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OPEN CLASSIC CINEMA · 817

The Massacre

191230 minUnited States

Video edition: Wikimedia Commons
Original language: No spoken dialogue. Intertitles: English.
This copy runs: 30:05
Subtitles: English

Languages and subtitles

Subtitles off by default

Wikimedia Commons · D W Griffith · Public domain

Subtitles: Wikimedia Commons · Open Classic Cinema

Synopsis

A young woman chooses marriage and a journey west over the future offered by her guardian. Traveling with her husband and child, she becomes part of a wagon train caught in a wider cycle of violence. An attack on a Native American village has prompted retaliation, and the travelers must face the consequences of a conflict they did not begin.

Cast

Wilfred Lucas

Blanche Sweet

DirectorsD. W. Griffith

Historical context

Griffith connects a family melodrama with frontier violence and a prolonged siege. Filmed in 1912 and shown in Europe that year, the picture did not receive its American release until 1914.

Sources and availability

General references identify the work and its copy. A reference beside an editorial section is linked to the claims checked in that section.

Wikipedia — film reference Wikidata — film identity and credits Blackhawk Films — historical distribution catalogue MUBI — The Massacre

Work catalogued as public domain in the United States.

The public-domain references concern the original films in the United States. Rights can differ for other countries, editions, restorations, music or translations. Sources are listed on each film page.

Availability checked on September 12, 2026.

Photograph credit

Photographs cropped, resized and optimized as WebP, displayed in monochrome.

Wilfred Lucas — Photoplay Publishing Co.; Photoplay Magazine vol. 9 December, 1915 pg. 104 · Public domain
Blanche Sweet — Hartsook · Public domain

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