Green Light

This is not a bad film. In fact it's quite watchable, and not just for Flynn completists; Flynn's youthful beauty is in full force, and his female co-stars are lovely and completely competent. Sir Cedric satisfies in the wise sagely role, and the plot is engaging, though it is light fare. I do agree, however, that Flynn, while not entirely miscast, because Warners was still experimenting with it's new superstar, was not a natural for this role-he is just a shade unconvincing as the noble saint, whereas he was always convincing as the noble rogue. Some of his natural rouguishness does show through, such as in the "I'm not a saint", "Neither am I" exchange, but Flynn was always at his best when he could display his intelligent and sometimes cruel wit to full effect in a noble cause which it takes him a little time to come around to fully support. He played a similar role in "Dive Bomber", where, though his character was noble, he definitely was no saint, and therefore he was more believable. Warners was smart to utilize him in the swashbuckling type roles that he is best remembered for, because that was what he saw himself as in many ways-"the method" was not his style.

6.8/10.

Warner Bros. occasionally gave ERROL FLYNN a break away from his usual swashbuckling roles but should have paid more attention to finding a better source material. The Lloyd C. Douglas novel is an uneven mixture of religion, psychiatry and sudsy melodramatics, never quite sure what the net results ought to be. Flynn is not the problem. He turns in a fine performance as a doctor who nobly sacrifices his own reputation when a medical mistake made by an older doctor could ruin the man's life. He looks as handsome and fit as ever.

If this were made in the '50s or '60s, no doubt Ross Hunter would have persuaded Jane Wyman and Rock Hudson to have a go at it, as they did in Douglas' THE MAGNIFICENT OBSESSION, another story about a doctor who pays for his mistake, all done up in glossy technicolor.

But it soon becomes clear that this is a weak tale, full of platitudes and moralizing by a preacher (Sir Cedric Hardwicke) who neatly sums up his philosophy of right and wrong with simplistic slogans. The message is poured on pretty thick before the story reaches the point where Flynn takes a medical risk in order to prove his theory about spotted fever.

It's all very obvious, slick and artificial, but at least the performances are earnest. Anita Louise and Margaret Lindsay can't do too much with the pallid female leads but Walter Abel does nicely as a dedicated physician and Henry O'Neill is believable as the medical man who makes a serious error during a critical operation.

Frank Borzage directs the proceedings with dignity but gets little help from a stagnant script. Max Steiner contributes one of his lesser scores, more subdued than usual in providing any melodic themes.

Interesting only in the fact that it provides Flynn with an offbeat role as a physician.

Taken in an historical context, the idea that Dr. Paige would take the blame for Dr. Endicott's failure was not "bizarre" at all, as other critiques assert. Self-sacrifice and the idea that suffering makes for growth of an individual were themes of the depression era. As to the viewpoint that Dean Harcourt is talking in some weird psycho-babble, at the time religious piety was declining and radio evangelism was emerging – talking about a higher power was more appealing than talking about God.

I think Green Light has to be taken as entertainment, with good performances particularly by Errol Flynn, Margaret Lindsay, Walter Abel and Sir Cedric Hardwicke, and in the context of the times.

Because Green Light was done under the banner of Cosmopolitan Pictures for Warner Brothers, I've got a feeling that William Randolph Hearst might have originally intended Anita Louise's part for his amour Marion Davies. The thought of Marion Davies and Errol Flynn together in a film boggles the mind, but I'll bet Hearst would not have wanted Flynn opposite Davies for personal reasons as Errol was just starting to acquire his reputation as a rake.

W.R. provided Flynn with a change of pace that he requested. After doing adventure films Captain Blood and Charge Of The Light Brigade, Flynn wanted something different. Green Light is based on a Lloyd C. Douglas novel of spiritual values and Universal had just had a smash hit in Magnificent Obsession that made Robert Taylor a major star. No doubt Hearst persuaded Jack Warner to get the film rights for Davies, but then Marion couldn't go through with it. The story does center on the man however and that was never something you would see in a Davies film.

Errol Flynn plays an idealistic young surgeon who takes the rap for a botched operation that his mentor Henry O'Neill performed. Resigning the hospital he goes to work for research scientist Walter Abel who is looking for a cure for spotted fever in the west which is deadly to humans and livestock. Along the way he meets and falls for Anita Louise who is the daughter of the woman who died on the operating table, Spring Byington.

Presiding over all of this is an Episcopal bishop played by Cedric Hardwicke. In her last hours Byington is heard listening to a broadcast by radio of one of Cedric Hardwicke's inspirational sermons. Hardwicke functions as the author's voice, he shares with the other characters and the audience the philosophy of self sacrifice and good works that Lloyd C. Douglas had. With all these people being so noble and self sacrificing, you know it has to turn out all right.

Flynn never quite nails down the character which would have been ideal for Tyrone Power over at 20th Century Fox. Still he gives it a good try and the audience did respond. But it would be a long time before Jack Warner would cast him in a modern drama.

For me the character I remember best is that of Margaret Lindsay who plays a nurse who really has it bad for Errol, but who loyally steps aside and even helps Louise get together with Flynn. Now THAT'S a sacrifice.

Everyone's entitled to make a few stinky movies in his or her career, and we always forgive our favorites because everyone does it. Either they're stuck in a contract, or they had momentary bad taste but every actor and actress has stinky movies listed on their resumes. Even Errol Flynn.

The Green Light started out to be an interesting film. Errol, a dedicated doctor, makes a judgment call to operate on a patient, even though the main surgeon wasn't present. Halfway through the operation, a senior doctor shows up and takes over. The patient dies, and Errol willingly take the fall for it.

I assumed the rest of the movie would be about him trying to clear his name and get reinstated in the hospital. Unfortunately, his character had other plans. The title refers to a sermon delivered by Sir Cedric Hardwicke in the film, and as Errol's character was previously shown to not be a very religious person, it's pretty obvious what direction the movie plans to take. This isn't a hospital movie, it's a religious movie, so keep that in mind if you decide to rent it. Even if you usually like those movies, this one doesn't seem like it was thought out very well.