
Karl Breitman, obsessed with the notion that he is a descendant of Napoleon, is driven to restore the monarchy in France. To accomplish this, he courts Hedda Gobert, who, he has learned, possesses Napoleon's papers.


Karl Breitman’s quest for a ghost-emperor’s gold is less a treasure hunt than an autopsy on the seductive rot of legacy. There are films that recount events, and then there are films that exhume the stench of yearning; A Splendid Hazard belongs to the latter caste. Shot through with the sulfuric tint of nitrate deca...

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Comparing the cinematic DNA and archive impact of two defining moments in cult history.

Allan Dwan

Allan Dwan
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" Karl Breitman’s quest for a ghost-emperor’s gold is less a treasure hunt than an autopsy on the seductive rot of legacy. There are films that recount events, and then there are films that exhume the stench of yearning; A Splendid Hazard belongs to the latter caste. Shot through with the sulfuric tint of nitrate decay, this 1920 silent survives—miraculously—in scattered reels, yet its power crackles like faulty wiring beneath floorboards. Director William J. Humphrey (working from Harold McGra..."
Harold McGrath
United States


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