''Green Light'' is a 1937 American film directed by

Frank Borzage Frank Borzage (; April 23, 1894 – June 19, 1962) was an Academy Award-winning American film director and actor, known for directing '' 7th Heaven'' (1927), '' Street Angel'' (1928), '' Bad Girl'' (1931), ''A Farewell to Arms'' (1932), '' Man's ...

. The film is adapted from a novel written by

Lloyd C. Douglas Lloyd Cassel Douglas (August 27, 1877 – February 13, 1951) was an American minister and author. Douglas was one of the most popular American authors of his time, although he did not write his first novel until he was 50. Biography He was ...

. The novel is closely related to Douglas' previous book, '' Magnificent Obsession'', which was also adapted as a movie. It was Flynn's first starring role in a studio film that was not an action movie.

Plot

Errol Flynn Errol Leslie Thomson Flynn (20 June 1909 – 14 October 1959) was an Australian-American actor who achieved worldwide fame during the Classical Hollywood cinema, Golden Age of Hollywood. He was known for his romantic swashbuckler roles, freque ...

stars as Dr. Newell Paige, a surgeon whose refusal to name the real culprit in an operation gone fatally awry results in the ruin of his career. Dismissed from the hospital staff, Paige leaves Massachusetts and travels to Montana to assist a researcher in Rocky Mountain spotted fever, almost dying when he subjects himself to an experimental serum.

Anita Louise Anita Louise (born Anita Louise Fremault; January 9, 1915 – April 25, 1970) was an American film and television actress best known for her performances in ''A Midsummer Night's Dream'' (1935), ''The Story of Louis Pasteur'' (1935), ''Anthony ...

stars as Phyllis Dexter, his eventual love interest, and Cedric Hardwicke as Dean Harcourt, an

Anglican Anglicanism is a Western Christian tradition that has developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the context of the Protestant Reformation in Europe. It is one of t ...

clergyman and radio preacher whose advice Dr. Paige at first dismisses, then later realizes is the truth. The film ends with Paige, returned to his former post and cleared of all charges, and Phyllis seated in the cathedral, listening to Dean Harcourt quoting a Psalm, followed by the St. Luke choristers' amen.

Cast

as Dr. Newel Paige *

as Phyllis Dexter * Margaret Lindsay as Frances Ogilvie * Sir Cedric Hardwicke as Dean Harcourt * Walter Abel as John Stafford *

Spring Byington Spring Dell Byington (October 17, 1886 – September 7, 1971) was an American actress. Her career included a seven-year run on radio and television as the star of '' December Bride''. She was a Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer contract player who appeared i ...

as Mrs. Dexter * Henry O'Neill as Dr. Endicott * Erin O'Brien-Moore as Pat Arlen * Henry Kolker as Dr. Lane * Pierre Watkin as Dr. Booth * Granville Bates as Sheriff * Russell Simpson as Sheep Man * Myrle Sedman as A Nurse * St. Luke's Choristers

Original novel

The film was based on a best selling novel.

Production

After starring in two swashbuckling films before this; '' Captain Blood'' and ''

The Charge of the Light Brigade The Charge of the Light Brigade was a failed military action involving the British light cavalry led by Lord Cardigan against Russian forces during the Battle of Balaclava on 25 October 1854 in the Crimean War. Lord Raglan had intended to se ...

'' Flynn had asked Warner Brothers for a regular non-swashbuckling role and this film was the result. However, after this Flynn's next film was ''

The Prince and the Pauper ''The Prince and the Pauper'' is a novel by American author Mark Twain. It was first published in 1881 in Canada, before its 1882 publication in the United States. The novel represents Twain's first attempt at historical fiction. Set in 1547 ...

''. Originally Warner Brothers announced that Leslie Howard would be the star and he was scheduled to begin filming ''Green Light'' at the end of June, 1935, after completion of his run in ''The Petrified Forest'' on Broadway but a persistent bout of boils which repeatedly landed him in the hospital throughout the production made it necessary for Howard to take an extended rest instead. Warners then announced the leads would be Flynn and

Olivia de Havilland Dame Olivia Mary de Havilland (; July 1, 1916July 26, 2020) was a British-American actress. The major works of her cinematic career spanned from 1935 to 1988. She appeared in 49 feature films and was one of the leading actresses of her time. ...

. De Havilland dropped out and the female leads were then to be played by

and

Ann Dvorak Ann Dvorak (born Anna McKim; August 2, 1911 – December 10, 1979) was an American stage and film actress. Asked how to pronounce her adopted surname, she told ''The Literary Digest'' in 1936: "My fake name is properly pronounced ''vor'shack ...

. Dvorak was then replaced by Margaret Lindsay.

Release

Box office

The film was popular at the box office. According to Warner Bros records, the film earned $1,254,000 domestically and $416,000 foreign, making it the studio's second most popular film of 1937 (the first was ''The Prince and the Pauper''). After completion of the film, Flynn was meant to start in ''The White Rajah'', a biopic of Sir James Brooke based on a script by the actor himself. However this did not eventuate.

References

External links

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Green Light 1937 films Warner Bros. films Films directed by Frank Borzage Films produced by Frank Borzage American black-and-white films American romantic drama films 1937 romantic drama films Films set in Massachusetts Films set in Montana 1930s English-language films 1930s American films