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Contrary to what you may have read, "Seven Chances" (1925) was made before Buster Keaton signed with MGM and relinquished artistic control over his own films. His gifts of extraordinary agility, timing, and visualizing the comic potential in the most mundane situations are everywhere in evidence.

The plot of "Seven Chances" is ancient. A young bachelor stands to inherit millions if he can find a bride by a certain day and marry at a certain hour. The date is invariably the same as the day the will is read, and in the hands of Keaton, his writers and cast, the comic possibilities are brilliantly exploited. The same premise was the basis for at least three other films before Keaton's, and was remade (abysmally -- from what I've read) as "The Bachelor" with Chris O'Donnell in 1999. The chain of events that flows from news of the inheritance just builds and builds over the course of the film, the gags growing increasingly clever as time grows shorter. "Seven Chances" clocks in at less than an hour, but the final 15 minutes (which Buster Keaton reportedly reworked several times) are among the most hilarious in all of silent film, perhaps in the history of screen comedy.

Initially, only Buster, his business partner (T. Ray Brown) and the lawyer (Snitz Edwards, who was so terribly homely he was cute) are aware of the dilemma. After Buster botches a proposal to his longtime girlfriend, (Ruth Dwyer), he pops the question to several more female acquaintances, with predictably embarrassing results. It is then that Brown and Edwards (unbeknownst to Buster) decide to place a newspaper announcement advertising his plight.

Once the newspapers hit the streets, the chase is on. Keaton is pursued through 1920s Los Angeles by dozens, then scores, then seemingly hundreds of would-be brides. They come in all ages, shapes and sizes, makeshift veils trailing after them. No obstacle is too great in their pursuit to beat out each other for the prize of marriage to a man they don't even know, and Buster throws out plenty of roadblocks in his wake.

In 1979, Walter Kerr wrote the definitive book on silent comedies, "The Silent Clowns." One of the jacket blurbs reads, "I found myself laughing out loud at routines from movies I have never seen." I don't have Kerr's gift, but I can tell you that "Seven Chances" is the most consistently funny movie Buster Keaton ever made. All of his movies include inventive sight gags, but "Seven Chances," more than most of Buster's movies, relies on character comedy as well as situational comedy for its humor. And it scores a bull's eye on both. A sheer delight.

Buster Keaton catapults himself down a steep hillside, an avalanche of pebbles, rocks and boulders tumbling in his wake. If any one of these objects were to strike him down, he would certainly be killed by the impact. He is almost escaping the rocks now; just a few more seconds of frantic sprinting is required. Suddenly, Keaton looks up, only to find a massive horde of woman striding purposefully towards him. He is stuck between a rock and a hard place: an avalanche behind him, and a flock of would-be brides ahead. Quickly and delicately weighing his chances of survival either way, Keaton turns determinedly towards the barrage of boulders. It is hilarious little moments like this that make Buster Keaton's silent comedies such a joy to watch, and 'Seven Chances' is certainly one of the funniest I've seen, brimming with the talented actor's trademark deadpan humour.

The premise on which the story is based is singularly ridiculous, and so this allows Keaton to have a great deal of fun, placing his character in appropriately bizarre situations. Young Jimmy Shannon (Keaton) loves his sweetheart Mary Jones (Ruth Dwyer), but can never quite muster up the courage to tell her, and most certainly could never take that plunge into marriage. However, one day he discovers that his grandfather has left him the princely sum of $7 million, but only if he gets married… by 7 PM that day! After he is rejected by Mary (due to an unfortunate misunderstanding), Jimmy seeks out another would-be bride, ultimately realising that finding a wife isn't as easy as he had hoped. The first half of the film is admittedly light on Keaton's patented stunt-work, but it remains a clever and witty situation comedy, with poor Jimmy suffering the laughter of onlookers as he moves from one girl to the next, tentatively asking for their hands in marriage.

