Why did D.W. Griffith leave the Biograph Company after making Judith of Bethulia?

D.W. Griffith left the Biograph Company in 1913 following the production of Judith of Bethulia due to creative conflicts regarding his filmmaking vision and budget management.1

Griffith had become increasingly ambitious, seeking to move beyond the standard one-reel format to create more expansive, feature-length works. Judith of Bethulia, a four-reel epic, featured massive sets and complex battle scenes that cost twice the amount Biograph had allocated for its budget. Stunned by what they perceived as his extravagance and audacity, company officials attempted to remove Griffith from his creative role by promoting him to the position of studio production chief.1

Refusing to be sidelined, Griffith quit the company. He subsequently published a full-page advertisement in The New York Dramatic Mirror to assert credit for his narrative innovations and the films he had directed at Biograph, before joining the Mutual Film Corporation to head their feature production company, Reliance-Majestic.1