Green Light (Warner Bros.) (1937)

LEAD-OFF, OPENING DAY STORIES REVIEWS, READERS a a same a (Review) “Green Light’’ Proves Even Greater as Film Than Book Picturization of Lloyd C. Douglas’ Best-Seller Is Great Screen Achievement (Lead-Off Story) Errol F lynn in “Green Light” is Coming to Strand “Green Light,” best-selling novel for two years, and now translated to the screen as a Cosmo politan production, has been booked by the.......... Theatre, for the week beginning........ ji as a First National release. Errol Flynn, the young Irish star who made such a sensational success with his first starring role, “Captain Blood,” and followed it with another smash hit in “The Charge of the Light Brigade,” has the role of Dr. Newell Paige, a young surgeon who sacrifices his career to save that of an older doctor. Co-starred with him is the lovely Anita Louise as Phyllis Dexter, for whose mother’s death Paige has assumed the blame. The two meet at the home of Francis Ogilvie (played by Margaret Lindsay), a nurse who devotes her life to Paige, and fall instantly in love. But when Phyllis finds out who he is she refuses to see him again. Dean Harcourt (played by Sir Cedric Hardwicke) is a cleric with a broad and beautiful philosophy of life, and the confidante of these three young people. Through him, Phyllis is made to realize that Paige is innocent and she finally goes to him in the Rocky Mountains, where he is riskng his life in the search for a vaccine that will control the dreaded spotted fever. Arriving there, she finds him desperately ill. He has injected himself with the deadly virus. All through his illness, he insists on keeping a case history which will be valuable to other research men if he should die. He recovers, however, and with his recovery makes a valuable contribution to science. Meanwhile the older doctor clears Paige’s name, and reunited at last, he and Phyllis are married. Lavishly produced under the direction of Frank Borzage, the Screen play written by Milton Krims from the novel by Lloyd C. Douglas, “Green Light” bids fair to be one of the leading Screen contributions of 1937. MargaretLindsay Portraying a girl who loved a man enough to send him to her rival’s arms, Margaret Lindsay has won new acclaim for her work in “Green Light,” coming the, Theatre on Mat No. 102—10c Starring in “Green Light” Errol Flynn and Anita Louise, stars of the Cosmopolitan produc tion “Green Light” which is now playing at the Theatre as a First National release, have found in the film play based on Lloyd C. Douglas’ famous novel, roles that give them the most dramatic opportunities of their careers. Mat No. 201—20c -—-_-eeee (Opening Day Stor) “Creen Light” To Cast Its Gleams Today at Strand “Green Light,” that stirring story of heroism, sacrifice and love, which had many hundreds of thousands of readers in its book form a couple of years ago, comes as a photoplay to the.... PE RR Theatre today—a faithfully made, splendidly-cast Cosmopolitan production, released by First National. Errol Flynn, the young [rishman who made sensational hits in “Captain Blood,” and “Charge of the Light Brigade” is the masculine star of Lloyd C. Douglas’ gripping tale. He plays Dr. Paige, the scientist who almost gives his life in researches destined to alleviate human suffering. The girl he wins, after much misunderstanding and unhappiness, is the lovely little blonde Anita Louise, who had a reeent triumph of her own as the mother of “Anthony Adverse,” in the film version of that book, and shares stellar honors with Flynn. The saintly philosopher, Dean Harcourt, friend and advisor of all the characters in the story, is played by the distinguished British character star, Sir Cedric Hardwicke, who was brought 6,000 miles from the London stage to the Hollywood cameras for just this one job. Margaret Lindsay portrays a devoted hospital nurse who loves Flynn, but has to surrender him. Henry O’Neill as a surgeon who unwittingly forees Flynn into a long martyrdom. Walter Abel, whose most recent success was as the district attorney in “Fury,” was especially engaged to enact the role of Flynn’s friends and fellow scientist. Enthusiastic reports about “Green Light” have come from preview audiences. It was directed by Frank Borzage. Film Fans Plead For Life of Dog In “Green Light” Because hundreds of fans demanded that she be permitted to survive, the famous dog character of Lloyd C. Douglas’ great novel, “Green Light,’ does not pass away in the screen version as she did in the story. “Green Light,” a ‘Cosmopolitan production comes to the.......... theatre on. tional release. Sylvia, an Irish setter, is supposedly the pet and constant companion of Dr. Newell Paige, hero of the novel, piayed in the screen version by Errol Fljnn. In the book she is bitten by a wood tick while her master is endeavoring to develop a _ vaccine for Rocky Mountain spotted fever. Sylvia dies of the dreaded fever. Immediately following the announcement by Warner Bros. that they would transfer the Douglas novel to the screen as a Cosmopolitan production, a deluge of letters began to descend upon the studio demanding that Sylvia be spared. As the time for filming the picture drew nearer the volume of “fan mail” pleading for Sylvia increased, At length there was no other course oper to studio executives. Hence the dog who is portrayed by an Irish setter named “Terry O,” was spared in the picture. Director Frank Borzage discovered the animal while she was romping with her master on the sand at