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From Darkness to Light

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"From Darkness To Light" provides never-before-seen insights into one of Hollywood's greatest mysteries: comedy legend Jerry Lewis' last self-directed movie "The Day The Clown Cried", a project that was publicized and anticipated worldwide in 1972, but suddenly disappeared under the most mysterious circumstances, never to be seen... For more than 50 years dubious theories swirled around this so-called "lost movie", but new light has been shed on the darkness of what really happened. Our historical treasure hunt unfolds with numerous celebrities and Hollywood companions of Lewis' weighing in on his enduring legacy and ambition. Witness extensive never-before-seen production footage and behind-the-scenes impressions from the original "lost masterpiece" itself, presented in a comprehensive, entertaining and lively narrative structure. ​

Critics Reviews

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Steve Pond TheWrap There aren’t any real revelations in the doc, just the sad and tangled story of a questionable idea being undermined by creative choices, business conflicts and a comic icon’s determination to bury something that embarrassed him. Oct 15, 2024 Full Review Ed Gibbs Little White Lies In a major coup, the doc blends rescued footage of the original film with revealing, contemporary insight with the surviving cast and crew – as well as Lewis supporters like Scorsese, Lewis himself and Harry Shearer. Sep 5, 2024 Full Review Fionnuala Halligan Screen International Like its subject, Eric Friedler and Michael Lurie’s film is not entirely complete, but it doesn’t cut the viewer short on jaw-dropping revelations. Sep 5, 2024 Full Review Dennis Schwartz Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews The documentary filmmakers provide stunning details the public never knew before about this essential film. Rated: B+ Feb 3, 2025 Full Review Stephen Silver The SS Ben Hecht It does feature lots of footage from Lewis’ infamous film, but it feels half-assed, not offering much in the way of new insights. Jan 3, 2025 Full Review Brian Orndorf Blu-ray.com The story of the production is endlessly fascinating, touching on desperation, ego, and power plays, with “From Darkness to Light” supplying as definitive a study of the misguided picture as possible. Rated: A- Jan 1, 2025 Full Review Read all reviews

Cast & Crew

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Michael Lurie

Director

Eric Friedler

Director

Jerry Lewis

Self

Martin Scorsese

Self

Harry Shearer

Self

Sarah Silverman

Self

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From Darkness to Light

From Darkness to Light (2024) From Darkness to Light (2024) From Darkness to Light (2024) View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis "From Darkness To Light" provides never-before-seen insights into one of Hollywood's greatest mysteries: comedy legend Jerry Lewis' last self-directed movie "The Day The Clown Cried", a project that was publicized and anticipated worldwide in 1972, but suddenly disappeared under the most mysterious circumstances, never to be seen... For more than 50 years dubious theories swirled around this so-called "lost movie", but new light has been shed on the darkness of what really happened. Our historical treasure hunt unfolds with numerous celebrities and Hollywood companions of Lewis' weighing in on his enduring legacy and ambition. Witness extensive never-before-seen production footage and behind-the-scenes impressions from the original "lost masterpiece" itself, presented in a comprehensive, entertaining and lively narrative structure. ​
Director
Michael Lurie, Eric Friedler
Producer
Jeffrey Giles, Thore Vollert
Production Co
Südwestrundfunk (SWR), Sugar Filmproduktion, Untold
Genre
Documentary
Original Language
English
Runtime
1h 48m