When the movies were young (1925)

The Old Days End 225 on to the stage and over to her discouraged director. He escaped her — stretching his arms and singing louder than ever he took large strides away from her. Finally, the penitent reached him, and on her bended knees begged: "Please, Mr. Griffith, please take me back." When he thought she had begged hard enough he took her back, and he got results for the rest of that day. "Judith," owing to expensive sets, cost thirty-two thousand dollars, but that was not advertised as a point of interest in the picture. Much excitement prevailed over "Judith," D. W. Griffith's first four-reeler. It was shown to financiers. Wall Street was to be brought into intimate conversation. The old days and the old ways of 1 1 East Fourteenth Street, how brief they had been ! Those vital Biograph days under the Griffith regime, how soon to pass! For when, late in the winter of 19 12, the company left for the West coast studio, they said good-bye to the nursery, and to the intimate days and the pleasant hours of their movie youth. The big new studio up in the Bronx was now finished, with two huge stages — one artificially lighted, and one a daylight studio. There was every modern convenience but an elevator. Of course, one director couldn't utilize so much studio; so while Mr. Griffith was still in California and without saying anything to him about it, the Biograph made a combine with Klaw & Erlanger by which all the K. & E. plays were to be turned over for Biograph production in three-, four-, and five-reel pictures. Mr. Griffith didn't fancy the idea; he felt also that Biograph might have consulted him before closing the deal.