The Birth of a Nation (1915)

Popularity:

Up 57% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.

Director:

D.W. Griffith

Writers:

Thomas Dixon Jr. (adapted from his novel: "The Clansman: An Historical Romance of the Ku Klux Klan")
Thomas Dixon Jr. (play) ...
(more)

Release Date:

3 March 1915 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | History | War

Tagline:

Mighty Spectacle

Plot:

The American Civil War divides friends and destroys families, but that's nothing compared to the anarchy in the black-ruled South after the war.

Plot Keywords:

Civil War | Ku Klux Klan | Assassination | Assassination Of President | Lincoln Assassination

Awards:

2 wins

Cast

Lillian Gish	...	Elsie - Stoneman's Daughter
Mae Marsh	...	Flora Cameron - The Pet Sister
Henry B. Walthall	...	Col. Ben Cameron (as Henry Walthall)
Miriam Cooper	...	Margaret Cameron - Elder Sister
Mary Alden	...	Lydia - Stoneman's Mulatto Housekeeper
Ralph Lewis	...	Hon. Austin Stoneman - Leader of the House
George Siegmann	...	Silas Lynch - Mulatto Lieut. Governor (as George Seigmann)
Walter Long	...	Gus - A Renegade Negro
Robert Harron	...	Tod - Stoneman's Younger Son
Wallace Reid	...	Jeff - The Blacksmith (as Wallace Reed)
Joseph Henabery	...	Abraham Lincoln (as Jos. Henabery)
Elmer Clifton	...	Phil - Stoneman's Elder Son
Josephine Crowell	...	Mrs. Cameron
Spottiswoode Aitken	...	Dr. Cameron
George Beranger	...	Wade Cameron - Second Son (as J.A. Beringer)
Maxfield Stanley	...	Duke Cameron - Youngest Son
Jennie Lee	...	Mammy - The Faithful Servant
Donald Crisp	...	Gen. U.S. Grant
Howard Gaye	...	Gen. Robert E. Lee
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Monte Blue	...	Minor Role (uncredited)
Harry Braham	...	Cameron's Male Servant (uncredited)
Bob Burns	...	Klan Leader (uncredited)
Edmund Burns	...	Klansman (uncredited)
Edward Burns	...	Klansman (uncredited)
Fred Burns	...	Klansman (uncredited)
David Butler	...	Northern Soldier / Confederate Soldier (uncredited)
Peggy Cartwright	...	Young Girl in Cabin (uncredited)
William E. Cassidy	...	Minor Role (uncredited)
Dark Cloud	...	General (uncredited)
Lenore Cooper	...	Elsie's Maid (uncredited)
Sam De Grasse	...	Sen. Charles Sumner (uncredited)
William De Vaull	...	Nelse (uncredited)
Charles Eagle Eye	...	Man Who Falls from Roof (uncredited)
John Ford	...	Klansman on Horse Holding Up Hood with Hand (uncredited)
Alberta Franklin	...	Minor Role (uncredited)
William Freeman	...	Jake / Sentry at Hospital (uncredited)
Gibson Gowland	...	Minor Role (uncredited)
Olga Grey	...	Laura Keene (uncredited)
D.W. Griffith	...	Himself (1931 reissue version) (uncredited)
Fred Hamer	...	Minor Role (uncredited)
Russell Hicks	...	Minor Role (uncredited)
Walter Huston	...	Himself (1931 reissue version) (uncredited)
Charles King	...	Undetermined Role (uncredited) (unconfirmed)
Alberta Lee	...	Mrs. Lincoln (uncredited)
Elmo Lincoln	...	Blacksmith (uncredited)
Betty Marsh	...	Child with Dr. Cameron (uncredited)
Donna Montran	...	Belle of 1861 (uncredited)
Eugene Pallette	...	Union Soldier (uncredited)
Vester Pegg	...	Minor Role (uncredited)
Alma Rubens	...	Belle of 1861 (uncredited)
Allan Sears	...	Klansman (uncredited)
Charles Stevens	...	Volunteer (uncredited)
Madame Sul-Te-Wan	...	Black Woman - Dr. Cameron's Taunter (uncredited)
George Walsh	...	Minor Role (uncredited)
Raoul Walsh	...	John Wilkes Booth (uncredited)
Jules White	...	Confederate Soldier (uncredited)
Violet Wilkey	...	Flora Cameron as a Child (uncredited)
Tom Wilson	...	Stoneman's Servant (uncredited)
Mary Wynn	...	Minor Role (uncredited)

