The Wonderful Chance

{{short description|1920 film by George Archainbaud}} {{Use mdy dates|date=August 2020}} {{infobox film | name = The Wonderful Chance | image = The Wonderful Chance (1920) - 2.jpg

| caption = 1922 Advertisement | director = George Archainbaud | producer = | writer = H. H. Van Loan (original story)<br>Mary Murillo (scenario)<br>Melville Hammett (scenario) | starring = Eugene O'Brien<br>Martha Mansfield<br>Rudolph Valentino | cinematography = Henry Cronjager<ref name=TER>{{cite news|title=Explaining the Mystery of the Movie Double |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/59481093/ |newspaper=The Evening Review (East Liverpool, Ohio) |date=January 25, 1921 |page=9 |via = Newspapers.com|accessdate = September 10, 2017}} {{Open access}}</ref> | studio = Selznick Pictures | distributor = Select Pictures | released = {{Film date|1920|09|27}} | runtime = 52 minutes; 5 reels (5,137 feet) | country = United 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.<ref>''The American Film Institute Catalog Feature Films: 1911-20'' published by The American Film Institute, c.1988</ref><ref>[http://www.afi.com/members/catalog/DetailView.aspx?s=&Movie=16185 The AFI Catalog of Feature Films: ''The Wonderful Chance'']</ref><ref name="SilentEra">[http://www.silentera.com/PSFL/data/W/WonderfulChance1920.html Progressive Silent Film List: ''The Wonderful Chance''] at silentera.com</ref>

==Plot== As described in a film magazine,<ref>{{cite journal |title=Reviews: ''The Wonderful Chance'' |journal=Exhibitors Herald |volume=11 |issue=17 |page=86 |publisher=Exhibitors Herald Company |location=New York City |date=October 23, 1920 |url=https://archive.org/details/exhibitorsherald11exhi_1}}</ref> 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.<ref name=TER />

==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.<ref name="SilentEra"/>

==References== {{reflist}}

==External links== {{commons category|The Wonderful Chance}} *{{IMDb title|0011881}} *''[https://archive.org/details/HisWonderfulChance The Wonderful Chance]'' is available for free download at Internet Archive {{George Archainbaud}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Wonderful Chance, The}} Category:1920 films Category:American silent feature films Category:Films directed by George Archainbaud Category:Films based on short fiction Category:American black-and-white films Category:1920 crime drama films Category:Selznick Pictures films Category:1920 American films Category:American silent crime drama films Category:Surviving American silent films Category:1920 English-language films Category:English-language crime drama films