Cast:
William Powell … John D. Marsden
Jean Arthur … Judith Marsden
Kay Francis … Alma Marsden
Regis Toomey … ‘Babe’ Marsden
Stanley Fields … Dorgan
Brooks Benedict … Al Mastick
Betty Francisco … Mrs. Mastick
John Risso … Tony
Joan Standing … Miss Abrams
Maurice Black … Nick
Irving Bacon … Harry
John Cromwell … Imbrie

Directed by John Cromwell.
Produced by David O. Selznick.
Based on the story by Oliver H.P. Garrett.
Adaptation by Howard Estabrook.
Original Music by John Leipold.
Cinematography by Charles Lang.
Film Editing by Otho Lovering.
Costume Design by Travis Banton.

A Paramount Picture.
Released January 31, 1930.

About the Film:

Though Street of Chance was the second of six parings between William Powell and Kay Francis, the film can be argued as the one which really established them as a recognized team. Their chemistry shines through in all of their scenes together, which have a sort of bitterness of broken promises to them. Their characters are John and Alma Marsden, whose marriage is unfortunately on the rocks because of John’s corrupt gambling lifestyle.

Of their four Paramount features, Street of Chance is undoubtedly the best of the whole bunch. But the majority of the credit goes to two men behind the entire production.

The film was produced by David O. Selznick, who not only had a strong belief that William Powell could really go somewhere as a leading man, but that Kay Francis could also establish herself as a leading lady. She had come to promise vamping out Walter Huston in Gentlemen of the Press (1929), Fredric March in The Marriage Playground (1929), and William Powell in Behind the Make-Up (1930), and now a year into her movie career, Selznick decided it was time for Francis to progress from her vamp roles.

“David Selznick did more to buoy my self-confidence than anybody else,” Kay later remembered. “He was the one who always believed I was capable of playing leads.” She remained grateful to him for the rest of her career.

The other man who is due a great credit is director John Cromwell, who did a lot for Kay within the course of her Hollywood years. This is not only the man who made her star by directing her in this film as well as For the Defense (1930), but he revived her fame ten years later when he gave Kay most of the attention in In Name Only (1939), her comeback vehicle after her battle with Warner Brothers.

Kay Francis fans owe both men a major recognition of respect.

Street of Chance was based on a story by Oliver H.P. Garrett, which many believed was based on the life of Arnold Rothstein. Nicknamed Mr. Big, Rothstein was one of the more notorious criminals of the first half of the twentieth century, even being speculated as to having fixed the 1919 World Series. His legacy was immortalized in Hollywood with not only Street of Chance, but also Samuel Goldwyn’s production of Guys and Dolls (1955). Ben Hecht, Charles MacArthur, and Howard Estabrook—who received an Oscar nomination for her work on the film—adapted Garrett’s story to the screen brilliantly. Street of Chance is one the most mature and adult dramas of the early talkie years largely because of their work on the script.

Many point to Street of Chance as the one which made a Kay Francis a star. It at least got her name out there to get Paramount to give her more important roles, but she still had a while to go before she really hit her stride. But of her first few years in Hollywood, this is one of her most important films. She’s not only more believable, but also more comfortable in front of the camera, which does photograph her favorably throughout most of the film. Critics gave her, and the entire picture, rave reviews which made it reasonably popular with audiences.

Four years later, Fox remade Street of Chance under the title of Now I’ll Tell (1934), which starred Spencer Tracy, Helen Twelvetrees, and Alice Faye. Three years after that, Paramount remade the film as a programmer with Gail Patrick and Ricardo Cortez. Titled Her Husband Lies (1937), it was the final film version of Garrett’s story. Paramount’s Street of Chance (1942) was a low-budget programmer which used the early elements of film noir—special lighting tricks, and melodramatic plot involving sticky situations. It was completely unrelated to any of the film versions of Garrett’s story.

Today, Street of Chance remains a forgotten treasure in the Universal film vaults. As Roger Bryant, the author of William Powell: The Life and Films, pointed out about Behind the Make-Up, “its relative neglect even by movie buffs is understandable, given the poor quality of videotapes, likely third or fourth generation transfers, that circulate on internet auction sites.”