Directed by
D.W. Griffith

Writing credits
Thomas Dixon Jr.		(adapted from his novel: "The Clansman: An Historical Romance of the Ku Klux Klan") (as Thomas F. Dixon Jr.)
Thomas Dixon Jr.		play "The Clansman" (as Thomas F. Dixon Jr.) and
Thomas Dixon Jr.		novel "The Leopard's Spots" (as Thomas F. Dixon Jr.)
D.W. Griffith		&
Frank E. Woods

Produced by
D.W. Griffith	....	producer
H.E. Aitken	....	executive producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
Joseph Carl Breil		(music)
D.W. Griffith		(music)

Cinematography by
G.W. Bitzer

Film Editing by
D.W. Griffith
Joseph Henabery
James Smith
Rose Smith
Raoul Walsh

Costume Design by
Robert Goldstein		(uncredited)
Clare West		(uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Monte Blue	....	assistant director (uncredited)
Christy Cabanne	....	assistant director (uncredited)
Elmer Clifton	....	assistant director (uncredited)
Jack Conway	....	assistant director (uncredited)
Donald Crisp	....	assistant director (uncredited)
Allan Dwan	....	assistant director (uncredited)
Howard Gaye	....	assistant director (uncredited)
Fred Hamer	....	assistant director (uncredited)
Robert Harron	....	assistant director (uncredited)
Joseph Henabery	....	assistant director (uncredited)
Thomas E. O'Brien	....	assistant director (uncredited)
George Siegmann	....	chief assistant director (uncredited)
Herbert Sutch	....	assistant director (uncredited)
W.S. Van Dyke	....	assistant director (uncredited)
Erich von Stroheim	....	assistant director (uncredited)
Baron von Winther	....	assistant director (uncredited)
Raoul Walsh	....	assistant director (uncredited)
Henry B. Walthall	....	assistant director (uncredited)
Tom Wilson	....	assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Ralph M. DeLacy	....	property master (uncredited)
Shorty English	....	carpenter (uncredited)
Jim Newman	....	assistant carpenter (uncredited)
Cash Shockey	....	set painter (uncredited)
Joseph Stringer	....	set builder (uncredited)
Hal Sullivan	....	assistant property master (uncredited)
Frank Wortman	....	set designer (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Walter Hoffman	....	special effects supervisor (uncredited)
'Fireworks' Wilson	....	special effects (uncredited)

Stunts
Monte Blue	....	stunts (uncredited)
Charles Eagle Eye	....	stunts (uncredited)
Leo Nomis	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Karl Brown	....	camera operator (uncredited)
Frank B. Good	....	assistant camera (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Robert Goldstein	....	costumer (uncredited)

Editorial Department
Karl Malkames	....	negative: Killiam Shows

Music Department
Fraser Macdonald	....	score arranger: Killiam Shows
William Axt	....	music arranger: 1921 revival (New York ) (uncredited)
Harry Berken	....	musician: trumpeter (uncredited)
Carli Elinor	....	conductor (uncredited)
Louis F. Gottschalk	....	music adaptor: 1930 synchronized version (uncredited)
Herman Hand	....	music arranger: 1921 revival (New York ) (uncredited)
Joseph Nurnberger	....	composer: overture (Los Angeles premiere ) (uncredited)
Erno Rapee	....	music arranger: 1921 revival (New York ) (uncredited)

Other crew
D.W. Griffith	....	presents
Jim Kidd	....	security officer (uncredited)
Abe Scholtz	....	laboratory technician (uncredited)

Production Companies

• David W. Griffith Corp. (as David W. Griffith Corporationn)
• Epoch Producing Corporation

