William M. Drew

Mr. Griffith's House with Closed Shutters: the Long Buried Secret That Turned Lawrence into D.w. William M. Drew

Although volumes have been written about the great director D. W. Griffith, he remains one of the most enigmatic figures in cinema history. Even the biographers he chose to chronicle his life were denied access to many facts in his personal history. This book reveals a hereto-unexplored phase of the pioneer director's life that the author maintains would have a profound influence on his work. Based upon solid research, the book not only presents a scholarly analysis of the nexus between Griffith's life experience and his interpretation of women's roles, it also contains within its pages a compelling mystery that will fascinate its readers. With many rare illustrations. Film historian Kevin Brownlow calls it "A great discovery about a remarkable, unknown chapter in D. W. Griffith's early life;" biographer Eve Golden says, "For those of us who love film history and real-life mysteries, he [William M. Drew] has come up with an irresistible page-turner;" and senior lecturer in film at UND Christopher P. Jacobs describes it as "Fascinating and meticulously researched look into a long-lost side to Griffith's career and personal life that often reads like a mystery novel."