1900-10

"The Sealed Room" (1909) is a short silent horror-drama film directed by D.W. Griffith. A jealous king builds a private, windowless room for his mistress, only to discover her affair with a court minstrel inside it. He exacts revenge by sealing them alive within the chamber as they suffocate. Plot Summary The story unfolds in a 16th-century castle setting, where the king constructs the cozy space for intimate encounters. Upon spying the lovers' betrayal through a hidden peephole, he summons masons to brick up the entrance while the pair remains unaware inside. Their growing panic builds tension until the tragic end. Inspirations and Style Griffith draws from Edgar Allan Poe's "The Cask of Amontillado" and Honoré de Balzac's "La Grande Bretêche" for the immurement theme. Early techniques like cross-cutting heighten the claustrophobia, marking it as a pioneer in suspenseful cinema. Cast Highlights Arthur V. Johnson stars as the vengeful king, Marion Leonard as the unfaithful countess, and Henry B. Walthall as the minstrel. It features early uncredited roles by Mary Pickford and Mack Sennett.