found some difficulty in creating the illusion of a fifteen-year-old child of the East London slums. Yet there she is, one of the most pathetic and mov- mg figures that has ever wrung the sympathies of one’s heart through the medium of the camera. When she is first seen on the screen you can believe at once that “for just over fifteen years this bruised little body had crept about Poplar and Limehouse.” Beaten almost daily by her drunken father, never knowing a kind or gentle word until it is spoken to her through the reveren¬ tial love of a Chinese Poet, she is yet able to portray just what her creator Burke says about her. “Yet, for all the starved face and transfixed air, there was a lurking beauty about her, a something that called you in the soft curve of her cheek that cried for kisses and was fed with blows, and in the splendid mouy^ulness that grew in eyes and lips, ^^he fair hair chimed against the pale^fc^ce like the rounding of a verse. The blue cotton frock could not break the loveliness - r slender fig¬ ure or the shy grace dT her movements of waste.! life a and', td0.lv.’ and debay, v '-; } there was i It is her* poetic heart* the Gisli (hat justifies that tiu^Hni the horror of rffe wlth Uattlif>„_ rows to the almost religious worship" of the followers of Buddha. With wan smile, forced by her trembling fingers; with sweet, sad eyes abrim with bitter tears, her sorrowful face looks from the screen and in the soul of every true man and woman it wakes thoughts that are full of a pure and holy sym¬ pathy. It is clear that the emotions that Mr. Griffith has so wonderfully perpetuated, sprang from the heart of • Miss Gish, the clever actress who has always used her art to aid in his suc- Griffith Only Carrying Out Latest ldea_ I only wish that you who are to '0 read what, is written here, could ha-jH stepped into Boston’s Colonial TheatW# lobby with me recently and met DavflP* Wark Griffith, whose latest film, ‘Broken Blossoms,” is now showing at „..Theatre. But as.this is a futile wish, I must, to the best of my ability, sketch you a mental picture of this man, but be kind, as I am a poor artist, and the subject a great one. A theatre flooded with color, weird, barbaric music coming out of nowhere, a lot of strange men trying to be polite to you, when very busy, and then a tall, slim man emerges out of the confusion and grasping your hand, says “How do you do, I am glad to meet you,” just as if you were the first newspaper woman he had ever met, instead of the hundred and first. “Pardon me for telling you what you should ask me,” he said, after we hajl safely gotten away from the “ ’‘lil' "'iifi 3 oblJfirine-ly. "Why ^arth did you. "Because I am carrying out an ideal, because I want to be creative. Do I think it will be successful? I don’t know. In these days when people will pay $3 to hear a Jazz orchestra, and see half nude women dance, the chances are pretty even that it won’t. People have told me that I am foolish, but I had to do it. After all, ‘Broken Blossoms’ is only suggested by ‘The Chink and the Child;’ that name would not do at all for us; people would only confuse it with some wild tale of a Chinese opium den. “People have criticised me for show¬ ing Miss Gish being beaten by ‘Bat¬ tling’ Burrows; as a matter of fact, she was not beaten. The pictures are arranged to give that effect—but no whip ever touched her. But there are a lot of ‘Battling’ Burrows in the world today.” and instinctively our con¬ versation wandered to the war. “The League of Nations?" he mused. “There will never be a League of Nations until we cease regarding our¬ selves as the greatest people on earth. Until we stop speaking of foreigners, wops, chinks, et cetera, then and only then will there be a true brotherhood. Until that time the League of Nations will Indeed be only a scrap of paper.” Then looking at me intently he asked quietly, “What nation or race of peo¬ ple on the face' of the earth today, Is .- following the teachings of Christ?'" A long silence followed, broken omV-_ by the sobbing wall of a Chinese reed