The Wonderful Chance

Last updated

The Wonderful Chance
The Wonderful Chance (1920) - 2.jpg
1922 Advertisement
Directed by George Archainbaud
Written byH. H. Van Loan (original story)
Mary Murillo (scenario)
Melville Hammett (scenario)
Starring Eugene O'Brien
Martha Mansfield
Rudolph Valentino
Cinematography Henry Cronjager [1]
Production
company
Distributed bySelect Pictures
Release date
  • September 27, 1920 (1920-09-27)
Running time
52 minutes; 5 reels (5,137 feet)
CountryUnited States
Language Silent (English intertitles)

The Wonderful Chance (also The Thug and His Wonderful Chance) is a 1920 American silent crime drama film produced by Lewis Selznick and released by Select Pictures. This picture stars Eugene O'Brien in a dual role and was directed by George Archainbaud. While this film survives today in several archives, it is best known for featuring Rudolph Valentino in a villain role rather than the hero. In the 1960s scenes from the film were used in the documentary The Legend of Rudolph Valentino (1961) narrated by Graeme Ferguson. [2] [3] [4]

Contents

Plot

As described in a film magazine, [5] recently released convict 'Swagger' Barlow (O'Brien) is mistaken for Lord Birmingham (O'Brien) and is feted and dined, while the true nobleman is held by a scheming band of crooks. He falls in love with Peggy (Mansfield), the daughter of his host Parker Winton (Cook). Through the actions of Barlow, Lord Birmingham is released. Peggy, after explanations, agrees to wait for Barlow to "come back."

Cast

Production

Henry Cronjager's use of the "double exposure" method to film an actor on screen in two different roles at the same time, was one of the first uses of this method. This occurs when Eugene O'Brien, in the guise of "Swagger" Barlow, interrogates himself in the persona of Lord Birmingham. Unlike the more common, and easier, method of using a split screen, the use of double exposure allows the actor to appear on the same side of the screen in both roles, in this case allowing Barlow to circle Birmingham. [1]

Preservation

Copies of the film are in the George Eastman House Motion Picture Collection and Museum of Modern Art film archive, and it has been released on DVD. [4]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rudolph Valentino</span> Italian actor (1895–1926)

Rodolfo Pietro Filiberto Raffaello Guglielmi di Valentina d'Antonguella, known professionally as Rudolph Valentino and nicknamed The Latin Lover, was an Italian actor based in the United States who starred in several well-known silent films including The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse,The Sheik,Blood and Sand,The Eagle, and The Son of the Sheik.

The decade of the 1920s in film involved many significant films.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mae Murray</span> Actress, dancer, film producer, screenwriter (1885–1965)

Mae Murray was an American actress, dancer, film producer, and screenwriter. Murray rose to fame during the silent film era and was known as "The Girl with the Bee-Stung Lips" and "The Gardenia of the Screen".

<i>Hollywood</i> (British TV series) 1980 documentary series

Hollywood is a British television documentary miniseries produced by Thames Television and originally broadcast on ITV in 1980. Written and directed by film historians Kevin Brownlow and David Gill, it explored the establishment and development of the Hollywood studios and their cultural impact during the silent film era of the 1910s and '20s. At the 1981 BAFTA TV Awards, the series won for Best Original Television Music and was nominated for Best Factual Series, Best Film Editing and Best Graphics.

<i>The Son of the Sheik</i> 1926 film by George Fitzmaurice

The Son of the Sheik is a 1926 American silent adventure drama film directed by George Fitzmaurice and starring Rudolph Valentino and Vilma Bánky. The film is based on the 1925 romance novel The Sons of the Sheik by Edith Maude Hull, and is a sequel to the 1921 hit film The Sheik, which also stars Rudolph Valentino. The Son of the Sheik is Valentino's final film and went into general release nearly two weeks after his death from peritonitis at the age of 31.

<i>The Sheik</i> (film) 1921 film by George Melford

The Sheik is a 1921 American silent romantic drama film produced by Famous Players–Lasky, directed by George Melford, starring Rudolph Valentino and Agnes Ayres, and featuring Adolphe Menjou. It was based on the bestselling 1919 romance novel of the same name by Edith Maude Hull and was adapted for the screen by Monte M. Katterjohn. The film was a box-office hit and helped propel Valentino to stardom.

<i>Valentino</i> (1977 film) 1977 Biopic by Ken Russell

Valentino is a 1977 American biographical film co-written and directed by Ken Russell and starring Rudolf Nureyev, Leslie Caron, Michelle Phillips, and Carol Kane. It is loosely based on the life of silent film actor Rudolph Valentino, as recounted in the book Valentino, an Intimate Exposé of the Sheik, written by Chaw Mank and Brad Steiger.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eugene O'Brien (actor)</span> American actor

Eugene O'Brien was an American silent film star and stage actor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gertrude Olmstead</span> American actress

Gertrude Olmstead was an American actress of the silent era. She appeared in 56 films between 1920 and 1929. Her last name was sometimes seen as Olmsted.

