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The Chance of a Lifetime ()


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Sleuth Boston Blackie (Chester Morris) helps a wartime convict (Erik Rolf) who was framed for a murder while out on parole.

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Cast

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Horatio 'Boston Blackie' Black
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Dooley Watson
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Mary Watson
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Insp. John Farraday
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The Runt
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Arthur Manleder
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
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Carpet Man (uncredited)
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Convict (uncredited)
George Anderson ...
Warden J.A. Edwards (uncredited)
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Woman in Hallway (uncredited)
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Manny Vogel (uncredited)
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Sandy - Reporter (uncredited)
Sally Cairns ...
Richie Adair (uncredited)
Jack Carr ...
Carpet Man (uncredited)
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Frank - Policeman (uncredited)
James Conaty ...
Parole Board Member (uncredited)
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Police Desk Sergeant (uncredited)
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Convict (uncredited)
Marie De Becker ...
Miss Bailey (uncredited)
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Reporter at Parole Board Hearing (uncredited)
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Woman in Hallway (uncredited)
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Miss Edna Counihan (uncredited)
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Root - Prison Warden (uncredited)
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Nails Blanton (uncredited)
Jerry Frank ...
George Phillips - Convict (uncredited)
Joel Friedkin ...
Joe Painter (uncredited)
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Wilfred Thompson (uncredited)
Bobbie Hale ...
British Newsman (uncredited)
John Harmon ...
Red Taggart (uncredited)
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Elwood 'Tex' Stewart (uncredited)
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Jumbo Madigan (uncredited)
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Parole Board Member (uncredited)
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Policeman (uncredited)
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Benny Hines (uncredited)
Al Murphy ...
William Jones (uncredited)
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Chairman of Parole Board (uncredited)
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Policeman (uncredited)
Brian O'Hara ...
Parker Gray (uncredited)
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Johnny Watson (uncredited)
Dick Rush ...
Lally - Policeman (uncredited)
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Detective Sgt. Matthews (uncredited)
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Jerome Wagner (uncredited)
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Joe - Policeman (uncredited)
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Driver (uncredited)
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Workman (uncredited)
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State Gov. Rutledge (uncredited)

Directed by

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William Castle

Written by

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Paul Yawitz ... (original screenplay)
 
Jack Boyle ... (based on characters created by)

Produced by

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Wallace MacDonald ... producer

Cinematography by

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Ernest Miller

Editing by

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Jerome Thoms

Art Direction by

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Lionel Banks
Paul Murphy

Set Decoration by

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Robert Priestley

Makeup Department

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Clay Campbell ... makeup artist

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director

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Earl Bellamy ... assistant director

Sound Department

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Earl Snyder ... sound engineer

Stunts

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Eddie Parker ... stunts (uncredited)

Music Department

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Morris Stoloff ... musical director (as M.W. Stoloff)
Sidney Cutner ... composer: stock music (uncredited)
Werner R. Heymann ... composer: stock music (uncredited)
Friedrich Hollaender ... composer: stock music (uncredited)
Ben Oakland ... composer: stock music (uncredited)
George Parrish ... composer: stock music (uncredited)
Gregory Stone ... composer: stock music (uncredited)

Production Companies

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Distributors

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Special Effects

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Other Companies

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Storyline

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Plot Summary

Boston Blackie (Chester Morris) sponsors the parole of a group of hardened convicts so they can take up wartime-employment in a tool manufacturing plant owned by his millionaire friend Arthur Menleder. Complications arise when a gangster, "Nails" Blanton (Douglas Fowley), frames one of the paroled convicts, Dooley Watson (Erik Rolf), for a murder. Blackie, a reformed jewel thief, has to employ some of his amateur magician tricks and he and his very small sidekick, The Runt (George E. Stone), also do a cross-dressing bit , which is not a pretty sight, in order to prove the innocence of Wilson. . Written by Les Adams

Plot Keywords
Taglines BOSTON BLACKIE IS UP TO SOMETHING NEW..THAT LOOK IN HIS EYE MEANS TROUBLE! TRIPLE TROUBLE! (original poster-all caps) See more »
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Certification

Additional Details

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Also Known As
Runtime
  • 65 min
Country
Language
Color
Aspect Ratio
Sound Mix

Did You Know?

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Trivia Director William Castle tells in his autobiography that this, his first full-length feature, was a public disaster upon its release. Critics destroyed the film. He was afraid of Harry Cohn's wrath because of this failure but on the contrary, King Cohn asked him to proceed and not pay attention to the critics. See more »
Goofs When Blackie led the surprise in his apartment on Nails he grab the gun from Nails. Blackie, pointing the gun, held the gun with his finger on the trigger. Anyone familiar with guns knows that you would not do that. The trigger finger would be on the side of the gun, not on the trigger...safety. See more »
Movie Connections Featured in Spine Tingler! The William Castle Story (2007). See more »

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