A Flash of Light (1910)

Director:

D.W. Griffith

Writer:

Stanner E.V. Taylor

Stars:

Charles West, Vivian Prescott, Stephanie Longfellow

Cast

Credited cast:
Charles West	...	John Rogers
Vivian Prescott	...	Belle
Stephanie Longfellow	...	The Older Sister
Verner Clarges	...	The Father
Joseph Graybill	...	Horace Dooley
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Dorothy Bernard
William J. Butler	...	A Doctor
Charles Craig	...	Wedding Guest
Edward Dillon	...	At First Party
John T. Dillon	...	At First Party / At Second Party (as Jack Dillon)
Ruth Hart	...	At Second Party
Guy Hedlund	...	At First Party / At Second Party
Grace Henderson	...	Visitor
Henry Lehrman	...	At Second Party (unconfirmed)
Jeanie Macpherson

Storyline

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Genres:

Short | Romance

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

18 July 1910 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Biograph Company

Technical Specs

Runtime:

17 min 17 min

Sound Mix:

Silent

Color:

Black and White

User Reviews

Nice Drama from D.W.

Flash of Light, A (1910)

*** (out of 4)

Pleasant melodrama from Griffith about a young chemist (Charles West) who has an experiment blow up in his face, which leaves him blind. His new wife doesn't like being burdened with him so she runs off and leaves her younger sister to take care of him. This isn't the best Griffith short out there but he manages to tell the story in a way that will keep you entertained even if that story is rather silly and far fetched. The biggest problem are all the plot twists that has the younger sister taking over the role of the older one and how the husband, even blind, would fall for this doesn't really work nor does the ending and the twist that happens here. Griffith, as usual, knows how to pour the drama on thick and for the most part he does a nice job keeping everything under control and his points about marriage are easy to spot and he doesn't spend too much time preaching here. What does hurt the movie are the leads who aren't the best people Griffith had available and there's even more proof as Mack Sennett, Mary Pickford, Dorothy West and Blanche Sweet also have minor roles here.