A Swift Exit: D. W. Griffith's Return to the East Coast

This essay reconstructs and analyzes the context of production for D. W. Griffith's The Idol Dancer (1920) and The Love Flower (1920), both filmed in South Florida shortly after Griffith Studios relocated from Hollywood to Mamaroneck, New York. By reconstructing production processes, this essay demonstrates that Griffith's ambitions exceeded his abilities. He was often indecisive when choosing filming locations, as exemplified by his capricious relationship with South Florida. The essay further argues that Griffith's overzealous ambition and geographical ambivalence correlates with his attempt to function independently when the industry shifted to a more producer-centered model post-World War I. KEYWORDS: D. W. Griffith, production culture, Florida, Bahamas
Most histories of D. W. Griffith focus on his output prior to 1916. The importance of formulaic developments like parallel action and close-ups, which are generally attributed to Griffith's single-reel [...]