When all this fails, an advertisement in the afternoon-edition newspaper brings hundreds of women to Jimmy's side, but by now he's realised that Mary is the only girl he could ever marry. As he struggles desperately to get to her home by 7:00, he is pursued by a horde of money-crazy ladies: big and small, young and old, beautiful and ugly. This is truly where Keaton comes into his element, and a hectic scramble down a hillside – pursued by an avalanche of rocks – is the film's most memorable moment {the idea for this scene came by accident, when Keaton inadvertently dislodged some rocks while he was running. The preview audience responded so favourably that he decided to re-shoot an extended sequence}. The paper-mâché rocks look quite convincing, and I was pretty much fooled into thinking that Keaten was really dodging the real thing (until I noticed him get bowled over by one of the boulders, without any apparent ill-effects!) 'Seven Chances' moves by at such a frenetic pace that there isn't a moment that could be trimmed. Though it runs for just 56 minutes, I had a huge smile on my face for every single one of them.

This film might seem familiar, as it has been remade several times--the last time just a few years ago. Buster Keaton stands to inherit a fortune providing he marries before time expires. But, he has no prospects and time is running out--what to do, what to do? Well, he tries again and again and again with no luck. That is until the ladies find out about the fortune that awaits them as his bride. Then, EVERYONE under the sun comes out of the woodwork--all ages, races and sizes. And, because so much money is involved, it goes from being a cute comedy to complete pandemonium! These women WON'T take no for an answer and they are super-dooper aggressive--and Buster runs for his life! Well, the ladies aren't about to let their fortune get away and hundreds of maniacal brides-to-be (all in white) give chase--resulting in one of the funniest chases in film history. What happens next is for you to see for yourself. It's funny, well-made and fast paced fun.

Buster Keaton's comic genius makes "Seven Chances" a wildly entertaining film. The first half of it is quite good, if imperfect, but the second half is a tour-de-force of sustained humor and creativity. Keaton plays Jimmie Shannon, a young man who learns that he stands to inherit a fortune, but only if he marries by 7 PM that very day. It's the kind of goofy premise that in lesser hands could be a complete flop, but Keaton gets all kinds of possibilities out of it.

For most of the first half of the film, Jimmie is busy racing around proposing to every woman he can find. His true love, Mary, tries to find Jimmie herself, but he is already off on his frantic search for someone to accompany him to the altar. The search is always funny, at times extremely so. This first half has a handful of things that don't quite work, such as the black-faced servant (who was, though, probably intended as a sympathetic character), but if it were not for that and a couple other small details, this would be a nearly perfect film.

In the second half, all of the complications set up a frantic chase sequence, with literally hundreds (at least) of angry women pursuing Jimmie through the city, while he tries to get to Mary. This might be the best comic chase sequence ever filmed. It is hilarious and incredibly inventive, with careful choreography, a great variety of backgrounds, and a huge collection of gags both obvious and subtle. No description could do it justice - it has to be seen at least once to appreciate it.

If you are a fan of Keaton or of silent films in general, make sure to see this one.

I had never seen a Buster Keaton movie before this one; now, I only wish I hadn't missed so much of the local Keaton film fest. This film was unlike anything I'd ever seen before -- a jaw-dropping of hilarity and acrobatic skill. You want to sit there, stunned at the stunts Buster pulls, but it's so hilarious, you absolutely can't stop laughing. It's simply a good movie for about 45 minutes; then, the last 15 are incomparable.

Jimmie Shannon (Buster Keaton) is a broker in need of money. When a lawyer comes to tell him he has inherited a certain sum, Jimmie avoids him thinking he may be bringing a summons. And then when he does hear the good news, there's a catch...

Directed by and starring Buster Keaton, this film portrays his particular brand of physical comedy, though perhaps not with as much danger as "The General" or as many tricks as "Sherlock Jr." The music of Robert Israel really carries this film. Not just because it's a silent film, but because it's great music -- moving, light and comedic. And there is an implied racial tone... Jimmie passes on proposing to both a Jew and a black woman.

I literally "laughed out loud" at this film! It is a shame Keaton considered it his worst film. Who knew it was so hard to get someone to marry you for $7,000,000 (in 1925 money, no less)?

The premise and first half of the film is pretty silly and I really wish there hadn't been the dimwitted character in blackface, but I could watch Buster running away from all those women and boulders any day. As always he displays his athleticism and really puts himself out there physically, and the film is well worth seeing just for that. I was surprised to find out that the woman at the switchboard reading a book is none other than Jean Arthur, so keep an eye out for her too.

