WHEN THE MOVIES WERE YOUNG [Illustration: Biograph’s studio, Eleven East Fourteenth Street, an old brownstone mansion of New York City, the home of movie romance. (_See p. 1_) _Frontispiece._ ] WHEN THE MOVIES WERE YOUNG BY MRS. D. W. GRIFFITH (Linda Arvidson) [Illustration] NEW YORK E. P. DUTTON & COMPANY 681 FIFTH AVENUE COPYRIGHT, 1925, BY E. P. DUTTON & COMPANY _All rights reserved_ _Printed in the United States of America_ CONTENTS CHAPTER PAGE I. ELEVEN EAST FOURTEENTH STREET 1 II. ENDINGS AND BEGINNINGS 8 III. CLIMACTERIC--AN EARTHQUAKE AND A MARRIAGE 14 IV. YOUNG AMBITIONS AND A FEW JOLTS 22 V. THE MOVIES TEMPT 29 VI. MOVIE ACTING DAYS--AND AN “IF” 37 VII. D. W. GRIFFITH DIRECTS HIS FIRST MOVIE 45 VIII. DIGGING IN 53 IX. FIRST PUBLICITY AND EARLY SCENARIOS 62 X. WARDROBE--AND A FEW PERSONALITIES 71 XI. MACK SENNETT GETS STARTED 77 XII. ON LOCATION--EXPERIENCES PLEASANT AND OTHERWISE 82 XIII. AT THE STUDIO 90 XIV. MARY PICKFORD HAPPENS ALONG 99 XV. ACQUIRING ACTORS AND STYLE 108 XVI. CUDDEBACKVILLE 115 XVII. “PIPPA PASSES” FILMED 127 XVIII. GETTING ON 134 XIX. TO THE WEST COAST 143 XX. IN CALIFORNIA AND ON THE JOB 155 XXI. BACK HOME AGAIN 173 XXII. IT COMES TO PASS 184 XXIII. THE FIRST TWO-REELER 190 XXIV. EMBRYO STARS 201 XXV. MARKING TIME 208 XXVI. THE OLD DAYS END 221 XXVII. SOMEWHAT DIGRESSIVE 234 XXVIII. “THE BIRTH OF A NATION” 245 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS FACING PAGE Biograph’s studio, Eleven East Fourteenth Street _Frontispiece_