This week’s mystery movie was the 1937 Warner Bros. film Green Light, with Errol Flynn, Anita Louise, Margaret Lindsay, Sir Cedric Hardwicke and Walter Abel.
Screenplay by Milton Krims.
From the novel by Lloyd C. Douglas.
Music by Max Steiner.
Photography by Byron Haskin.
Edited by James Gibbon.
Art direction by Max Parker.
Gowns by Orry-Kelly.
Musical direction by Leo F. Forbstein.
Directed by Frank Borzage.
Further information about Green Light is available from the AFI Catalog.
Green Light is available on DVD from Critics’ Choice Video.
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I picked Green Light by going through the trades and remembered it as a sentimental favorite. Many years ago, I watched the film on TV and the household dog was transfixed by Errol Flynn’s Irish setter. Whenever the setter came on screen, the dog would bark and fuss and run around behind the TV looking for it. A pleasant memory. As a surgeon, Flynn has some interesting lines with Margaret Lindsay, playing a nurse who has a very obvious crush on him. Flynn’s character holds her off by saying that he’s more or less a scoundrel and that they should both know better than to get involved.
I suspect Bosley Crowther is going to give this a fairly positive review, maybe griping a bit about the obvious plot, but nothing major.
Half-right: Frank S. Nugent gets the job (The New York Times, Feb. 13, 1937):
It is no reflection on the Warners to observe that Green Light made a better novel that it has a motion picture. While the film version opening at the Strand yesterday is an interesting one, representing a sincere and largely successful attempt to maintain the quietly philosophic quality of Lloyd Douglas’ best-seller, it is unable to disguise (as the novel did) the author’s weakness as a story-teller. Mr. Douglas dealt with familiar, well-worn plot materials and he unraveled them more often by coincidence than by reason. It was chiefly the conversation — the readable, intelligent, even inspirational theorizing — of his characters that kept his narrative alive…
…It is difficult to conceive how the Warners could have made a better version of the book. What they needed, probably, was a book better suited to the screen.
For Monday, we have a mysterious fellow.
Update: This is Errol Flynn.
For Tuesday, we have a mystery guest and Back of the Head Woman.
Update: This is Walter Abel and Anita Louise as Back of the Head Woman.
Brain Trust roll call: Megan and Thom (mystery movie and mysterious surgeon), Mary Mallory (mystery movie and mysterious surgeon), All About Eve 1950 (mystery movie and mystery surgeon), Howard Mandelbaum (mystery movie and mysterious surgeon), Sheila (mystery movie and enigmatic doctor) and L.C. (mystery movie and mystery cast).
For “Hm Wednesday,” we have this mysterious cleric.
Update: This is Sir Cedric Hardwicke.
Brain Trust roll call: Mary Mallory (Tuesday’s mystery guests), Howard Mandelbaum (Tuesday’s mystery guests), Incredibleinman (Tuesday’s mysterious fellow), Robert Morrissey (mystery movie and Monday’s enigmatic surgeon), B.J. Merholz (Tuesday’s mystery fellow), Mike Hawks (mystery movie and all mystery guests), Greg (mystery movie and all mystery guests), Dan Nather (mystery movie and Monday’s mysterious surgeon) and Suznchaz (Tuesday’s mysterious fellow).
For “Aha Thursday,” we have a mysterious woman.
Update: This is Anita Louise.
Brain Trust roll call: Mary Mallory (Wednesday’s mysterious cleric), B.J. Merholz (mystery movie and Wednesday’s mystery cleric), Suznchaz (mystery movie and all mystery guests), Mike Hawks (Wednesday’s mystery cleric), Sylvia E. (mystery movie and all mystery guests, plus mysterious Irish setter that has yet to appear), Roget-L.A. (mystery movie and all mystery guests), Dan Nather (Tuesday’s and Wednesday’s mysterious guests) and Howard Mandelbaum (Wednesday’s mystery cleric).
For Friday, we have our mysterious surgeon and a mysterious surgical nurse.
Update: This is Margaret Lindsay crushing hard on Errol Flynn.
Brain Trust roll call: Mary Mallory (Thursday’s mystery woman), Anne Papineau (mystery movie and all mystery guests), Sylvia E. (Thursday’s mystery woman), Incredible Inman (mystery movie, Wednesday’s mysterious cleric and Thursday’s mystery woman), Mike Hawks (Thursday’s mystery woman) and Dan Nather (Thursday’s mystery woman).
Note to Dan Nather: Here you go!
ladailymirror.com 
Is our guest Errol Flynn in Green Light?
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Lew Ayres in Young Dr. Kildare (1938)?
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An excellent guess! But alas, I’m afraid it’s a different medico.
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Margaret Lindsay and Errol Flynn.
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With that Vulcan ear I’m tempted to suggest Dr. Spock, but that would be reaching.
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That was Mr. Spock. Or just Spock.
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Errol Flynn as a doctor??
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GREEN LIGHT.
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Errol Flynn in GREEN LIGHT (1937).
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Errol Flynn in Green Light.
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Is that Marshall Thompson under that mask?
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An excellent guess. But alas, I’m afraid not.
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Tyrone Power?
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An excellent guess! But alas, I’m afraid not.
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John Payne?
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Errol Flynn in ‘Green Light’?
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Green Light (1937) w/Errol Flynn, Anita Louise, Margaret Lindsay, Cedric Hardwicke, Walter Abel, Spring Byington, Henry O’Neill…
You went into my spam folder so I almost missed you again this week.
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Walter Abel and Anita Louise.
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Walter Abel, Anita Louise.
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Walter Abel today, I believe.
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Is this Errol Flynn in 1937’s Green Light?
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Walter Abel. I’ll lead off with The Witness Chair pending further clues.
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Errol Flynn, Walter Abel and Anita Louise in GREEN LIGHT.
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Errol Flynn, Walter Abel and Anita Louise in Green Light.
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I’m going out on a limb and guess the surgeon is Errol Flynn and the movie is GREEN LIGHT (1937).
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Tuesday guy is Walter Abel…back of the head gal–Priscilla Lane?
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Cedric Hardwicke.
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Adding Cedric Hardwicke to Walter Abel Green Lights the mystery.
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Cedric Hardwicke in “The Green Light” (1937) so that makes it Errol Flynn (Monday), Walter Abel and Anita Louise.
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Cedric Hardwicke.
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Green Light 1937
Monday – Errol Flynn
Tuesday – Walter Abel and BOTHW Anita Louise
Wednesday – Cedric Hardwicke
On seeing the publicity photos, I hunted for and found a site that indicates that the Irish Setter in the film is called Sylvia – got a grin from me.
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Sir Cedric Hardwicke (Wednesday), Walter Abel and Anita Louise (Tuesday), and Errol Flynn in Green Light (1937)
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For Tuesday, that’s Walter Abel with (I think) Anita Louise as BOTH Woman.
Today’s cleric is Sir Cedric Hardwicke.
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Sir Cedric Hardwicke.
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Anita Louise.
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Late to the party … and had no idea Errol Flynn ever portrayed a surgeon. Our mystery film is “Green Light” featuring Errol, Walter Abel, Sir Cedric Hardwicke and Anita Louise.
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Thursday – Anita Louise, facing front this time. At least I think it’s her.
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“Green Light” is the movie. Sir Cedric Hardwicke as yesterday’s fellow and Anita Louise today. Errol Flynn on Monday.
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Anita Louise.
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Anita Louise for Thursday. Any chance of seeing Margaret Lindsay with Errol Flynn tomorrow?
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Friday – Margaret Lindsay and Errol Flynn
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Margaret Lindsay and Errol Flynn.
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