page_title: Last Clear Chance
section_title: Release and legacy
hierarchical_section_title: Last Clear Chance / Release and legacy
caption_attribution_description: English: Rick Prelinger
context_page_description: Last Clear Chance is a 1959 American short film produced and directed by Robert Carlisle. Sponsored by Union Pacific Railroad, Last Clear Chance is a high school safety film intended to warn young drivers to be careful at railroad crossings. The film's cast consists of William Boyett, Harold Agee, Mrs. Harold Agee, Tim Bosworth, William Agee, Christine Lynch, and Lou Spraker. Written by Leland Baxter, the film was shot in parts of Idaho. Wondsel, Carlisle & Dunphy Inc, based in New York City, served as the film's production company.
  The film centers on the Dixon family, in particular Alan Dixon, who has recently received his driver's license and is eager to begin driving a car. When local police officer Hal Jackson visits the Dixons and learns that Alan's license has arrived, he sits down and tells Alan ways to drive safely and avoid getting into accidents. Although the film is fictional, it was inspired by a real family who experienced a scenario similar to the film. During production, assistance was provided by staff of the National Safety Council, along with the Idaho State Police and the Colorado State Patrol.
context_section_description: Last Clear Chance was originally distributed only in western states that were served by Union Pacific. It was released in 16 mm film, and by 1960 was described as being "shown widely in all sections of the country." A copyright on the film was not registered, and it is in the public domain under Public Domain Mark 1.0. A copy of the film is in the Prelinger Archives, and as such it is available to be freely downloaded or streamed from the Internet Archive.
  The film was received positively by many people who worked in the safety industry, with it being reported that many of them considered it to be "the most moving and hard-hitting educational film on highway grade crossing accident prevention and traffic safety in recent years." It received an award at a national safety film contest. Rick Prelinger described the film as being "engaging" and opined that it was a "skillful drama." Bill Gibron of DVD Verdict branded the film as "hyper somber" and wrote that "we learn, finally, why reckless driving, trains, and painful automotive accidents don't mix. The question everyone keeps asking is 'Why don't they look?' The answer is simple. They're dopes!"
  Last Clear Chance was featured in an episode of the comedy television series Mystery Science Theater 3000. Last Clear Chance appeared in the twentieth episode of the fifth season, which was originally broadcast on December 18, 1993. Last Clear Chance became a "huge hit" thanks to its appearance on the show, and it has been described as one of the "Mystery Science Theater 3000 favorites." Actor and writer Kevin Murphy, who plays Tom Servo on the show, opined that Last Clear Chance "is right up there with my all-time favorite shorts." Rhino Entertainment has released the  segment featuring Last Clear Chance on VHS, as part of Mystery Science Theater 3000 - Shorts Volume 2. Shorts Volume 2 was later re-released on DVD in 2003, as part of Mystery Science Theater 3000 Collection, Volume 3.
  Clips from Last Clear Chance are featured in 2004's Panorama Ephemera, a film created by Rick Prelinger which compiles clips from 64 short films in order to form a cohesive narrative. The clip used from Last Clear Chance is the scene where Frank Jr. and Betty drive into the path of an oncoming train. Panorama Ephemera can be downloaded or streamed for free at the Internet Archive.
caption: Rick Prelinger used clips from Last Clear Chance in his film Panorama Ephemera.
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