Home | Movies By Year | Movies from 1937
Green Light (1937 film)
Buy Green Light (1937 film) now from AmazonFirst, read the Wikipedia article. Then, scroll down to see what other TopShelfReviews readers thought about the movie. And once you've experienced the movie, tell everyone what you thought about it.
Wikipedia article
'Green Light' is a 1937 American film directed by Frank Borzage.'Variety' film review; February 17, 1937, page 14.'Harrison's Reports' film review; February 13, 1937, page 26.
The film is adapted from a novel written by Lloyd C. Douglas. The novel is closely related to Douglas' previous book, 'Magnificent Obsession', which was also adapted as a movie.[https://web.archive.org/web/20110519222749/http://movies.nytimes.com/movie/93889/The-Green-Light/overview 'The Green Light' Trailer Showtimes Cast Movies] 'New York Times' It was Flynn's first starring role in a studio film that was not an action movie.
Plot
Errol Flynn 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 stars as Phyllis Dexter, his eventual love interest, and Cedric Hardwicke as Dean Harcourt, an Anglican 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
* Errol Flynn as Dr. Newel Paige
* Anita Louise as Phyllis Dexter
* Margaret Lindsay as Frances Ogilvie
* Sir Cedric Hardwicke as Dean Harcourt
* Walter Abel as John Stafford
* Spring Byington 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' 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'.
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. De Havilland dropped out and the female leads were then to be played by Anita Louise and Ann Dvorak. 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
Buy Green Light (1937 film) now from Amazon
<-- Return to movies from 1937