The same can be said for this film.

What the Picture Did for Me:

Exhibitor Herald-World‘s long-running column for independent theater owners to tell each other what type of business was made and what the quality of the product was during their showings. Some also wrote the days the film was shown in their theater.

April 19, 1930
William Powell- Very good on Sunday crowd. But oh, how it flopped on Monday. Worst in months. Good picture of its kind. — A. E. Jarboe, Ritz theatre, Cameron, Mo. — General patronage.

June 14, 1930
William Powell – In second week of talker crowds fell off abruptly. This play is only fair, and despite William Powell’s superb voice and acting, it is not a play to attract people. Plot is not so good. Type has no draw. No love plot of younger people. No music. A man’s play only. Leave it off your buying if possible. – Phillip Rand, Rex theatre, Salmon, Idaho. – General patronage.

July 12, 1930
William Powell – June 22-23-24. A good talking program picture. The star fine, story good of the kind, but it is the kind people have had too much of. Murder and rough stuff. This making a hero of the crook has had its day here. They just won’t come and see them. Picture did a terrible flop at the box office. – Bert Silver, Silver Family theatre, Greenville, Mich. – General patronage.

July 19, 1930
William Powell – Too much dialogue, not enough action. – Jack Greene, New Genesco theatre, Genesco, Ill. – Small town patronage.

William Powell – Very good. Pleased the few who ventured out. Eight reels. – Harold Smith, Dreamland theatre, Carson, Ia. – General patronage.

August 2, 1930
William Powell – In playing your favorite game you make a shot off a long run on the green for a cup and your fellow players call it before you sink it. That’s a putt! And now I will tell you after all that lingo, here’s a picture, and what a picture! Perfect in story, perfect in talking. What more do you want? Set it in now. – W.H. Brenner, Cozy theatre, Winchester, Ind. – General patronage.

Trivia:

Judging by her billing, this was Kay Francis’ first real lead. It was her fifth film and the third time her name appeared in the top three billed positions. There aren’t any real closeups (of Kay or any of the cast besides Powell), but Cromwell gives her some interesting private moments, especially when she and Powell’s plans for a second honeymoon are interrupted by a phonecall from one of the gamblers.

Street of Chance was remade by Fox in 1934 as Now I’ll Tell, with Spencer Tracy, Helen Twelvetress, and Alice Faye. Paramount remade the movie again in 1937 as Her Husband Lies with Gail Patrick and Ricardo Cortez. Paramount’s Street of Chance (1942) was not a remake of this film, but an early, low-budget film noir.

Kay’s eyes were permanently damaged during production. “It took a day and a half for them to set up the equipment,” Kay later told reporters, “and as the arc light came nearer and nearer for the close up, I didn’t want to break the scene by complaining. It hurt my eyes, but we did the scene. It never had to be reshot. When it was over, tears came streaming down my eyes, and I had to spend ten days in a dark room.”

This was Kay’s first sympathetic role, and to prepare her for it, Paramount had her “butch” hairstyle—which had such an impact on her look while playing vamps—transformed into what the authors of Kay Francis: A Passionate Life and Career called “a sophisticated coiffeur.”

Kay credited David O. Selznick as being the first person to really believe she could be more than just the supporting vamp. She always credited him as being the first person to believe that she could be made into a star, and Selznick rightfully claimed credit as having given her a nice showcase (and career boost) with Street of Chance.

Film Images:

Vintage Reviews:

Review originally published in Exhibitor Herald-World
January 25, 1930:
A TAKEOFF ON ROTHSTEIN CASE. Produced and distributed by Paramount. Story, Oliver H. P. Garrett. Direction, John Cromwell. Scenario, Howard Estabrook. Photography, Charles Lang. Supervised by B. P. Schulberg. Cast: William Powell, Kay Francis, Regis Toomey, Jean Arthur, Stanley Shields, Betty Francisco, Brooks Benedict and John Risso. Previewed at the Paramount West Coast studios.

