American Cinema in 1916

Two 'super-pictures' dominate 1916: D.W. Griffith's epic spectacle Intolerance, and Thomas H. Ince's flawed 'masterpiece' Civilization. Elsewhere, established stars like Pickford, Chaplin, Fairbanks and Hart consolidate their statuses.

Lillian Gish in D.W. Griffith's Intolerance (1916)

Key developments

Major corporate mergers see Hollywood move towards an oligopolistic studio system

Universal's 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea features the first underwater motion picture photography.

D.W. Griffith's Intolerance becomes the most expensive movie ever made with an estimated budget around $2m.

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Key films

Civilization (1916)

Thomas H. Ince’s grand antiwar allegory used spectacle and religious symbolism to argue against militarism during the First World War.

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Hell's Hinges (1916)

William S. Hart’s defining Western became a genre landmark through its dark morality, authentic frontier atmosphere, and spectacular burning-town finale.

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Intolerance (1916)

Griffith’s Babylonian storyline displayed unprecedented set design and mass spectacle, becoming one of silent cinema’s most celebrated production achievements.

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