: In February 1919, Charlie Chaplin , Mary Pickford , Douglas Fairbanks , and D.W. Griffith formed United Artists. This wasn't just a business move; it was a statement that the "top" talent of the era wanted control over their own "auditions" and productions.

To understand the auditions of 1919, you have to understand the industry landscape. World War I had just ended, and the global appetite for entertainment was voracious. The American film industry was shifting its center from the East Coast to the sunny hills of Los Angeles.