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Film, Video Web Page The birth of a nation

About this Item

Title

  • The birth of a nation

Summary

  • "The most successful and artistically advanced film of its time, The Birth of a Nation has also sparked protests, riots, and divisiveness since its first release. The film tells the story of the Civil War and its aftermath, as seen through the eyes of two families. The Stonemans hail from the North, the Camerons from the South. When war breaks out, the Stonemans cast their lot with the Union, while the Camerons are loyal to Dixie"--AllMovie.com.

Names

  • Griffith, D. W. (David Wark), 1875-1948, direction, production, writing
  • Woods, Frank E., writing
  • Bitzer, G. W., 1872-1944, camera
  • Walthall, Henry B. (Henry Brazeale), 1878-1936, cast
  • Marsh, Mae, 1895-1968, cast
  • Gish, Lillian, 1893-1993, cast
  • Reid, Wallace, 1891-1923, cast
  • Crisp, Donald, 1880-1974, cast
  • Walsh, Raoul, 1887-1980, cast
  • Dixon, Thomas, Jr., 1864-1946
  • David W. Griffith Corp
  • Epoch Producing Corp

Created / Published

  • United States : Epoch Producing Corp., 1915 ; [United States : Epoch Producing Corp., 1921]

Headings

  • -  United States--History--Civil War, 1861-1865--Drama
  • -  Reconstruction (U.S. history, 1865-1877)--Drama
  • -  Ku Klux Klan (19th century)--History--Drama
  • -  Southern States--Social conditions--1865-1945--Drama

Genre

  • Historical films
  • Epic films
  • Silent films
  • Feature films
  • Fiction films

Notes

  • -  LP6677 LU4453 U.S. Copyright Office.
  • -  Copyright: Epoch Producing Corp. and Thomas Dixon; 8Feb15; LP6677.
  • -  Copyright: David W. Griffith Corp.; 13Feb15; LU4453.
  • -  Photography, G.W. Bitzer.
  • -  Henry Walthall, Miriam Cooper, Mae Marsh, Ralph Lewis, Lillian Gish, Robert Harron, Wallace Reid, Donald Crisp, Raoul Walsh.
  • -  Adapted from Thomas Dixon's novel, The Clansman.
  • -  Theatrical projection print printed on color stock because original was tinted and toned.
  • -  This theatrical projection print and negative originate from the same 35 mm nitrate print. However, the theatrical projection print may contain slight differences, such as stretch-printed titles. LC also holds a Blu-ray disc of the Centenary edition of The birth of a nation (lccn 2018600299), restored by Photoplay Productions in 2015. The same 35 mm nitrate print was used in the restoration.
  • -  LC holds additional material on this title. Contact reference librarian.
  • -  Theatrical projection print (CQA 0672-0677) is MAVIS 7494-77; dupe neg pic (FQA 1129-1134) is MAVIS 7494-39.
  • -  This film was selected for the National Film Registry.
  • -  Theatrical projection print viewed for credits.
  • -  Sources used: American Film Institute catalog, feature films, 1911-1920, p. 70; Stokes, Melvyn. D.W. Griffith's The Birth of a Nation (2007), p. 16-17, 294, 366-367; The Griffith project, v. 8, program sequence no. 513, p. 50-112; email correspondence with Peter Williamson, preservation officer, Museum of Modern Art, June 10, 2020; The Birth of a Nation: Controversial Classic Gets a Definitive New Restoration, posted by Patrick Stanbury, February 17, 2016, on the Brenton Film WWW site, viewed June 17, 2020; Photoplay Productions WWW site, viewed June 17, 2020.

Medium

  • theatrical projection print 12 film reels of 12 on 6 (11,320 ft.) : si., col. ; 35 mm.
  • dupe neg pic 12 film reels on 6 (approximately 11,000 ft.) : si., b&w ; 35 mm.

Call Number/Physical Location

  • CQA 0672-0677 (theatrical projection print)
  • FQA 1129-1134 (dupe neg pic)

Source Collection

  • AFI/Landry (Lawrence R.) & Family Collection (Library of Congress)

Library of Congress Control Number

  • 95522190

Online Format

  • web page
  • image

Additional Metadata Formats

Rights & Access

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Cite This Item

Citations are generated automatically from bibliographic data as a convenience, and may not be complete or accurate.

Chicago citation style:

Woods, Frank E., Writing, G. W Bitzer, Henry B Walthall, Mae Marsh, Lillian Gish, Wallace Reid, Donald Crisp, et al. The Birth of a Nation. directeds by Griffith, D. W. , Ectionuction, Writing, produceds by Griffith, D. W. , Ectionuction, Writing [United States: Epoch Producing Corp., ; United States: Epoch Producing Corp., 1921, 1915] Image. https://www.loc.gov/item/95522190/.

APA citation style:

Woods, F. E., Bitzer, G. W., Walthall, H. B., Marsh, M., Gish, L., Reid, W. [...] Epoch Producing Corp. (1915) The Birth of a Nation. Griffith, D. W., dir, Griffith, D. W., prod [United States: Epoch Producing Corp., ; United States: Epoch Producing Corp., 1921] [Image] Retrieved from the Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/item/95522190/.

MLA citation style:

Woods, Frank E., Writing, et al. The Birth of a Nation. dir by Griffith, D. W. , Ectionuction, Writing, prod by Griffith, D. W. , Ectionuction, Writing [United States: Epoch Producing Corp., ; United States: Epoch Producing Corp., 1921, 1915] Image. Retrieved from the Library of Congress, <www.loc.gov/item/95522190/>.