[Film & Theatre] Griffith, D. W. (1875–1948) & Fairbanks, Douglas. (1883–1939)
Signed Photograph
Remarkable vintage 7 x 9 inch photograph of a group of Hollywood celebrities including D.W. Griffith and Douglas Fairbanks, inscribed in fountain pen ink "With best wishes D. W. Griffith" and "sincerely Douglas Fairbanks." The inscription of Fairbanks very faded, but otherwise in fine condition. Framed to 37 x 32 cm, not examined out of frame. From the Estate of Douglas Fairbanks, Jr..The trailblazing film pioneer D. W. Griffith directed a number of important early classics, including Intolerance (1916) and the iconic (and still-controversial) Birth of a Nation (1915). His innovative use of the fledgling medium resulted in a repertoire and vocabulary of film technique that remains influential to this day. To avoid being controlled by the studios and to protect their independence, Fairbanks, Pickford, Chaplin, and D. W. Griffith formed United Artists in 1919, which created their own distributorships and gave them complete artistic control over their films and the profits generated. The company was kept solvent in the years immediately after its formation largely from the success of Fairbanks' films. Signed photographs of Griffith are extremely rare and this photograph from the Fairbanks estate is a remarkable example indeed. (6923)
Signed Photograph Film