The working title of this film was The Murderer’s Conscience. Upon its release, magazines called the film either Avenging Conscience or The Avenging Conscience. Its subtitle was mentioned as being Thou Shalt Not Kill, but seldom used.
       An 8 Aug 1914 Motion Picture News item, besides noting that the “picture was taken in California,” mentioned that Lillian Gish, Dorothy Gish, Miriam Cooper, and Jack Pickford were in the cast, but their participation in the film, if any, is unknown. Modern sources list G. W. Bitzer as cameraman, Karl Brown as assistant cameraman, and James Smith and Rose Richtel as film editors.
       According to the 22 Aug 1914 Moving Picture News, the film was “an adaptation from [Edgar Allan] Poe’s story, ‘The Tell-Tale Heart.’ But it is not only in the adaptation from this story that the beauty of the picture lies. It is the spirit and the atmosphere that pervades the entire production. Anyone who is acquainted with Poe will see his somewhat gruesome imagination in every foot of the film.” The 22 Aug 1914 Motography added that another Poe work, the poem “Annabel Lee,” was also an influence. Reviewers generally gave Avenging Conscience and D. W. Griffith’s direction rave reviews, but Motography did opine that “the allegorical,” pastoral scene with the two lovers united, “to which perhaps one hundred feet of the film’s finish is given over,” could have been omitted. On the other hand, the magazine praised the detective’s use of the “power of suggestion” to break down the murderer. “In the quiet room the clock ticks its message. ‘How like the beating of your uncle’s heart.’ The detective taps the table with his pencil; again the message reaches the guilty man’s conscience. Stealthily his hand creeps to that of the detective and stills it. Then it is the tapping of the latter’s foot—and the guilty conscience bursts its bounds and the murderer, deranged, sees in a vision the fate that is to be his in the hereafter.” The 7 Aug 1914 Variety, praising the film, dwelled on the special effects: “Wherever he looked he saw his uncle, a ghostly figure, and when that spectre appeared the first time, walking out of the fireplace, pointing an accusing finger at his nephew, it must have sent a thrill or a chill through the house. The ghost and the scene were too real, not physically, mentally or theatrically, but in execution….Many tricks of the camera have been invoked. One, for instance, when the uncle’s ghost appeared before the young man as he slept; while standing in front of his nephew the ‘ghost’ could be seen through, but when standing away from him, nothing behind the ‘ghost’ showed.”
       Avenging Conscience showed in Los Angeles in Jul 1914 and played at the Strand Theatre in New York the week of 2 Aug 1914. It was offered for state rights distribution by Western Import Co. late in 1914.
       The 1921 film Annabel Lee (see entry) was also inspired by the Edgar Allan Poe poem.
       According to the International Federation of Film Archives (FIAF) Treasures from the Film Archives database, this film is extant.