Chatverock Takes itself way too seriously

ChanBot i must have seen a different film!!

Calum Hutton It's a good bad... and worth a popcorn matinée. While it's easy to lament what could have been...

Guillelmina The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.

wes-connors In a "ritzy" hotel, seductive Norma Shearer (as Dolly "Angel Face" Morgan) uses her job as telephone operator to connect with wealthy gentlemen. Recently paroled, Ms. Shearer shows off her thighs under torn stockings while sharing a hard luck story, then lures the men to her apartment. There is, of course, a high price to be paid; in case on screen, Shearer makes out with a tidy $10,000. The plot thickens when Shearer's crooked cohorts Lowell Sherman (as Bradley) and Gwen Lee (as Gwen) want a piece of her solo action. Shearer successfully scams the pair, but they turn up to cause more trouble when she sets her sights on handsome cement tycoon Johnny Mack Brown (as Steve Crandall), who has a surprise of his own to reveal...This was Shearer's last "silent" film; though MGM seemed reluctant to move their stars into talking pictures, several of them became even bigger stars, so the delay worked out very well for those. Curiously, this film has been shown without its "Synchronized Musical Score and Sound Effects" (SSE) on "Turner Classic Movies" (TCM). TCM premiered "A Lady of Chance" with an "all-new" music score in 2001, but had host Robert Osborne discussing the original soundtrack before a 2012 "Silent Sunday" airing, apparently unaware TCM was not showing the original version. Late 1920s "silent films" (which were never "silent") were typically released with SSE. Hopefully, the original soundtracks will be restored; the present trend needs reversing.***** A Lady of Chance (12/1/28) Robert Z. Leonard ~ Norma Shearer, Lowell Sherman, Johnny Mack Brown, Gwen Lee

jpickerel This is Norma Shearer's last silent. She plays "Dolly", a con artist who, predictably, falls for her victim (Johnny Mack Brown). It is a hackneyed plot, since done better by more than one film maker. The joy here, though, is simply a treat for the eyes. (There are those who claim she was't beautiful - They've got to be kidding) and there are those who claim she wasn't even a good actress. I'm afraid one could not use this film to prove otherwise. There is nothing remotely subtle about her mugging her way through the part. She learned to be a passable actress with time and the advent of sound, though. Johnny Mack Brown is more than adequate in the part of her "mark". He was a very good actor, and is rarely given his due. Lowell Sherman, as her nemesis, (a fop, bent on blackmail over Dolly's past) is a delight to watch, as he preens, leers and struts his way through the role. He is accompanied in his nefarious task by Gwen Lee, a capable character actress who never really got a shot at lead roles. Her height is in stark contrast to Shearer's small stature. This film is well worth watching, as the photography and processing produced a crisp, visual delight.

movingpicturegal Entertaining silent film following the story of a gold-digger named Dolly aka "Angel Face" (played by Norma Shearer). Dressed up as the "good girl" we first meet Dolly working as a switchboard operator at a ritzy hotel, where she is recognized by two former partners in crime (slick, oily Brad and bad, blonde Gwen) who force her to rejoin their "racket" or face the consequences (she failed to report for her parole). Seducing a wealthy man she met at the hotel, he's soon minus $10,000 and picking out mug shots of Dolly at police headquarters. Brad and Gwen try to keep the dough for themselves, but wise Dolly gets the better of them - and wanting to work her own racket, she heads for Atlantic City where she ends up at a hotel absolutely swarming with men attending a "tile and cement" convention. There she meets her next "mark", an innocent Southern cement man/mama's boy (Johnny Mack Brown) who happens to be the perfect specimen of the "tall, dark, and handsome" man. She doesn't seem to notice his rather remarkable charms - under the impression he's about to make a million dollar deal, her heart is only on his wallet. Dolly bats her eyelashes into marriage, but things aren't exactly what she expects - and she just can't seem to escape from those two vultures either!This is a fun film - amusing and well acted, with an interesting, if predictable plot line. Norma Shearer is great, as always, and has a lot of expression on her face in this film - Johnny Mack Brown is charming and oh so handsome to look at. Lowell Sherman, who plays Brad, is terrific in this as he plays the smarm to the hilt. There is some interesting photography in this - like a shot of just the feet of the actors as Dolly is chased by some phony cops, and another interesting shot of the heavily made-up face of "Angel Face" visualized atop her new switchboard operator look when she is recognized by Gwen. The version of this screened on TCM features a decent jazz score that suits the film well.

Chuck40 Story of female con artist who falls for her scam victim is just a backdrop for Shearer, who photographs beautifully and shows a remarkable range without uttering a word (check out the "wedding veil" scene, where she moves from mocking the idea of marriage to momentarily embracing the idea, all within a few seconds of subtly-evolving facial gestures). Entertaining, even if plot takes a couple of slightly unbelievable twists, with nice balance of comedy and drama (again, Shearer's range of emotion in the last scenes of the film are impressive and engaging). Clearly shows why Norma Shearer was a major MGM star even before the advent of sound.