The House of Darkness
D.W. GriffithCast
Lionel Barrymore 
Claire McDowell Charles Hill Mailes 
Lillian Gish Christy Cabanne 
Robert Harron
Credits
Written by: Jere F. Looney
Plot
A potentially violent patient in an insane asylum is calmed when he hears a nurse playing the piano. But shortly afterwards he breaks free, eludes his pursuers, and acquires a gun.
Sinekatalog’s take
An early melodrama that turns a calming piano into the hinge of its suspense. It moves fast and relies on simple, effective crosscutting to build tension. Of interest mostly as a glimpse of silent-era thriller grammar taking shape.Sinekatalog’s own editorial review – not a user or critic quote.
Ratings
IMDb: 6.0 / 10 (396 votes)
IMDb rating and vote count from the IMDb ratings dataset (October 2026). Scores change over time.
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