D.W. Griffith at The Biograph Company

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Resurrection, novel by Tolstoy, 1909 Arthur Johnson & Florence Lawrence -click video excerpt-

What then began was a veritable rush of production around this child star.

Florence didn't mind the work, in fact she thrived on moving pictures to the point of it becoming a way of life for her. If she wasn't acting in one, a good bet was that she was off seeing one.

She was nearly child-like in speech and nature when off camera, but on the screen she had a commanding presence that was quickly acknowledged as well as appreciated by the patrons of the nickelodeons.

Letters soon came to the Biograph Co. asking who was the girl with the long blonde hair.

Florence Lawrence -click video excerpt-

The Biograph front office was quick to set a policy of not posting names of their actors.

This was done for the reason that they feared that the actors would soon begin to demand raises in their pay if their popularity were to become known to them. The rise in popularity of the "anonymous" Florence Lawrence was paralleled by the increase in popularity of the Griffith productions themselves.

The sales picture was brightened considerably; Tuesdays, the day that the moving picture programs were changed at the frontstore nickelodeons were to become known as BIOGRAPH DAY, and the day would bring a line of people to see the newest of the Griffith productions.

Biograph resisted the pressure to make known the names of those associated with their film presentations, but public and exhibitor inquiries finally prompted Marvin & Kennedy to give Florence the title of THE BIOGRAPH GIRL, but this was to be as far as they would retreat.

Florence Lawrence was the type of girl who needed a man to take care of her, but with whom she could remain the dominant force.

The man who fit this description was Harry Salter whom she would secretly marry while they were both working under Griffith. Harry Salter and Florence Lawrence soon began to carry on secret negotiations with Carl Laemmle's growing Independent Motion Picture (IMP) Company for a raise in salary and featured billing. When Biograph learned of the deal that was being negotiated, they felt betrayed and fired both Salter and Lawrence. Salter was part of the deal with Laemmle and went on to direct his wife in her IMP productions.

As newspapers would soon publicize, the Biograph Girl was Florence Lawrence and Florence Lawrence was now the IMP GIRL.

The inheritor of the BIOGRAPH GIRL banner upon Florence Lawrence's departure was another young actress, MARY PICKFORD. Pickford was a developing actress who had appeared in productions with Florence Lawrence as well as having been a veteran of stage work with David Belasco.

Her working relationship with D.W. Griffith would begin during the second show. As with her predecessor, the new BIOGRAPH GIRL, Mary Pickford, was sixteen years old.