FILM DIRECTOR
D. W. Griffith
1875 - 1948

D. W. Griffith
David Wark Griffith (January 22, 1875 – July 23, 1948) was an American film director. Considered one of the most influential figures in the history of the motion picture, he pioneered many aspects of film editing and expanded the art of the narrative film. To modern audiences, Griffith is known primarily for directing the 1915 film The Birth of a Nation. One of the most financially successful films of all time and considered a landmark by film historians, it has been denounced for its degrading portrayals of African Americans, its glorification of the Ku Klux Klan, and support for the Confederacy. Read more on Wikipedia
His biography is available in different languages on Wikipedia. D. W. Griffith is the 12th most popular film director (up from 140th in 2019), the 128th most popular biography from United States (up from 951st in 2019) and the 5th most popular American Film Director.
D. W. Griffith is most famous for the film Birth of a Nation, a silent film that is credited with inventing many of the techniques of modern filmmaking.
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Among FILM DIRECTORS
Among film directors, D. W. Griffith ranks 12 out of 2,041. Before him are Federico Fellini, Ingmar Bergman, Alfred Hitchcock, Stanley Kubrick, Sergei Eisenstein, and Roman Polanski. After him are Pier Paolo Pasolini, Woody Allen, Pedro Almodóvar, Leni Riefenstahl, Ridley Scott, and Bernardo Bertolucci.
Most Popular Film Directors in Wikipedia
Go to all RankingsFederico Fellini
1920 - 1993
HPI: 82.49
Rank: 6
Ingmar Bergman
1918 - 2007
HPI: 82.46
Rank: 7
Alfred Hitchcock
1899 - 1980
HPI: 82.16
Rank: 8
Stanley Kubrick
1928 - 1999
HPI: 81.71
Rank: 9
Sergei Eisenstein
1898 - 1948
HPI: 80.15
Rank: 10
Roman Polanski
1933 - Present
HPI: 79.81
Rank: 11
D. W. Griffith
1875 - 1948
HPI: 79.78
Rank: 12
Pier Paolo Pasolini
1922 - 1975
HPI: 79.68
Rank: 13
Woody Allen
1935 - Present
HPI: 79.34
Rank: 14
Pedro Almodóvar
1949 - Present
HPI: 78.76
Rank: 15
Leni Riefenstahl
1902 - 2003
HPI: 78.74
Rank: 16
Ridley Scott
1937 - Present
HPI: 78.61
Rank: 17
Bernardo Bertolucci
1941 - 2018
HPI: 78.50
Rank: 18
Contemporaries
Among people born in 1875, D. W. Griffith ranks 9. Before him are Maurice Ravel, Aleister Crowley, Vallabhbhai Patel, Syngman Rhee, Rainer Maria Rilke, and Albert Schweitzer. After him are Ibn Saud, Ferdinand Porsche, Jeanne Calment, Mileva Marić, Gerd von Rundstedt, and Marie of Romania. Among people deceased in 1948, D. W. Griffith ranks 5. Before him are Mahatma Gandhi, Muhammad Ali Jinnah, Edgar de Wahl, and Sergei Eisenstein. After him are Hideki Tojo, Mileva Marić, Edvard Beneš, Franz Lehár, Osamu Dazai, Edith Roosevelt, and Walther von Brauchitsch.
