Intolerance: Love's Struggle Throughout the Ages (1916)

Director:

D.W. Griffith

Writers:

D.W. Griffith (scenario)
Anita Loos (titles)
(more)

Release Date:

5 September 1916 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | History

Tagline:

The Cruel Hand of Intolerance

Plot:

The story of a poor young woman, separated by prejudice from her husband and baby, is interwoven with tales of intolerance from throughout history.

Plot Keywords:

Intolerance | Marriage | Huguenot | Medicis | Judea

Awards:

1 win

Cast

Lillian Gish	...	The Woman Who Rocks the Cradle / Eternal Mother
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Spottiswoode Aitken	...	Brown Eyes's Father (as Spottiswoode Aitkin)
Mary Alden	...	Uplifter
Frank Bennett	...	Charles IX
Monte Blue	...	The Strike Leader
William H. Brown	...	Father of the Bride of Cana / Warden (as William Brown)
Lucille Browne	...	Uplifter
Elmer Clifton	...	The Rhapsode
Miriam Cooper	...	The Friendless One
Josephine Crowell	...	Catherine de Médicis
Dore Davidson	...	The Friendly Neighbor
Sam De Grasse	...	Arthur Jenkins
Edward Dillon	...	Crook
Taylor N. Duncan	...	Captain of the Gateg / Bodyguard of the Princess Beloved (as Ted Duncan)
Pearl Elmore	...	Uplifter
Howard Gaye	...	Jesus Christ / Cardinal de Lorraine
Olga Grey	...	Adultress
Ruth Handforth	...	Brown Eyes's Mother
Robert Harron	...	The Boy
Joseph Henabery	...	L'amiral de Coligny / Defendant
Chandler House	...	Page
Lloyd Ingraham	...	Judge of the Court
Lillian Langdon	...	Virgin Mary
W.E. Lawrence	...	Henri de Navarre
Morris Levy	...	Le duc de Guise (scenes deleted)
Ralph Lewis	...	The Governor
Vera Lewis	...	Mary Jenkins
Walter Long	...	The Musketeer of the Slums / Babylonian Warrior
Bessie Love	...	The Bride of Cana
Julia Mackley	...	Uplifter (as Mrs. Arthur Mackley)
Mae Marsh	...	The Dear One
Marguerite Marsh	...	Debutante
Tully Marshall	...	High Priest of Bel / Friend of the Musketeer
John P. McCarthy	...	Prison Guard (as J.P. McCarthy)
A.W. McClure	...	Father Fathley
Seena Owen	...	The Princess Beloved
Alfred Paget	...	Prince Belshazzar
Eugene Pallette	...	Prosper Latour
Billy Quirk	...	Bartender
Allan Sears	...	The Mercenary (as A.D. Sears)
Maxfield Stanley	...	Henri III
Carl Stockdale	...	King Nabonidus
Constance Talmadge	...	Marguerite de Navarre / The Mountain Girl (as Georgia Pearce)
F.A. Turner	...	The Dear One's Father (as Fred Turner)
W.S. Van Dyke	...	Cana Wedding Guest
Erich von Ritzau	...	First Pharisee (as Gunther von Ritzau)
George Walsh	...	The Bridegroom of Cana
Eleanor Washington	...	Uplifter
Margery Wilson	...	Brown Eyes
Tom Wilson	...	The Kindly Policeman
Sylvia Ashton	...	Woman at Jenkins Employees Dance (uncredited)
George Beranger	...	Second Priest of Bel (uncredited)
Barney Bernard	...	Attorney for The Boy (uncredited)
Frank Borzage	...	Extra (uncredited)
Kitty Bradbury	...	Jenkins Party Guest (uncredited)
John Bragdon	...	Counselor of Charles IX (uncredited)
Karl Brown	...	Extra (uncredited)
Tod Browning	...	Crook (uncredited)
Frank Brownlee	...	The Mountain Girl's Brother (uncredited)
Kate Bruce	...	Old Babylonian Mother / The City Mother (uncredited)
Edward Burns	...	Charioteer of the Priest of Bel (uncredited)
James Burns	...	Charioteer of the Second Priest of Bel (uncredited)
David Butler	...	Babylonian Soldier (uncredited)
Ernest Butterworth	...	Extra (uncredited)
Frank Campeau	...	Extra (uncredited)
Jewel Carmen	...	Favorite of the Harem (uncredited)
Francis Carpenter	...	Child in Epilogue (uncredited)
