A growing source of silent era film information. This listing is from The Progressive Silent Film List by Carl Bennett. Copyright © 1999-2013 by Carl Bennett and the Silent Era Company. All Rights Reserved.

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The Avenging Conscience
Also known as Thou Shalt Not Kill in the United Kingdom
(1914) American
B&W : [?] Seven or Eight? reels
Directed by D.W. Griffith

Cast: Henry B. Walthall [the nephew], Spottiswoode Aitken [the uncle], Blanche Sweet [the sweetheart], George Seigmann (George Siegmann) [the Italian], Ralph Lewis [the detective], Mae Marsh [the maid], Robert Harron [the grocery boy], George A. Beranger (André Beranger)

Majestic Motion Picture Company production; distributed by Mutual Film Corporation; on State Rights basis by Western Import Company. / Produced by D.W. Griffith. Scenario by D.W. Griffith, from the short story “The Tell Tale Heart” by Edgar Allan Poe and the poem “Annabel Lee” by Edgar Allan Poe. Musical accompaniment composed by S.L. Rothapfel. / Previewed 16 July 1914 in Pasadena, California. Premiered 2 August 1914 at the Mark Strand Theatre in New York, New York. Released 24 August 1914. / Standard 35mm spherical 1.37:1 format. / Working title: The Murderer’s Conscience. The film was distributed in the USA on State Rights basis by Western Import Company late in 1914.

Drama.

Synopsis: Synopsis available in AFI-F1 n. F1.0184.

Survival status: Print exists in the Museum of Modern Art film archive.

Current rights holder: Public domain.

Keywords: Authors: Edgar Allan Poe - Crime: Blackmail, Murder - Death: Murder, Suicide - Ghosts - Jealousy - Law: Enforcement: Police: Detectives

Listing updated: 18 May 2012.

References: AFI-F1 n. F1.0184; Bardèche-History p. 132; Barry-Griffith pp. 19, 45-46; Bohn-Light p. 53; Brownlow-Parade p. 46; Drew-Speaking pp. 224-225, 286; Everson-American pp. 74, 77, 369; Fell-History pp. 56, 64; Limbacher-Feature p. 13; Mottram-Danish pp. 113, 116; Shipman-Cinema pp. 52, 54; Sinyard-Silent p. 22; Slide-FineArts p. 2; Tarbox-Lost p. 180; Weaver-Twenty p. 28 : Website-AFI.

Home video: DVD.