In August, the Talmadges left for California, where Norma's first role was in "Captivating Mary Carstairs". The whole enterprise was a fiasco; the sets and costumes were cheap and the studio itself lacked adequate backing. The film was a flop, and the small new studio shut down after the film's release. The demise of National Pictures Company left the family stranded in California after only one picture. Deciding it was smarter to aim high, they went to Triangle Film Corporation, where D. W. Griffith was supervising productions. On the strength of "The Battle Cry", Talmadge got a contract with Griffith's Fine Arts Company. For eight months, she starred in seven features for Triangle, including the comedy "The Social Secretary" (1916), written by Anita Loos and directed by John Emerson, which gave her an opportunity to disguise her beauty as a girl trying to avoid the unwelcome attentions of her male employers.