The Golden Chance

... shot by director Cecil B. DeMille at night after directing another film during the day, but the strain on him failed to weaken his power over performances. Perhaps deep night infected his approach, for the film looks dark with bold "Rembrandt lighting" featuring sharp unfiltered key lights on players that are often set against black backgrounds.

How wonderful is seeing Wallace Reid in his youthful prime four years before the 1919 accident that started him on his morphine decline? Serendipity provided us with a nearly pristine print for study, and the intimate yet predictable story provides many nuances worth savoring, not the least of which are intelligent, subtle characterizations by every player. Jeanie Macpherson's scenario weaves an interesting tapestry out of died-in-the-wool fabrics.

Reid shines with an admirably constrained performance, but the one oddity is his co-star, buxom and pretty Cleo Ridgely, who I swear looks a bit cross-eyed and tends to mainly express hand-wringing angst to an annoying degree. Sharp performances by the five other secondary players provide enough support to divert the viewer from her limitations, and the overall hour, augmented by some sharp, revealing extreme close-ups, puts genuine oomph into the outing. I wouldn't mind seeing it a second time someday, which, in my opinion, is one mark of a good movie.

Golden Chance, The (1915)

** 1/2 (out of 4)

Early DeMille melodrama centers on an abused wife (Cleo Ridgely) who takes a job working for a rich couple so that she can make money for her drunk husband (Horace B. Carpenter). The rich couple eventually ask her to join a party where she meets a nice millionaire (Wallace Reid) and the two quickly fall in love, although he doesn't know she's married. This is yet another silent film from DeMille, which has pretty much been forgotten but once again that's a shame because this has quite a few good things to offer. I think the film's biggest weakness is its slow pacing, which hampers the film some, especially in the middle. The movie runs a short 73-minutes so the pacing isn't a huge problem but it doesn't help either. What really stands out were the performances with Ridgely doing a great job as the abused wife who gets her Cinderella chance but doesn't know if she should take it or not. She handles the role with a lot of flare and really makes her character quite memorable. Carpenter is also very good as the snake husband as is Raymond Hatton, a DeMille regular, who plays the sidekick. The real standout here, and the one I was most interested in seeing, was Reid. For those who don't know, Reid was involved in a train wreck in 1919 and being a big money maker, the studio forced a doctor to get him high on morphine so that he could continue to work. Reid eventually lost his mind and ended up dying in a mental hospital a couple years later. This was my first chance seeing him in a leading role, although he did have a brief scene in The Birth of a Nation. I was very impressed with both his acting and physical presence here as he manages to fit the romantic lead very well but he also delivers something a bit deeper. He does a lot of acting with his face, which really makes him stand out and deliver. The film ends in a rather bizarre way but I respect what DeMille did at the very end, although I won't ruin it here. There's also a big fight sequence at the end, which looks very realistic and manges to be quite exciting. While the film isn't a complete success it's still worthy of a viewing.

Mary Denby (Cleo Ridgely), a seamstress from the slums, gets a chance at a better life when she is employed by a couple that hopes to woo a young millionaire (Wallace Reid) into a lucrative contract. However, unbeknownst to her employers and would-be-suitor, she has a thieving drunkard husband (Horace B Carpenter) who complicates things. Directed by Cecil B DeMille.

The story is generally engaging, although at times somewhat implausible, and with a rather rushed ending. Cleo Ridgely is quite appealing and sympathetic as the heroine, and Wallace Reid smolders and charms very effectively as the debonair millionaire. The acting by all is generally quite restrained and naturalistic, showing that even in the early days of feature films actors were capable of nuanced performances.

Director Cecil B DeMille and cinematographer Alvin Wyckoff make a very talented team, imbuing the film with distinctive lighting and shadow effects, as well as intriguing compositions (note the shot where Reid and Ridgeley kiss, which is done with the camera looking down briefly from above). By now they had emerged with a distinctive style, consolidating the successful elements at work in CARMEN and THE CHEAT (which also came out in 1915). A nice film, worth watching for silent movie enthusiasts as well as those who may be new to silent film. SCORE: 8/10.

If you're interested in the history of film, this movie is definitely worth watching. As other reviewers pointed out, it is a melodrama, but it has a number of interesting surprises that you won't see in other flicks from the period. DeMille pays good attention to small emotional reactions, and the camera is placed pretty close to the actors, a nice change from the stagey feel of some movies even into the late teens. There are two scenes showing physical fights that are marvelously staged--gritty even by today's standards. And the ending would be rare in today's Hollywood.

I was always curious about Wallace Reid, because I read a little about his tragic personal life in a movie book years ago--here he appears in all his youthful strength and good looks. Cleo Ridgely projects a lot of emotion, and only occasionally goes a little overboard. It's easy to sympathize with the plight of her character. The two bad guys are straight out of Jacob Riis photos. I can see why they didn't work for some viewers who have posted their comments, but I found them fascinating, especially the way their dark emotions were enhanced by the movie's lighting. My favorite player was Edythe Chapman, as a wealthy woman hoping to advance her husband's business.

If you can get into the spirit of 1915 in order to enjoy this film on its own level, you will find it worth your while.

In watching this early DeMille work, it was once again reinforced to me that early DeMille is far superior to late DeMille. His attention to use of light within scenes is remarkable. His pacing is very good, enabling much to be told in the space of an hour or so. It is a pity that he wasn't as intuitive about the style of his later sound films as he seemed to be in his silent films.

This was the first film in which I had seen Cleo Ridgely. She was remarkable, quite restrained and yet conveyed a broad spectrum of emotions.

The ending is wonderful.