WILLIAM POWELL is starred in Street of Chance. Paramount assembled an excellent cast in support of the new star and the result is real entertainment. The story is a takeoff on the Arnold Rothstein murder which still baffles New York police. There is a Larry’s cafe in place of Lindys, an ambulance ride with the dying gambler refusing to name his gunman. It’s interesting and exceptionally well done.

Powell is John B. Marsden, broker, alias “Natural” Davis, gentleman gambler deluxe. His phenomenally uniform success over the table wins him the monniker of “Natural.” His role is sympathetic.

Broadway furnishes a background and the lack of music only adds to the story. Kay Francis deserves praise as the estranged wife. A reconciliation is in order but it comes too late. Powell takes a “spot” that he himself created and dies like a trouper.

Regis Toomey and Jean Arthur as the newly married couple add romance. Powell has deep silvery speaking voice and uses it to advantage in choice bits of well written dialog. Of course, most of the ardent Powell fans will not approve of their hero getting “bumped off,” but it is for the best.

Credit goes to John Cromwell for splendid direction. — T. J. H.

Mordaunt Hall, February 3, 1930. The New York Times:
William Powell, who has had his innings as Philo Vance in the films of the S. S. Van Dine stories, is now to be seen at the Rialto as “Natural” Davis, a prototype of the late Arnold Rothstein. This talking film, known as “Street of Chance,” is admirably acted and its incidents are so craftily devised that they compel attention.

It is a picture charged with excitement growing out of the stealth suggested in its scenes of Times Square and other sections on Broadway. There are instances where it might have been still more impressive, but, even so, there is no little originality in the handling of the high-stake gambling games.

John Cromwell, the director, with the aid of the author, Oliver H. P. Garrett, gives the breath of life to the persons involved in this adventure. There are the welchers, the faithful one-armed newsboy, the square-jawed money-grabbers who think no more of the death of a welcher than they do of the smoke from their cigars. The law of these “grand” gamblers is that a man must “go for a ride” if he’s in the way, and while the killing of an individual is entrusted to a couple of thugs, they pile up big money on a roll of the dice or a turn of the cards.

“Natural” Davis, whose real name is John B. Marsden, is the gambling leader and his orders are carried out until he finds himself in the same predicament as others and he is “put on the spot,” which means that his chances of continuing to live are about one in a hundred.

Davis, of all men, is caught with an ace in his palm and the poker players refuse to listen to his ex- planations or to his offer to refund the money. He is to walk the plank, so to speak.

Davis has a more human side to his nature where his own brother is concerned. He sends that young fellow $10,000 as a wedding present and “Babe,” as this brother is called, unknown to “Natural,” turns the $10,000 into $50.000, by gambling in California. He comes to New York, having heard all about “Natural” Davis, but never suspecting that this king of gamblers is his own brother. “Babe” fancies himself with the cards, and when John B. Marsden tells him not to gamble, “Babe” returns the $l0,000 to his brother. When John B. knows that “Babe” is going to get into a game with his own colleagues, he asks these hardened veterans of the round table and the dotted bones to fleece the kid. But it happens otherwise, for “Babe” has a run of luck that brings “Natural” Davis to the gambling table. Prior to “Natural’s” arrival, “Babe” looks forward to meeting this foeman worthy of his steel, and when he realizes a little later that Davis is his own brother, he decides to make the older man eat humble pie or go broke.

“Babe’s luck continues. Do as he will Davis can’t help adding to his brother’s stacks of chips. “Grands” are poured into the game as if they wore pennies and something like $250,000 decorates the table in one pot. Davis himself is being wiped out by this “Babe,” and although others are in the stud pot, Davis palms an ace. And Mr. Davis might just as well have stood up then and there and permitted himself to be peppered with bullets as to wait a day, for his name is mud.

And a little later, “Natural” Davis is seen staggering at the front door of a big hotel and is finally taken to a hospital in an ambulance. At that moment “Babe” and his bride are aboard a train bound for the West.

Mr. Powell does extraordinarily good work as the power among Broadway gamblers. Kay Francis is believable as the gambler’s wife. John Risso makes the most of the crippled news boy, Tony. Regis Toomey almost rivals Mr. Powell in his interpretation of “Babe.”

From a 1930 issue of Motion Picture