Lighting
Mole-Richardson
Mole-Richardson Brute Arc Lamp
The Mole-Richardson Brute Arc Lamp is a high-intensity carbon arc spotlight that draws 225 amps of DC power through a 24-inch Fresnel lens. Brute Arcs were a dominant lighting tool on Hollywood sound stages from the 1930s through the 1980s, when HMI lamps gradually replaced them. A small number remain in rental stock but have not been manufactured for decades.
Artists who use this(2)
Connection note
Prototype "Brute" arc lamps from Mole-Richardson, described as "among the first ever made." Cardiff shot at f/1.5 with "650 footcandles coming from those big arc lights"
Connection note
Young's primary lighting tool. Minimum package included 12 Brute arcs. "The Brute is the most valuable lamp in the film industry. Nothing else can touch it"
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Log in to submitLast updated March 20, 2026