When the lights go out

In the winter of 1939, Belyaev remade his story "When the Lights Go Out" into the movie script of the same name for the Odessa film studio . However, the film adaptation did not materialize. The work was first published only 18 years after the death of the writer - in 1960 - in the journal “The Art of Cinema ” (1960, No. 9-10). A separate edition of the work was first published in 1963 in the 2nd volume of the Collected Works of Belyaev in 5 volumes (The Young Guard, 1963-1964). This is the only script written by Belyaev.

The work takes place in one of the countries of capitalist Europe.

Poor bookkeeper John Parker, a kind but narrow-minded person, works in the office of one of the companies, trying to raise money to get married, although he does not have a bride. In order to earn extra money, he, on the advice of his neighbor, begins to catch homeless and lost dogs in the city, but the undertaking turns into trouble. Running away from the chase, he gets to the hairdresser, where, finally, he meets the girl of his dreams, the charming manicurist Maggie. Now he needs more money. Parker comes to Dr. Nichols, who advertised the purchase of dogs for potentiation experiments. However, he has already completed experiments on animals and offers Parker, for a good reward, to try on himself a technique that increases physical and mental strength. Using artificial radio elements, Nichols exposes Parker to special processing. Parker becomes a tireless hard worker, which, however, causes not only the opportunity to make good money, but also a lot of trouble from colleagues in the teams. After some time, it is discovered that his body begins to glow in the dark, causing panic in the city. Maggie, in fear of the sight, rushes away from him. Nichols hides the luminous person until “the lights go out,” but the circus owner wants to get it for himself and arranges for the persecution of the scientist, which he is actively helped by the angry housekeeper Mrs. Wood and the sneaky journalist Beatle. As a result, Nichols is sent to prison. Parker begins to perform in the circus, but once during a performance he ceases to glow and again becomes an ordinary person.

• Parker is a young bookkeeper at Gray & Co.
• Beatle Journalist
• Green is the mistress of Parker, in whom he rents an apartment
• Michael Grot - Parker's neighbor, former boxer
• Meg Morris - a girl in a hairdressing salon
• Wood - Dr. Nichols' Housekeeper and Cashier
• Nichols - Hypnotist, Researcher
• Alice - Nichols Assistant
• Santano - circus owner
• Eastman - scientist, opponent of Nichols

• Belyaev Alexander Romanovich. Collected Works in 8 volumes. Volume 2. (The last man from Atlantis. Seller of air. When the lights go out.) Ill. B. Bistie. M., "Young Guard", 1963, 384 pp. with ill. with. 277–382.

• Alexander Belyaev. When the lights go out (text on the site AIF.ru). (inaccessible link)
• Svetlana Belyaeva "The star flickers outside the window ..." (Alexander Romanovich Belyaev Romanov. Stories. Stories / Library of World Literature. M., Eksmo, 2008.)