For more than half a century, the story of a missing film has baffled Hollywood: What happened to Jerry Lewis’s infamous black comedy “The Day the Clown Cried”? Shot in Sweden in 1972, the film tells the story of a clown who is transported to a concentration camp and tasked with leading children to the gas chambers. Controversy in front of and behind the cameras meant the film was never released, with only a handful of people ever seeing snippets of footage. Until now.
The documentary “Dark into Light,” by directors Eric Friedler and Michael Lowery, which premiered at the Venice Film Festival, brings parts of the 1972 film to the public for the first time as it chronicles the making and downfall of the iconic film. “Everyone who’s ever been a movie buff has heard about this story in some way,” Friedler said. “It’s always been fascinating to us. I grew up with Jerry Lewis and thought it was worth learning more about the story.” diverse.
“I heard about this interview that Eric did with Jerry Lewis and decided that I wanted to work with him on the documentary. It’s a great interview, it’s the backbone of the documentary and without it, we wouldn’t have had a rich story to tell,” Lowry added. The interview, filmed with Lewis in 2017 shortly before his death, shows Lewis in a rare state of vulnerability as he discusses the “heartbreak” of not being able to finish and release the film. Others interviewed include the original cast and Lewis’ friend and fan Martin Scorsese, who was interviewed by the film’s executive producer, Wim Wenders.
“From Darkness to Light”
Courtesy of Untold LLC
“I was stunned to hear that Lewis had lowered his guard and finally revealed what really happened,” said producer Thori Vollert. “Jerry Lewis was not known for his kindness to reporters and could be very strict about what he would and would not answer.”
Asked how he managed to get Lewis to talk about one of the darkest moments of his career, Friedler said they “juggled the opportunity.” “He was fortunate that he gave us a lot of trust. I felt during the interview, and especially afterward, it was a testament. Maybe it was the right place at the right time with the right people. I didn’t expect him to answer so honestly and openly.”
“From Darkness to Light”
Courtesy of Untold LLC
In addition to footage from the original film and interviews, “From Darkness to Light” also uses archival footage from 1970s talk shows and outtakes from Netflix’s “The Last Laugh” to tell the story of how “The Day the Clown Cried” became an industry legend. Speaking about juggling rights and licensing, Vollert says the project felt like “a total puzzle.” “We never had the intention of releasing the unfinished film, because what we got were quick, everyday shots and unconnected sequences. There were people walking in the background and cars on the highway that were from the 1970s… We found Pandora’s Box.”
Although it took nearly a decade to make, the film’s release was always intended to coincide with the Library of Congress’s opening of The Day the Clown Cried, one of Lewis’s last stipulations. The film is scheduled to be made available in 2025. Until then, audiences can learn about the story through the documentary, which Vollert describes as “a story of artistic redemption and the courage to let go of something you hold dear if it doesn’t live up to your ambitions.”
