The Light of Faith (1920) (Silent Film)

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he Light in the Dark (later re-edited into a shorter version called The Light of Faith) is a 1922 American silent drama film directed by Clarence Brown and stars Lon Chaney and Hope Hampton. A still exists showing Lon Chaney in the role of Tony Pantelli. Some scenes (mostly showing the Holy Grail glowing) were filmed in Color.

The original 63-minute feature film was later re-edited into a condensed 33-minute version retitled The Light of Faith, that was circulated to schools and churches in the 1920s. A Rhode Island film distributor specializing in religious subjects acquired the film in the mid-20's and re-edited it to 33 minutes, retitling it THE LIGHT OF FAITH, which emphasized the subplot involving the Holy Grail. Thankfully, state law required that films for schools and churches (the major market for that distributor) be printed on the nonflammable safety stock, so this multi-tinted version exists today. That is the only version that has survived, since the full-length 63-minute version no longer exists. (There is a rumor that the full-length version has been recently found intact, but if it has, it has never been made available on DVD or video.)

Years later, a 70-minute reconstruction was produced by the International Museum of Photography and Film at the George Eastman House.