The Light That Failed

Well worth watching, James Welch Henderson, Arkansas 11/2020

In this movie, Colman picks up a little dog, stares into his eyes, and says "I love you." The fur practically melts right off the dog.

This is a shameless old-fashioned love story - but the kind Rudyard Kipling wrote - a strictly for men love story - the women are all heartless or useless, and all that a man really needs to justify his existence is a war, a dog, a horse, a rifle, and his faithful army buddies - but you can forgive all that tripe because of Colman's persuasive persona and performance, Ida Lupino's brave, unsympathetic portrayal, and the trite story that will get to you and leave tears in your eyes, no matter what you believe.

If Colman picked me up and spoke to me the way he spoke to that little dog......

Authors just don't have the nerve to write melodrama any more. They're afraid of big issues and larger-than-life emotions, they're afraid that if they put any real passion or sentiment on the page, they'll make fools of themselves. They're probably right, but when a story as sappy as this works, it really, uh, "tugs at the heartstrings" as they used to say.

Rudyard Kipling's war horse story works because it's well acted and directed. Ronald Colman is even more wonderful than usual as a Victorian artist who finds he's going blind, and has just enough time left to paint a masterpiece. Never was an actor more admirable, earnest, and lovable as Colman. Ida Lupino got her big break as the model for "Melancholy". Oh, she's wonderful; a mean, vicious, petty little tart, never again would anybody dismiss her as just another pretty face. This part established her as one of the all-time great Bad Girls, beautiful and strong enough to make over-the-top hysteria seem like bravura acting. She's great.

The direction is as lively as can be for what's largely two characters in one room, and the B&W photography is beautifully expressive. Recommended for when you want some old-fashioned unashamed emotion.

I just discovered this drama from Bill Wellman which I did not know at all. Ronald Colman is terrific here, as he was in TALE OF TWO CITIES too. A real moving, poignant and sad drama which grabs you to the guts. It seems to hesitate between drama, romance and adventure story, as many Paramount film of this period were: THE LIVES OF A BENGAL LANCER, BEAU GESTE and a film that I commented yesterday: LAST OUTPOST. A very unknown gem from Wellman the great, one of the most awesome director from Hollywood.

"The Light That Failed" is among Ronald Colman's best films....though I must warn you that it's also among his most depressing. The story is based on Rudyard Kipling's first full- length novel of the same name.

The story begins with two children playing with a gun. There's an accident and Maisie discharges the gun near Dick's eyes. This is foreshadowing what you next see in the film. Dick is a man now and fighting for the British army in Sudan. During an encounter with the enemy, he receives a sword slash across the eyes. He recovers his sight but doesn't realize that severe damage to his optic nerves has occurred and one day he'll go blind. In the meantime, the war ends and Dick spends his time painting and drawing while he tours the Middle East. When he learns that the public back in Britain love his work, he returns. His work is good but when Dick realizes he's going blind he wants to get one final masterpiece completed. The problem is his model, Bessie (Ida Lupino) is a coarse and awful woman...why is something you'll just have to see for yourself as well as how Dick deals with his eventual blindness.

The acting is superb in this one...especially Colman. It also helped that he had Lupino and Walter Huston on hand to provide support. Overall, a quality film in every way. My only caveat is that if you dislike sad, depressing stories you might want to skip this one....though I sure wouldn't!