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» » The Man Who Took a Chance (1917)

Short summary

Monty Gray returns to the US after having spent 10 years in China building railroads. As he enters a hotel he runs into an old friend from college who he hasn't seen in years, and they began catching up on old times. Monty notices a picture of a young woman that his friend his carrying and is bowled over by her beauty, instantly falling for her. However, his friend tells him that he doesn't have a chance in a million of meeting the girl, who happens to be his cousin, because her mother rules the girl's life with an iron fist and is determined that she will marry royalty and not some untitled commoner. Monty is determined to have the girl, and begins to devise a plan to do just that.

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    • Author: Tehn
    Fortunately for "The Man Who Took a Chance," a five-reel Bluebird photoplay, in which Franklyn Farnum is the central figure, the story need not be taken seriously. It relates the adventures of a young chap who falls in love with a girl's photograph, meets the original and is made the subject of a scheme to test his courage. The heroine's mother has a weakness for titles and the hero passes himself off as an English nobleman; hence the girl's reason for testing his fighting blood. Ranch life and glimpses of the better grade of western society are mingled throughout the picture. During the test the action becomes strenuous, but, for the most part, more attention has been paid to developing bits of quiet humor than to keeping the story moving ahead with any noticeable degree of speed. William Worthington, the director in charge, has been consistent to the material at hand, and a number of the scenes have much pictorial merit. Many screen patrons will find the picture fairly entertaining. Franklyn Farnum enters into the spirit of his part as if he enjoyed playing it, and makes the young fellow who wins the heiress an ingenuous mortal who is easily excused for not suspecting that his fight with the cowboys is a put-up job. Agnes Vernon offers sufficient reason for her admirer's infatuation, and Lloyd Whitlock, Countess du Cello, Marc Fenton, Charles Perley and Arthur Hoyt give a good account of their several allotments. – The Moving Picture World, February 17, 1917
  • Cast overview:
    Franklyn Farnum Franklyn Farnum - Monty Gray
    Agnes Vernon Agnes Vernon - Constance Lanning
    Lloyd Whitlock Lloyd Whitlock - Wilbur Mason
    Countess Du Cello Countess Du Cello - Mrs. Lanning
    Mark Fenton Mark Fenton - Richard Lanning (as Marc Fenton)
    Charles Perley Charles Perley - The Duke of Cannister
    Arthur Hoyt Arthur Hoyt - James
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