Malibu Beach. “Green Light” is a romantic drama filmed from Lloyd C. Douglas’ best-selling novel of the same name. Others in the cast beside Flynn include Sir Cedric Hardwicke, Anita Louise, Margaret Lindsay, Walter Abel and Henry O’Neill. The adaptation for the screen was made by Milton Krims. PUBLICITY Not so long ago ‘‘Green Light’’ stood at the head of the list of best-selling novels of its season. Now, a Cosmopolitan production, ‘‘Green Light,’’ which opened yesterday Sree Theatre as a First National release, steps into the front rank of distinctive motion pictures. Errol Flynn, the handsome Irish romantic who won such a smashing triumph in ‘Captain Blood,’’ his very first picture, is the star. Instead of a swashbuckling pirate, this time, in “Green Light” he is a heroic young doctor, who sacrifices his promising career in a great city by taking on his own shoulder the blame for an operation pbungled by another. In search of some way to make himself useful to soviety and to prove to the girl he loves by deeds what he cannot, in honor, prove by words, he goes to an obscure mountain laboratory and searches for a serum that will prevent deadly epidemics. Almost at the sacrifice of his life, he finds it, and returns to fame and love, with his professional name cleared of any and all blame. Flynn, whose performances in “Captain Blood” and “The Charge of the Light Brigade” won him such great acclaim, rises to even greater dramatic heights in “Green Light,” proving himself one of the greatest romantic “finds” of the past few years in the role of a young surgeon. Lovely Anita Louise, who shares the starring honors, is the girl for whose sake Flynn suffers and nearly dies. With her natural charm and genuine dramatic ability, she is perfectly cast. So, too, is dark-eyed Margaret Lindsay, in the role of a nurse who has always loved the young doctor, but is not destined to have him. In the end, however, her work and the companionship of another young doctor prove compensation to her. Sir Cedric Hardwicke, who won his knighthood from King George for magnificent work on the stage, lives entirely up to his great reputation. Brought from the London stage for this picture, he plays a_ religious Dean, whose advice and philosophy shape the lives of the other characters. As the surgeon who bungles the operation and causes Flynn’s martyrdom, but subsequently redeems himself, Henry O'Neill gives one of his always thoughtful and appealing performances. And the same phrase might be fitted to the work of Walter Abel as a fellow-scientist of Flynn’s. who works with him at the mountain laboratory. Spring Byington gives one of her most convincing performances as Mrs. Dexter who is one of the Dean’s most trusting followers. “Green Light” has been produced with the usual great care and lavishness that marks a Cosmopolitan picture released by First National, and it was directed with the artistic skill always shown by Frank Borzage, the famous maker of “Seventh Heaven,” “Bad Girl,” “Little Man, What Now,” “Flirtation Walk” and “Hearts Divided.” The novel has been followed closely in the screen play written by Milton Krims. A combination of great story and great cast is one that is bound to tell—and that’s what “Green Light” has. (Review) “Green Light” At Strand Is Superb Romantic Drama —_———_ A best-seller for two years, Lloyd C. Douglas’ novel, “Green Light” has been translated to the screen, retaining all of its original strength and beauty and brought to life by a more than competent cast, in the Cosmopolitan production “Green Light,” which opened yesterday at the Se re eS Theatre as a First National release. Errol Flynn, whose first two pictures, “Captain Blood” and “Charge of the Light Brigade,” proclaimed him one of the greatest screen “finds” of recent years, adds stature to his dramatic reputation with his handling of the role of Newell Paige, the young surgeon, who sacrifices his own professional integrity to cover the mistake of an older doctor. In shouldering the blame he incurs the hatred of Phyllis Dexter (played by the lovely Anita Louise) whose mother’s death was caused by the fatal mistake. To justify his life, and to prove to Phyllis, whom he loves, that he is trying to make up for the tragic mistake she believes he has made, he goes to an obscure laboratory in the Rocky Mountains and risks his life trying to discover a vaccine that will prevent the dread spotted fever. Sir Cedric Hardwicke, who was knighted by King George for magnificent work on the stage, is superb in the role of Dean Harcourt, the minister whose advice and philosophy shape the lives of the other characters. And Margaret Lindsay, as Frances Ogilvie, who loves Paige but has to give him up, gives a convincing and sympathetic performance as does Henry O’Neill, as the older surgeon who is the cause of Flynn’s martyrdom. Walter Abel fits competently into the role of Paige’s friend and colleague. Under the fluid and artistic direction of Frank Borzage who has to his credit such film hits as “Shipmates Forever,” “Flirtation Walk” and “Stranded,” “Green Light” marks a new high in adult film entertainment. “‘Amateur” Dog Actor Gets Break in Film “Sylvia,” a beautiful mahogany Irish setter that plays an important part in “Green Light,” now showing at the ......-...--..-.--.theatre, is not, as might be supposed, a dog rented from a_ professional trainer. She belongs to an electrician employed at the Warner Bros. studios, and was taught by him to obey silent signals. Page Thirteen