Distributors

• Epoch Producing Corporation (1915) (USA) (theatrical) (original release)
• Titania (1922) (Finland) (theatrical)
• Suomi-Filmi (1964) (Finland) (theatrical)
• Joseph Brenner Associates (JBA) (1970) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Lumivision (1991) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Republic Pictures Home Video (1991) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Image Entertainment (1994) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Hollywood Classics (1997) (USA) (VHS)
• Image Entertainment (1998) (USA) (DVD)
• Specialty Video (1998) (USA) (VHS)
• E-Realbiz.com (2000) (USA) (DVD)
• Eureka Entertainment (2000) (UK) (DVD)
• SlingShot Entertainment (2000) (USA) (DVD)
• Triton Video (2000) (USA) (DVD)
• Divisa Home Video (2002) (Spain) (DVD)
• Image Entertainment (2002) (USA) (DVD)
• Kino Video (2002) (USA) (DVD)
• Kino Video (2002) (USA) (VHS)
• Madacy Entertainment (2002) (USA) (DVD)
• Delta Expedition (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• Reel Media International (2004) (worldwide) (VHS)
• Teakwood Video (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• Ermitage Cinema (2005) (Italy) (DVD)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (2006) (Italy) (DVD)
• FilmAnnex (2006) (worldwide) (all media)
• SBP (2006) (Argentina) (VHS)
• Reel Media International (2007) (worldwide) (all media)
• absolut MEDIEN (2008) (Germany) (DVD)
• Allied Artists Classic Library (????) (USA) (VHS)
• BFI Video (2015) (UK) (DVD)
• Continental Home Vídeo (????) (Brazil) (VHS)
• Critics' Choice Video (????) (USA) (VHS)
• Facets Multimedia Distribution (????) (USA) (VHS)
• Killiam Shows (????) (USA) (TV)
• MK2 (????) (France) (DVD)
• MediaOutlet.com (????) (USA) (DVD)
• Movies Unlimited (????) (USA) (VHS)
• Reelclassicdvd.com (????) (USA) (DVD)
• Republic Pictures Home Video (????) (USA) (DVD)
• Triad Video (????) (USA) (DVD)
• Videolog (????) (UK) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Goldstein and Company  costumes
• Western Costume Company  wardrobe

Also Known As:

"In the Clutches of the Ku Klux Klan" - USA (cut version)
"The Birth of the Nation; Or The Clansman" - USA (second copyright title)
"The Clansman" - USA (Los Angeles première title)

Runtime:

190 min (16 fps) | USA:125 min (video version) | USA:187 min (DVD) | Argentina:165 min | 193 min (2011 Blu-ray Restoration Edition)

Country:

USA

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Silent

Certification:

Argentina:Atp | Australia:PG | Australia:M (2009) | Canada:PG (Manitoba) | Canada:G (Quebec) | Finland:K-16 | Germany:0 | South Korea:15 (2002) | Sweden:15 | UK:15 (official rating) | UK:U (original rating) | UK:15 (video rating) | USA:Not Rated

Filming Locations:

Big Bear Lake, Big Bear Valley, San Bernardino National Forest, California, USA

Company:

David W. Griffith Corp.

Trivia:

The earliest feature-length film listed in "1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die", edited by Steven Schneider.

Goofs:

Continuity: When John Wilkes Booth is in the corridor outside the President's box preparing to assassinate Abraham Lincoln, he draws and cocks his handgun then enters the box with the gun in his hand. Yet once inside the box, he reaches into his coat with the same hand (now empty) and draws out the gun again.

Quotes:

Mammy:[to a servant from the North, who attempts to make her carry his bags] You' northern lown down black trash, don't try no airs on me.

Movie Connections:

Featured in "Birth of Hollywood: Episode #1.1" (2011)

Consider--it's 90 years old!

As I read these comments on this most controversial film, what is coming across is a surfeit of emotion that any film rarely engenders. I wonder if any of our modern films will be able to evoke such passionate response 90 years from now and the fact is, I think not. Yes, the film is racist. Yes, the film is a watershed for cinema. And no matter what you think of it, it's still got people stirred up, ready to scream and yell and be appalled, disgusted, outraged, etc. Can there be any doubt as to its greatness if it still has such a life today? Its greatness certainly doesn't lie in its subject matter, but in the fact that this silent film can provoke such reactions in a generation weaned on computer graphic images, a generation that views the silents much as they view watching a parade of fossils drift by. I am literally stunned by the power of a piece of film to move so many so long after it came into the world. Perhaps its greatest lesson is the impact films have on us and our society and how powerful those moving images can really be. Something tells me that 90 more years will go by and this message board--if it's still here--will be still be getting impassioned opinions from those who have just seen Birth of a Nation. My word--what immortality!