Desperate for money to save his failing business, junior stockbroker Buster Keaton (as James "Jimmie" Shannon) is understandably pleased to learn his recently deceased grandfather has tentatively left him $7 million. In order to inherit the money, Mr. Keaton must get married by 7 pm. After a misunderstanding with girlfriend Ruth Dwyer (as Mary Jones), Keaton gets "Seven Chances" to propose, but each woman turns him down. When a newspaper article reveals Keaton's potential, every woman in the vicinity decides to pursue him. Keaton decides marrying Ms. Dwyer is the correct way to go, if he can get away from a landslide of eager women...

Lost on modern audiences is a moment when Keaton visits a theater to propose marriage to a showgirl, who we're told is Julian Eltinge; filmgoers in 1925 would have known this was a female impersonator. Another of Keaton's prospects in young Jean Arthur (as "Miss Smith"). The colorful opening gives "Seven Chances" a great start, but frequent "ethnic" humor is not funny. It's hard to believe Keaton considered this film substandard. Even before it gets going, it's a top quality production. There are enough chuckles before the famous chase scene, which really begins when Keaton falls asleep in church and the women start rushing to meet him.

******** Seven Chances (3/11/25) Buster Keaton ~ Buster Keaton, Ruth Dwyer, Snitz Edwards, T. Roy Barnes

Seven Chances is a lovely reminder of just how larger than life the silent film era's productions could be, and while this particular example of star Buster Keaton is not without it's limitations as direct from the technology at the time, the film still holds up well eighty years on. As a comedy, it is slapstick in nature, and more funny than not, delivering many great visual gags as well as a few instances of wit either derived from the sporadic text, or from Keaton's actions himself. Furthermore, the romantic subplot which plays a large role in the overall arc of the feature is just as effective, if not more-so working to give the film a timeless appeal through it's heart-felt but not overly serious explorations of love. First and foremost however, Seven Chances is simple, light-hearted comedic fun meant to distract and entertain, and that's exactly what it does for the most part. To be sure, the pace can get a little too erratic for its own good at times, and often the wackiness of this generation of cinema can be a little hard to adjust to, but if you can overlook these minor bumps then there is indeed much fun to be had from sitting back and enjoying something a little different from modern cinema.

The story which keeps things relatively simple in a neat premise is one that serves the nature of the film well enough to deliver both the subtle romance and the overt slapstick. Keaton here plays 'Jimmie', a stock broker in legal trouble with his partner, who on his birthday learns that he has inherited money from a dead relative, which in turn would solve all his problems. The catch however is that Jimmie has to be married by 7PM that day, or else the fortune would not be passed over to him. What follows on from this rather ridiculous exposition is a fast-paced and well constructed tale that is just as ridiculous, if not even more. It's a staple of the time in that comedy was comedy, and drama was drama, and while there is still plenty of grounding rules present in The Seven Chances, it's one of those films that doesn't feel realistic, but draws much of its laughs from this very feature. Characters are flat and largely uninteresting as people, but as placeholders for ideas of both themes of romance and comedy, they work very well and fulfil their roles as intended.

As was the case with many films of the time, the silent film was one that relied heavily on its visuals to do the storytelling, the action and everything in between. Seven Chances is no exception here, as, with very little in the way of text to support the plot, much is put on Keaton and crew's shoulders to deliver the punches when required. As a pure visual treat, the film is vintage ice cream. Presented in unassuming sepia, and with action usually much too fast than reality would warrant, the film posses a distinct charm which, in combination with its superb direction is always entertaining to watch. The action, which takes place upon many different sets and locations, is frantic and manic, showcasing choreography that thrills even more than modern blockbuster epics do nowadays.

To be fair, all the running around (particularly the final fifteen minute chase) can be a bit of a mixed bag, delivering some great excitement, but also some other much more unsuccessful scenes which are more superfluous than necessary. With the help of Keaton though, much of these moments remain a joy to watch regardless of how long they seem to drag on for, and for the sheer spectacle of the thing, which when taking into account the fact that Keaton did all his own stunts, and coming from a time when CGI was science-fiction, is pure cinematic magic. Buster himself is top-notch throughout, filling the lead role as performer and director superbly, bringing with him his unique charm, charisma and stage presence that helps meld the whole production together into an ambitious, but simple-on-page piece of entertainment; good fun, some great laughs and a touching dash of romance on top.

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This is a really sweet little Buster Keaton movie, with a greatly executed story.

