The Light That Failed (1939)

Dick Heldar, a London artist, is gradually losing his sight. He struggles to complete his masterpiece, the portrait of Bessie Broke, a cockney girl, before his eyesight fails him.

Director:

William A. Wellman

Writers:

Robert Carson (screen play), Rudyard Kipling (based on the novel by)

Stars:

Ronald Colman, Walter Huston, Muriel Angelus

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Ronald Colman	...	Dick Heldar
Walter Huston	...	Torpenhow
Muriel Angelus	...	Maisie
Ida Lupino	...	Bessie Broke
Dudley Digges	...	The Nilghai
Ernest Cossart	...	Beeton
Ferike Boros	...	Madame Binat
Pedro de Cordoba	...	Monsieur Binat
Colin Tapley	...	Gardner
Ronald Sinclair	...	Dick as a Boy
Sarita Wooton	...	Maisie as a Girl
Halliwell Hobbes	...	Doctor
Charles Irwin	...	Soldier Model
Francis McDonald	...	George
George Regas	...	Cassavetti

Storyline

Dick Heldar, a London artist, is gradually losing his sight. He struggles to complete his masterpiece, the portrait of Bessie Broke, a cockney girl, before his eyesight fails him.

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Plot Keywords:

blindness | painting | based on novel

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Taglines:

Rudyard Kipling's great romance of Dick Heldar, artist, adventurer, gentleman unafraid, gloriously re-created by the world's most distinguished cast!

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Genres:

Drama

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

24 December 1939 (USA)

Also Known As:

A Luz Que Se Apaga

Filming Locations:

Espanola, New Mexico, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Paramount Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

99 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Mirrophonic Recording)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Lupino was so anxious to play the part, that she stole a copy of the script and stormed into William Wellman's office demanding a chance to audition. She convinced Wellman but not co-star Colman, who wanted Vivien Leigh to play the role. Because Wellman held out for Lupino, the actor unsuccessfully tried to have him replaced. The actor and director maintained a chilly relationship on the set.

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Quotes

Dick Heldar: Painting is seeing, then remembering better than you saw.

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Connections

Edited into Hedda Hopper's Hollywood No. 3 (1942)

User Reviews

Out of Judging

I don't know how some people could express anything over the original story, and with all the signs in evidence of not having read the story at all. First of all, Bessie is somehow in love with Torpenhow, not Dick Heldar. She actually never managed to meet Maisie, being unaware of her existence. Bessie tears apart Dick's painting over the rage of being insulted day after day by Dick, in order to get the main character of the "Melancolia". Dick met Maisie during his childhood, his first love, being both orphans, and as well expressed by Sunlily, during a shooting session with an old revolver, Dick gets gun powder burning close to his eyes (his cheek, Kipling states), etc and etc. The story adapted in the film is a totally different matter. Oh, by the way, since there are things in this world like marriage and lawyers, the "The more I see of men, the more I love dogs" of Diogenes of Sinope could be even more valid today. Cheers