The Wonderful Chance
1920 film by George Archainbaud
- September 27, 1920 (1920-09-27)
Running time
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]
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
- Eugene O'Brien as Lord Birmingham / 'Swagger' Barlow
- Martha Mansfield as Peggy Winton
- Tom Blake as 'Red' Dugan
- Rudolph Valentino as Joe Klinsby
- Joseph Flanagan as Haggerty (credited as Joe Flanagan)
- Warren Cook as Parker Winton
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]
References
- ^ a b "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.
- ^ The American Film Institute Catalog Feature Films: 1911-20 published by The American Film Institute, c.1988
- ^ The AFI Catalog of Feature Films: The Wonderful Chance
- ^ a b Progressive Silent Film List: The Wonderful Chance at silentera.com
- ^ "Reviews: The Wonderful Chance". Exhibitors Herald. 11 (17). New York City: Exhibitors Herald Company: 86. October 23, 1920.
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to The Wonderful Chance.
- The Wonderful Chance at IMDb
- The Wonderful Chance synopsis at AllMovie
- The Wonderful Chance is available for free download at Internet Archive
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Films directed by George Archainbaud
- As Man Made Her (1917)
- The Iron Ring (1917)
- The Brand of Satan (1917)
- Yankee Pluck (1917)
- A Maid of Belgium (1917)
- Diamonds and Pearls (1917)
- The Awakening (1917)
- The Divine Sacrifice (1918)
- Marooned Hearts (1920)
- The Shadow of Rosalie Byrnes (1920)
- In Walked Mary (1920)
- The Wonderful Chance (1920)
- The Pleasure Seekers (1920)
- The Miracle of Manhattan (1921)
- A Man of Stone (1921)
- Clay Dollars (1921)
- The Girl from Nowhere (1921)
- Handcuffs or Kisses (1921)
- Under Oath (1922)
- Evidence (1922)
- The Power of a Lie (1922)
- One Week of Love (1922)
- The Midnight Guest (1923)
- Cordelia the Magnificent (1923)
- The Common Law (1923)
- The Shadow of the Desert (1924)
- The Storm Daughter (1924)
- The Plunderer (1924)
- For Sale (1924)
- Single Wives (1924)
- Christine of the Hungry Heart (1924)
- The Mirage (1924)
- Enticement (1925)
- Scarlet Saint (1925)
- The Necessary Evil (1925)
- What Fools Men (1925)
- The Silent Lover (1926)
- Puppets (1926)
- Night Life (1927)
- The Grain of Dust (1928)
- The Man in Hobbles (1928)
- Bachelor's Paradise (1928)
- A Woman Against the World (1928)
- Ladies of the Night Club (1928)
- The Tragedy of Youth (1928)
- George Washington Cohen (1928)
- Two Men and a Maid (1929)
- The College Coquette (1929)
- Broadway Scandals (1929)
- Framed (1930)
- Shooting Straight (1930)
- The Silver Horde (1930)
- The Lady Refuses (1931)
- Three Who Loved (1931)
- Thirteen Women (1932)
- The Lost Squadron (1932)
- The Penguin Pool Murder (1932)
- Men of Chance (1932)
- State's Attorney (1932)
- After Tonight (1933)
- The Big Brain (1933)
- Murder on the Blackboard (1934)
- Keep 'Em Rolling (1934)
- Hideaway Girl (1936)
- My Marriage (1936)
- The Return of Sophie Lang (1936)
- Blonde Trouble (1937)
- Hotel Haywire (1937)
- Campus Confessions (1938)
- Her Jungle Love (1938)
- Thanks for the Memory (1938)
- Night Work (1939)
- Some Like It Hot (1939)
- Boy Trouble (1939)
- Comin' Round the Mountain (1940)
- Opened by Mistake (1940)
- Untamed (1940)
- Flying with Music (1942)
- False Colors (1943)
- The Kansan (1943)
- The Woman of the Town (1943)
- Hoppy Serves a Writ (1943)
- Mystery Man (1944)
- Texas Masquerade (1944)
- Girls of the Big House (1945)
- The Devil's Playground
- Dangerous Venture (1947)
- Fool's Gold (1947)
- Hoppy's Holiday (1947)
- King of the Wild Horses (1947)
- The Marauders (1947)
- The Millerson Case (1947)
- Unexpected Guest (1947)
- Borrowed Trouble (1948)
- The Dead Don't Dream (1948)
- Silent Conflict (1948)
- Sinister Journey (1948)
- Strange Gamble (1948)
- Hunt the Man Down (1950)
- Night Stage to Galveston (1952)
- Apache Country (1952)
- Wagon Team (1952)
- The Old West (1952)
- Blue Canadian Rockies (1952)
- Pack Train (1953)
- Saginaw Trail (1953)
- Goldtown Ghost Riders (1953)
- On Top of Old Smoky (1953)
- Last of the Pony Riders (1953)
- Winning of the West (1953)
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