Others Born in 1875
Go to all RankingsMaurice Ravel
COMPOSER
1875 - 1937
HPI: 83.16
Rank: 3
Aleister Crowley
OCCULTIST
1875 - 1947
HPI: 83.14
Rank: 4
Vallabhbhai Patel
POLITICIAN
1875 - 1950
HPI: 82.30
Rank: 5
Syngman Rhee
POLITICIAN
1875 - 1965
HPI: 81.11
Rank: 6
Rainer Maria Rilke
WRITER
1875 - 1926
HPI: 80.94
Rank: 7
Albert Schweitzer
PHYSICIAN
1875 - 1965
HPI: 80.49
Rank: 8
D. W. Griffith
FILM DIRECTOR
1875 - 1948
HPI: 79.78
Rank: 9
Ibn Saud
POLITICIAN
1875 - 1953
HPI: 79.58
Rank: 10
Ferdinand Porsche
DESIGNER
1875 - 1951
HPI: 78.49
Rank: 11
Jeanne Calment
CELEBRITY
1875 - 1997
HPI: 78.45
Rank: 12
Mileva Marić
COMPANION
1875 - 1948
HPI: 77.68
Rank: 13
Gerd von Rundstedt
MILITARY PERSONNEL
1875 - 1953
HPI: 77.61
Rank: 14
Marie of Romania
POLITICIAN
1875 - 1938
HPI: 76.91
Rank: 15
Others Deceased in 1948
Go to all RankingsMahatma Gandhi
SOCIAL ACTIVIST
1869 - 1948
HPI: 97.71
Rank: 1
Muhammad Ali Jinnah
POLITICIAN
1876 - 1948
HPI: 86.88
Rank: 2
Edgar de Wahl
LINGUIST
1867 - 1948
HPI: 81.92
Rank: 3
Sergei Eisenstein
FILM DIRECTOR
1898 - 1948
HPI: 80.15
Rank: 4
D. W. Griffith
FILM DIRECTOR
1875 - 1948
HPI: 79.78
Rank: 5
Hideki Tojo
POLITICIAN
1884 - 1948
HPI: 78.95
Rank: 6
Mileva Marić
COMPANION
1875 - 1948
HPI: 77.68
Rank: 7
Edvard Beneš
POLITICIAN
1884 - 1948
HPI: 77.01
Rank: 8
Franz Lehár
COMPOSER
1870 - 1948
HPI: 76.92
Rank: 9
Osamu Dazai
WRITER
1909 - 1948
HPI: 76.80
Rank: 10
Edith Roosevelt
POLITICIAN
1861 - 1948
HPI: 75.73
Rank: 11
Walther von Brauchitsch
MILITARY PERSONNEL
1881 - 1948
HPI: 75.62
Rank: 12
In United States
Among people born in United States, D. W. Griffith ranks 128 out of 20,380. Before him are Debbie Reynolds (1932), Dr. Seuss (1904), Paul Newman (1925), Woodrow Wilson (1856), Gerald Ford (1913), and Charles Bronson (1921). After him are Isadora Duncan (1877), Lyndon B. Johnson (1908), Henry David Thoreau (1817), Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis (1929), Michael Douglas (1944), and Noam Chomsky (1928).
Others born in United States
Go to all RankingsDebbie Reynolds
ACTOR
1932 - 2016
HPI: 80.02
Rank: 122
Dr. Seuss
WRITER
1904 - 1991
HPI: 79.94
Rank: 123
Paul Newman
ACTOR
1925 - 2008
HPI: 79.93
Rank: 124
Woodrow Wilson
POLITICIAN
1856 - 1924
HPI: 79.93
Rank: 125
Gerald Ford
POLITICIAN
1913 - 2006
HPI: 79.91
Rank: 126
Charles Bronson
ACTOR
1921 - 2003
HPI: 79.90
Rank: 127
D. W. Griffith
FILM DIRECTOR
1875 - 1948
HPI: 79.78
Rank: 128
Isadora Duncan
DANCER
1877 - 1927
HPI: 79.77
Rank: 129
Lyndon B. Johnson
POLITICIAN
1908 - 1973
HPI: 79.76
Rank: 130
Henry David Thoreau
WRITER
1817 - 1862
HPI: 79.75
Rank: 131
Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis
COMPANION
1929 - 1994
HPI: 79.53
Rank: 132
Michael Douglas
ACTOR
1944 - Present
HPI: 79.51
Rank: 133
Noam Chomsky
LINGUIST
1928 - Present
HPI: 79.50
Rank: 134
Among FILM DIRECTORS In United States
Among film directors born in United States, D. W. Griffith ranks 5. Before him are Steven Spielberg (1946), Martin Scorsese (1942), David Lynch (1946), and Stanley Kubrick (1928). After him are Woody Allen (1935), Francis Ford Coppola (1939), Cecil B. DeMille (1881), George Lucas (1944), Michael Mann (1943), Quentin Tarantino (1963), and John Ford (1894).
Steven Spielberg
1946 - Present
HPI: 87.65
Rank: 1
Martin Scorsese
1942 - Present
HPI: 85.42
Rank: 2
David Lynch
1946 - 2025
HPI: 82.53
Rank: 3
Stanley Kubrick
1928 - 1999
HPI: 81.71
Rank: 4
D. W. Griffith
1875 - 1948
HPI: 79.78
Rank: 5
Woody Allen
1935 - Present
HPI: 79.34
Rank: 6
Francis Ford Coppola
1939 - Present
HPI: 77.90
Rank: 7
Cecil B. DeMille
1881 - 1959
HPI: 77.46
Rank: 8
George Lucas
1944 - Present
HPI: 77.35
Rank: 9
Michael Mann
1943 - Present
HPI: 75.77
Rank: 10
Quentin Tarantino
1963 - Present
HPI: 75.35
Rank: 11
John Ford
1894 - 1973
HPI: 74.91
Rank: 12