Its story is fun enough to make the movie consistently a fun one. It's the sort of story that has copied a lot in movies ever since but also was used in movies before this one. It's even a popular subject for modern present day comedies. It perhaps makes "Seven Chances" seem less original than it in fact truly is of course.

The movie uses a lot of title cards. I mean, basically every line that gets spoken in the movie gets shown in a title card. It also makes the dialog part of the comedy of the movie. It isn't a much visual comedy, meaning that it doesn't really feature much slapstick or things like that. It's more a movie that relies on its comical situations and of course on the acting comical talent of Buster Keaton. Also the supporting cast is really more than great.

The movie begins a bit standard and perhaps even a bit slow but when the movie its story starts to take form the movie turns into one great laugh fest, with the last 20 minutes or so as the ultimate highlight, when things start to get really crazy and paced and the movie gets turned into one big non-stop comical chase! It's the one great fun moment after the other, with also some great and dangerous stunt work again from Buster Keaton himself!

A great Buster Keaton must-see, from the silent-era!

9/10

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Directed by Buster Keaton. Starring Buster Keaton, Snitz Edwards, T. Roy Barnes, Ruth Dwyer, Frances Raymond, Jean Arthur.

Keaton is set to inherit $7 million, but only if he gets married by 7pm the same day he finds out; after blowing his chance with his sweetheart, his partner and lawyer persuade him to start propositioning whomever he can find! Only mildly amusing in the early going, it starts to pick up steam in the second half and builds to a riotous series of sight gags and stunts after a stampede of brides chase him all across town. The sequence where he's dodging and outrunning an avalanche of boulders is particularly memorable. Not in the same league as Keaton's greatest work--the story is thin beyond the high concept premise and there's no emotional attachment to the protagonist for the audience to care about his plight--but still highly recommended viewing for fans of The Great Stone Face or silent comedy in general.

71/100

You can see why MGM ruined Buster Keaton. In "Seven Chances," they stick him in a Broadway romantic comedy, for which he's totally unsuited. He even is well dressed, with slicked-up hair. The last third is a familiar chase sequence, totally out of character with the rest of the movie and below Keaton's standards.

However, what's worth seeing is one of two shorts tacked on the end of the DVD, "Neighbors." A character-based comedy (Buster's in love with the girl across the city fence; their parents try to keep them apart), it's sidesplitting and brilliant. Note: There are racial gags, some at white people's expense, others (sadly) at black's expense. At least Keaton used blacks in "Neighbors," not the whites in blackface in "Seven Chances."

The DVD is worth renting just for "Neighbors." Good music score, too.

Buster Keaton's films were usually a mix of misunderstandings, stunts, and convoluted plots, and 'Seven Chances' is no exception. Our hero is the partner in a failing company heading for financial ruin and disgrace, but there may be a way out if he can marry before 7pm on his 27th birthday - the trouble is, that's today ...

Cue some attempts to entice a variety of ladies into matrimony (the 'seven chances' of the title), as well as a lovely sequence in a church which slowly fills with brides in various types of dresses and veils. The chase which ensues involves Buster running away from rocks rolling down a hill in a race to reach his true love's door in time - but will he make it? Played very well and extremely clever in the way the stunts are carried out and filmed (no regard for health and safety here!), 'Seven Chances' has a lot to recommend it. As usual, Buster remains impassive throughout, no matter what happens - a gimmick which works well. This is one of his best films and well worth seeing.

True love takes a lot of work - but this is ridiculous!

Jimmie Shannon (Buster Keaton) is a partner in a brokerage who can't quite bring himself to propose to Mary (Ruth Dwyer), the only woman he loves. Then, his business facing ruin, he discovers he stands to inherit a fortune if only he gets married that day. He proposes to Mary, but she's put off by his apparent insincerity. So Jimmie is left to find a woman, any woman, who will marry him. Will love prevail?

The film is an odd one for Keaton, starting off with a brief color sequence (in 1925) and moving quite slowly for Buster through the first third. The story was one Keaton had handed to him, rather than one he worked on himself, and feels at times like a "ladies' picture," focusing as it does on Jimmie's frustrated feelings and Mary's unhappiness.

For a while, Buster's not even the main laugh-getter in the film. For a while, he plays a kind of straight man to troll-visaged Snitz Edwards, playing the lawyer bringing the news of Jimmie's inheritance. Snitz chases after Jimmie and his partner, who think he's a process-server and dodge him, but Snitz prevails. Buster still pines for Mary, saying he can love no other woman (which she happens to hear over a telephone connection, changing her mind), but agrees to bring to bring a woman to church before the deadline out of loyalty to his partner.

