Kim Thompson (Author)

If you were a director who needed to churn out some films as quickly as possible, it might seem like a good idea to load up your crew and head to the Bahamas to dash off a couple romantic adventure flicks. Right?

In 1920 David Wark “D.W.” Griffith was reknowned around the world as a visionary film pioneer. He had revolutionized American film production in storytelling strategies, the direction of actors, editing for suspense, parallel action, lighting innovations, and numerous innovative camera techniques. It is largely due to his ambition and vision that American movies made the leap from 12-minute shorts shown in shabby storefronts for a nickel (in 1908 when he began) to the epic two hour production shown in grand theatres with full orchestra, charging an unprecedented ticket price of two dollars. (This was his Birth of a Nation in 1915.)

D.W.’s views of the film medium and business were forward looking, yet when it came to picking stories to shoot, his feet were firmly planted in the previous century. His technique was modern, his tastes and world view unrelentingly old-fashioned. This paradox was eventually what finally ended his filmmaking career.

Griffith’s three pictures in 1920 starred three different actresses: Clarine Seymour, Carol Dempster, and Lillian Gish. The male romantic lead for all three was David Barthelmess. Two were shot in the Bahamas and the third in upstate New York. Two were flops and one was a massive hit.