| The Wonderful Chance | |
|---|---|
_-_2.jpg) 1922 Advertisement | |
| Directed by | George Archainbaud |
| Written by | H. 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 by | Select Pictures |
Release date |
|
Running time | 52 minutes; 5reels (5,137 feet) |
| Country | United States |
| Language | Silent (Englishintertitles) |
The Wonderful Chance (alsoThe Thug andHis Wonderful Chance) is a 1920 Americansilentcrime drama film produced by Lewis Selznick and released bySelect Pictures. This picture starsEugene O'Brien in adual role and was directed byGeorge Archainbaud. While this film survives today in several archives, it is best known for featuringRudolph Valentino in a villain role ratherthan the hero. In the 1960s scenes from the film were used in the documentaryThe Legend of Rudolph Valentino (1961) narrated byGraeme Ferguson.[2][3][4]
As described in afilm 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."
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]
Copies of the film are in theGeorge Eastman House Motion Picture Collection andMuseum of Modern Art film archive, and it has been released on DVD.[4]
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