<i>The Silent Command</i> 1923 film

The Silent Command is a 1923 American silent drama film directed by J. Gordon Edwards featuring Bela Lugosi as a foreign saboteur in his American film debut. The film, written by Anthony Paul Kelly and Rufus King, also stars Edmund Lowe, Alma Tell, and Martha Mansfield. The Silent Command began Lugosi's career in the American film industry. The film's focus on his eyes, at times in extreme close-up, helped to establish his image for later roles.

<i>Valentino</i> (1951 film) 1951 film by Lewis Allen

Valentino is a 1951 American biographical film directed by Lewis Allen and starring Eleanor Parker.

<i>Eyes of Youth</i> 1919 film by Albert Parker

Eyes of Youth is a 1919 American silent drama film directed by Albert Parker and starring Clara Kimball Young. The film was based on the stage play Eyes of Youth, performed on Broadway in 1917-18 and starred Marjorie Rambeau. This film also features Rudolph Valentino in a role as a thief/con artist.

<i>The Preview Murder Mystery</i> 1936 film by Robert Florey

The Preview Murder Mystery is a 1936 American comedy mystery film directed by Robert Florey and starring Reginald Denny, Frances Drake and Gail Patrick. It was produced and distributed by Paramount Pictures. The plot follows a studio public relations man who attempts to trap a killer using television technology, allowing on-screen glimpses of technicians like Florey's cinematographer Karl Struss.

<i>Scarlet Days</i> 1919 film

Scarlet Days is a 1919 American silent Western film produced and directed by D. W. Griffith and released through Paramount/Artcraft Pictures, Artcraft being an affiliate of Paramount. Richard Barthelmess stars in a role for which Griffith had screentested Rudolph Valentino. In today's time, this film is considered by many to be one of Griffith's worst films though it might have worked better as a short film. This film was unlike others created by D.W. Griffith. According to an article written for The Cincinnati Enquirer, written on the 16 of November 1919: "Unlike other recent Griffith production, Scarlet Days is a story of the old West, of the gold rush days of 49- Bret Harte transferred to the screen!" The Western film genre was expanding at this time and Scarlet Days fits into this category. Western films were popular for this time.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Henry Cronjager</span> American cinematographer

Henry Cronjager was a cinematographer during the early days of silent film, and was active during the beginning of the sound film era.

<i>The Homebreaker</i> 1919 film by Victor Schertzinger

The Homebreaker is a 1919 American silent comedy film directed by Victor Schertzinger and written by John Lynch and R. Cecil Smith. The film stars Dorothy Dalton, Douglas MacLean, Edwin Stevens, Frank Leigh, Beverly Travis, and Nora Johnson. The film was released on April 20, 1919 by Paramount Pictures. It is presumed to be a lost film.

<i>Once to Every Woman</i> (1920 film) 1920 film by Allen Holubar

Once to Every Woman is a 1920 American silent drama film starring Dorothy Phillips, directed by Allen Holubar and released by Universal Pictures under the name Jewel Production. Supporting actors include Margaret Mann and a then-unknown Rudolph Valentino. It was re-released in 1922 after Valentino's increased popularity. It is now a lost film.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rudolph Valentino filmography</span>

Rudolph Valentino (1895–1926) was an Italian-born actor in the era of silent films. He emigrated to the United States in 1913 and took a string of temporary menial jobs before becoming a film extra in 1914. He appeared in several films until 1921—many of which are now lost. That year he got his major break when he appeared in the role of Julio in The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. According to Valentino's biographer, Noel Botham, the film was "hailed ... [as] a masterpiece and Valentino as a star"; the film grossed $4.5 million at the North American box office.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sex symbol</span> Person or character widely regarded as sexually attractive

A sex symbol or icon is a person or character widely considered sexually attractive and often synonymous with sexuality.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maxwell Karger</span>

Maxwell Karger (1879–1922) was an important movie producer and motion picture director during the silent film era of the 1910s.

References

  1. 1 2 "Explaining the Mystery of the Movie Double". The Evening Review (East Liverpool, Ohio). January 25, 1921. p. 9. Retrieved September 10, 2017 via Newspapers.com. Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg
  2. The American Film Institute Catalog Feature Films: 1911-20 published by The American Film Institute, c.1988
  3. The AFI Catalog of Feature Films: The Wonderful Chance
  4. 1 2 Progressive Silent Film List: The Wonderful Chance at silentera.com
  5. "Reviews: The Wonderful Chance". Exhibitors Herald. New York City: Exhibitors Herald Company. 11 (17): 86. October 23, 1920.