Peggy Cartwright	...	Little Girl (uncredited)
William E. Cassidy	...	Extra (uncredited)
Hazel Childers	...	Jenkins Party Guest (uncredited)
Lotta Clifton	...	Dancer of Tammuz (uncredited)
Dark Cloud	...	Ethiopian Chieftan (uncredited)
Constance Collier	...	Extra (uncredited)
Virginia Lee Corbin	...	Child in Epilogue (uncredited)
Gino Corrado	...	The Runner (uncredited)
Jack Cosgrave	...	Chief Eunuch (uncredited)
William Courtright	...	Second Pharisee (uncredited)
Donald Crisp	...	Extra (uncredited)
James Curley	...	The Charioteer of Cyrus (uncredited)
Ruth Darling	...	Girl at the Marriage Market (uncredited)
Max Davidson	...	Kindly Neighbor (uncredited)
Nigel De Brulier	...	Extra (uncredited)
Carol Dempster	...	Favorite of the Harem (uncredited)
The Denishawn Dancers	...	Dancers (uncredited)
Charles Eagle Eye	...	Barbarian Chieftain (uncredited)
Douglas Fairbanks	...	Man on White Horse (uncredited)
George Fawcett	...	Babylonian Judge (uncredited)
Clarence Geldart	...	Extra (uncredited)
Mildred Harris	...	Favorite of the Harem (uncredited)
Dell Henderson	...	Extra (uncredited)
Russell Hicks	...	Extra (uncredited)
Clyde E. Hopkins	...	Jenkins's Secretary (uncredited)
DeWolf Hopper Sr.	...	Extra (uncredited)
Luray Huntley	...	Uplifter (uncredited)
George James	...	Councellor of Charles IX (uncredited)
Daisy Jefferson	...	Favorite of the Harem (uncredited)
Noble Johnson	...	Babylonian Soldier (uncredited)
Martin Landry	...	Auctioneer at the Marriage Market (uncredited)
Robert Lawler	...	Babylonian Judge (uncredited)
Alberta Lee	...	Wife of The Kindly Neighbor (uncredited)
Jennie Lee	...	Woman at Jenkins Employees Dance (uncredited)
Elmo Lincoln	...	The Mighty Man of Valor (uncredited)
Wilfred Lucas	...	Extra (uncredited)
Francis McDonald	...	Extra (uncredited)
Arthur Meyer	...	Brother of a Girl at the Marriage Market (uncredited)
Felix Modjeska	...	Bodyguard to the Princess (Babylonian Story) (uncredited)
Margaret Mooney	...	Girl at the Marriage Market (Babylonian Story) (uncredited)
Owen Moore	...	Extra (uncredited)
Carmel Myers	...	Favorite of the Harem (uncredited)
Loyola O'Connor	...	Attarea's Slave (uncredited)
Vester Pegg	...	Extra (uncredited)
Mazie Radford	...	Dancer of Tammuz (uncredited)
Wallace Reid	...	Boy Killed in Battle (uncredited)
Louis Ritz	...	Counselor to Charles IX (uncredited)
Louis Romaine	...	Catholic Priest (uncredited)
Alma Rubens	...	Girl at the Marriage Market (uncredited)
Howard Scott	...	Babylonian Dandy (uncredited)
Ted Shawn	...	Dancer of Tammuz (uncredited)
George Siegmann	...	Cyrus (uncredited)
Ah Singh	...	First Priest of Nergel (uncredited)
Ranji Singh	...	Second Priest of Nergel (uncredited)
Eve Southern	...	Favorite of the Harem (uncredited)
Ruth St. Denis	...	Dancer of Tammuz (uncredited)
Pauline Starke	...	Favorite of the Harem (uncredited)
Madame Sul-Te-Wan	...	Girl at the Marriage Market (uncredited)
Herbert Sutch	...	Extra (uncredited)
Natalie Talmadge	...	Favorite of the Harem (uncredited)
Ethel Grey Terry	...	Favorite of the Harem (uncredited)
Herbert Beerbohm Tree	...	Extra (uncredited)
Charles Van Courtlandt	...	Gobyras (uncredited)
King Vidor	...	Extra (uncredited)
Erich von Stroheim	...	Second Pharisee (uncredited)
Anna Mae Walthall	...	Favorite of the Harem (uncredited)
Raymond Wells	...	Counselor to Charles IX (uncredited)
Winifred Westover	...	The Favorite of Egibi (uncredited)
Grace Wilson	...	Dancer of Tammuz (uncredited)
Hal Wilson	...	Extra (uncredited)
Tammany Young	...	Extra (uncredited)

