A Lady of Chance
| A Lady of Chance | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical poster |
|
| Directed by | Robert Z. Leonard |
| Produced by | Robert Z. Leonard |
| Written by | Edmund Goulding A. P. Younger |
| Starring | Norma Shearer |
| Distributed by | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer |
| Release date(s) | March 24, 1924 |
| Running time | 78 minutes[1] |
| Country |  United States |
| Language | Silent |
A Lady of Chance is a 1928 silent film directed by Robert Z. Leonard. The film is based upon the story Little Angel by Leroy Scott and is known for being Norma Shearer's last silent film. Although the film was released with added dialogue scenes, Shearer can't be heard.[2] [3]
Contents |
[edit] Plot
Dolly ‘Angel Face’ Morgan is a young woman working as a telephone operator. Despite her innocent looks, she is a scam artist, out to fleece any wealthy man who comes her way. At her worksite, she is noticed by two rival con artists, Gwen and Brad, who are aware of her shady past. Together, the three of them "pull a job," shaking down a wealthy man for $10,000. But then Gwen and Brad try to cheat Dolly by claiming that payment on the check was stopped -- that there is, in fact, no money to split. But Dolly knows better. She finds the wad of money hidden under Gwen's pillow and makes a quick getaway. Brad, outraged, claims that Dolly has made the worst mistake of her life.
Soon thereafter, Dolly meets a young man named Steve Crandall, in town for a cement convention. Believing that he is a wealthy plantation owner, she flirts with him and it isn't long before he falls hard. When he proposes marriage, Dolly is shocked, but accepts his offer. She is packing to leave with Steve when Brad shows up, demanding his share of the $10,000. Once again, Dolly uses her wits to make a quick getaway.
After the wedding, Dolly and Steve take the train south, where Dolly encounters a rude surprise: Steve isn't wealthy, nor does he own a plantation (though he lives next door to one). His only "wealth" is an invention of his, an unbreakable cement, which he has yet to market. Dolly is fond of Steve, but tells him how disappointed she is and that she has no intention of sticking around. That evening, she boards a train for New York. The next morning, Steve, feeling heartbroken, returns to his room to find Dolly curled up in a chair. She has come back to him, after all.
Meanwhile, Brad and Gwen arrive in town, in order to get their share of the money. Dolly tells them there isn't any money to get, because the Crandall family isn't rich, but they don't believe her. To get rid of them, she gives them money. Meanwhile, Steve has just sold his cement formula for $100,000. Overjoyed, he rushes home and tells Dolly and his mother the news. As a result, Brad and Gwen refuse to go.
Brad and Gwen manage to infiltrate themselves into the Crandall family, to the point that Brad talks Steve into becoming his business partner. Just as Steve is about to sign the contract, Dolly intervenes. She tells Steve that the contract is nothing but a scam; she then confesses to Steve that she herself is a scam artist and that she only married him in order to fleece him of his fortune. Steve is devastated.
Dolly, meanwhile, has called the cops, who show up and immediately arrest her. Steve begs Dolly to eventually come back to him, but she says no, that he would be better off without her. Dolly is taken to prison. But Steve cannot forget her; he pays her parole and, in an improbable turn, she is released to his custody, resulting in a happy ending for both.
[edit] Cast
- Norma Shearer as Dolly ‘Angel Face’ Morgan Crandall
- Lowell Sherman as Bradley ‘Brad’
- Gwen Lee as Gwen
- Johnny Mack Brown as Steve Crandall
- Eugenie Besserer as Ma Crandall
- Buddy Messinger as Hank Crandall
[edit] References
- ^ (Dutch) Moviemeter Runtime
- ^ The New York Times Review
- ^ A Lady of Chance at silentera.com
