Griffith, D(avid) W(ark)

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US film director. He was an influential figure in the development of cinema as an art. He made hundreds of one-reelers 1908–13, in which he pioneered the techniques of masking, fade-out, flashback, crosscut, close-up, and long shot. After much experimentation with photography and new techniques, he directed The Birth of a Nation (1915), about the aftermath of the Civil War, later criticized as degrading to African-Americans.

His other films include the epic Intolerance (1916), Broken Blossoms (1919), Way Down East (1920), Orphans of the Storm (1922), and The Struggle (1931). He was a cofounder of United Artists in 1919. He made two unsuccessful sound films and subsequently lived forgotten in Hollywood until his death.

The cross represents the Greek Orthodox faith. Blue stands for the sea and sky. The shade has varied over the years. White symbolizes purity. Effective date: 22 December 1978. >>