Directed by
D.W. Griffith

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Hettie Grey Baker		titles (uncredited)
Tod Browning		uncredited
D.W. Griffith		scenario
D.W. Griffith		titles (uncredited)
Anita Loos		titles
Mary H. O'Connor		titles (uncredited)
Walt Whitman		poem "Out of the Cradle Endlessly Rocking" (uncredited)
Frank E. Woods		titles (uncredited)

Produced by
D.W. Griffith	....	producer

Original Music by
Carl Davis		(1989)

Cinematography by
G.W. Bitzer

Film Editing by
D.W. Griffith		(uncredited)
James Smith		(uncredited)
Rose Smith		(uncredited)

Production Design by
D.W. Griffith		(uncredited)

Art Direction by
Walter L. Hall		(uncredited)

Costume Design by
D.W. Griffith		(uncredited)
Clare West		(uncredited)

Makeup Department
Robert Anderson	....	assistant makeup artist (uncredited)
D.W. Griffith	....	makeup artist (uncredited)

Production Management
Frank E. Woods	....	production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Herbert Sutch	....	assistant director (as Bert Sutch)
Arthur Berthelet	....	second assistant director: French story (uncredited)
Monte Blue	....	second assistant director: Modern story (uncredited)
Tod Browning	....	second assistant director: Modern story (uncredited)
Christy Cabanne	....	second assistant director: Babylon story (uncredited)
Elmer Clifton	....	first assistant director: Babylon story (uncredited)
Jack Conway	....	second assistant director: Babylon story (uncredited)
Edward Dillon	....	second assistant director: Modern Story (uncredited)
Allan Dwan	....	second assistant director: Babylon story (uncredited)
Victor Fleming	....	second assistant director: Babylon story (uncredited)
Sidney Franklin	....	second unit director: Babylon sequence (uncredited)
Joseph Henabery	....	first assistant director: Babylon story (uncredited)
Joseph Henabery	....	second unit director: New York (uncredited)
George W. Hill	....	second assistant director: Babylon story (uncredited)
Lloyd Ingraham	....	second assistant director: Modern story (uncredited)
George Nichols Jr.	....	second assistant director: Babylon story (uncredited)
Mike Siebert	....	second assistant director: Babylon story (uncredited)
George Siegmann	....	first assistant director: Los Angeles (uncredited)
W.S. Van Dyke	....	second assistant director: Judean story (uncredited)

Art Department
Frank Wortman	....	set builder (as Frank 'Huck' Wortman)
Martin Aguerre	....	construction supervisor: gallows (uncredited)
Ralph M. DeLacy	....	property master (uncredited)
Shorty English	....	carpenter (uncredited)
Walter L. Hall	....	set designer (uncredited)
Jim Newman	....	assistant carpenter (uncredited)
Joseph Stringer	....	set builder (uncredited)
Hal Sullivan	....	assistant property master (uncredited)
R. Ellis Wales	....	set designer (uncredited)
Frank Wortman	....	set designer (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Hal Sullivan	....	special effects (uncredited)

Stunts
Leo Nomis	....	stunts
Charles Eagle Eye	....	stunt double: Miriam Cooper (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Karl Brown	....	associate photographer
Louis Bitzer	....	first assistant camera (uncredited)
Allan Dwan	....	camera elevator engineer (uncredited)
Allan Dwan	....	dolly grip (uncredited)
James G. Woodbury	....	still photographer (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
R. Ellis Wales	....	costumer (uncredited)

Editorial Department
Joe Aller	....	assistant editor (uncredited)

Music Department
Louis F. Gottschalk	....	conductor (1916)
Joseph Carl Breil	....	music arranger (uncredited)
D.W. Griffith	....	music arranger (uncredited)
Colin Matthews	....	orchestrator (uncredited)
David Matthews	....	orchestrator (uncredited)

Other crew
D.W. Griffith	....	presenter
Martin Aguerre	....	technical advisor (uncredited)
Robert Anderson	....	technical director (uncredited)
Gertrude Bambrick	....	choreographer (uncredited)
J.A. Barry	....	executive assistant: D.W. Griffith (uncredited)
Neal Dodd	....	religious advisor (uncredited)
Lillian Gish	....	research assistant (uncredited)
Joseph Henabery	....	research assistant (uncredited)
Wilbur Higby	....	crewman (uncredited)
Rabbi Myers	....	religious advisor (uncredited)
Abe Scholtz	....	laboratory technician (uncredited)
Ruth St. Denis	....	choreographer (uncredited)
Erich von Stroheim	....	production assistant: Babylon sequence (uncredited)
R. Ellis Wales	....	chief technologist (uncredited)
R. Ellis Wales	....	historical advisor (uncredited)
B.F. Zeidman	....	publicist (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Triangle Film Corporation
• Wark Producing

Distributors

• Triangle Distributing (1916) (USA) (theatrical)
• Alpha Video Distributors (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• Delta Expedition (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• Reel Media International (2004) (worldwide) (VHS)
• Reel Media International (2005) (worldwide) (TV)
• SBP (2006) (Argentina) (DVD)
• SBP (2006) (Argentina) (VHS) (re-release)
• Colossal Productions (1916) (UK) (theatrical)
• Killiam Shows (????) (USA) (theatrical)
• Library of Congress Motion Picture, Broadcasting and Recorded Sound Division, The (????) (USA) (theatrical)
• Sfinks (1922) (Poland) (theatrical)
• Fil à Film (????) (France) (VHS)
• FilmAnnex (2006) (worldwide) (all media)
• Grapevine Video (????) (USA) (VHS)
• Image Entertainment (????) (USA) (DVD)
• Image Entertainment (????) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Kino Video (????) (USA) (DVD)
• Kino Video (????) (USA) (VHS)
• LS Video (????) (USA) (VHS)
• Punto Zero (2007) (Italy) (DVD)
• Reel Media International (2007) (worldwide) (all media)
• Republic Pictures Home Video (????) (USA) (VHS)
• Republic Pictures Home Video (????) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• VTI Home Vídeo (????) (Brazil) (VHS)

Other Companies

• Western Costume Company  costumes (uncredited)

Also Known As:

"Intolerance" - USA (short title)
"Intolerance: A Sun-Play of the Ages" - USA (copyright title)

Runtime:

163 min | UK:178 min (2000 video release) | USA:197 min | Spain:197 min (DVD version) | Spain:123 min (TV version) | Argentina:175 min | Portugal:210 min

Country:

USA

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Silent

Certification:

Sweden:15 | Argentina:Atp | South Korea:12 (2003) | Australia:PG | UK:PG | USA:Not Rated

Filming Locations:

Baldwin Hills, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Triangle Film Corporation

Trivia:

The prison chaplain in the modern scenes is played by a real priest.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: An extra out of character, fumbling with his costume, in the Belshazzar feast sequence.

Quotes:

Intertitle:When women cease to attract men, they often turn to reform as a second option.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Cecil B. DeMille: American Epic (2004) (TV)

unsurpassed and unsurpassable

How on Earth was D.W Griffith able to make this movie back in 1916? Back in the days when the audience were having a hard time focusing on two parallell stories, Griffith gave them four... This is a tremendous spectacle, way ahead of its time, and hardly dated at all. OK, the acting is a little bit over the edge (although Mae Marsh is a personal favourite of mine) and the subtitles are sometimes ridiculous, but the message that this movie brings is absolutely timeless. In fact, this is really the first movie with a vision, an idea. A major influence on Russian director Eisenstein, one has to wonder: Would there have been a Potemkin without this masterpiece? The Birth of a nation is in some ways superior to Intolerance, but for pure strength, innovation and boldness, Intolerance is unsurpassed and unsurpassable. The greatest movie of all times.