"In case two show up, I'll marry the other," Snitz declares.

There are other oddities about "Seven Chances," like racial humor (Jimmie almost proposes to a black woman; a blackface actor plays a thick-headed hired hand) and the "Saphead"-style character Buster plays. It would seem like a lesser Keaton for that, but instead emerges as a masterwork of pacing and narrative. Just as you begin to settle in to "Seven Chances" tea-cozy aesthetic, it ramps things up for one of the great double-rally endings in movie history.

There's also a charming sequence where Jimmie tries to find a bride among a list of female members of his country club, the "seven chances" of the film's title. He burns through those chances in six minutes, and then gets rejected by a receptionist (Jean Arthur) and a hat-check girl (Rosalind Byrne) for good measure. The sequence plays with set design and framing to keep you always wondering as to what will happen next.

One amazing thing about the film you might not notice is the clever use of panning. Camera pans were still fairly new in cinema; framing was often stationary. But Buster is always in motion, and the camera moves with him. One clever shot, of Buster finding a turtle attached to his tie, apparently employs a treadmill in order to achieve an overhead camera angle.

The gags here keep coming, and give "Seven Chances" the feel of a classic Keaton short. Except there's a real story here to be told, and the humor always works to move the ideas forward. It's a classic demonstration of Keaton's ingenuity - even if he didn't have a hand in the film's conception or writing he directed it, and it shows - as well as his ability to find as many ways of making you laugh in as little time as possible.

Seven Chances is a true testament to the genuis of Buster Keaton. It is a wonderful display of all his talents. The fact that he performed his own stunts makes some of the scenes not only funny but also extraordinary. His unique blend of comedy, timing, and innocence has never come together so well. If you have never before seen one of his films than I highly recommend this one, if you have seen this film then I recommend that you see it again.

There is a fantastical quality to silent films which makes unbelievable elements feel almost natural. Case in point, Seven Chances: a man's large inheritance is conditional on the clause that he must be married by 7pm the same day that he receives the will (his 27th birthday). This feels less inspired than many of Keaton's other setups, but we never once doubt the premise, despite its ridiculousness - this is key to the film's success. The patent silliness of the story is naturally a joke in itself, and a base to build other punchlines atop. There are, of course, numerous moments which generate laughs, both through intertitles ("Maybe Mary might marry me") and rapid-fire gags (the stop/go sign, the barbershop heads, Keaton following one woman up the stairs then turning down to chase another - both to no avail, et cetera). This is noticeably less reliant on slapstick and more trusting in the strength of its visuals, which is largely a plus. The first half-hour essentially riffs off of one idea (Keaton trying to find a bride), so it is a credit to the film's pacing that this never feels stale or repetitive. Yet, I rarely found myself truly impressed, unlike his inventiveness in e.g. Sherlock Jr.; this is mostly interchangeable and unspecial compared with any other comedy of its era by Chaplin, Lloyd, or indeed, Keaton. Adding here a mention of the film's casual misogyny and multiple uses of blackface - yes, a product of its time, but made all the more uncomfortable when played for laughs (i.e. Might have been easier to look past the racism had the servant character only appeared once, but when one of the *jokes* is Keaton looking revolted after realising his potential wife is black - yuck). Still, the concluding chase is pretty exceptional in its scale and use of tracking shots, also featuring most of the best gags: the falling boulders - which maybe went on a bit too long - and my favourite, a football team ready for kick-off getting mowed down by the horde of would-be brides, as stretchers and doctors rush to check on the players. This lacked anything compelling enough to warrant a revisit, feeling more like a short stretched out into feature length, rather than a fully fleshed idea trimmed down to under an hour (which is what I had hoped, cf. The variety but brevity displayed in, again, Sherlock Jr.). Not bad overall; perhaps not the masterpiece I had expected.

Although Charlie Chaplin seems to have been hailed as the silent comedy king, I always liked Buster Keaton a tad bit more. Sure, Chaplin had more heart, but Keaton had more thrills! And "Seven Chances" is certainly no exception. What starts off as a romantic comedy with a witty and simple premise soon morphs into a lengthy, bizarre, and almost surreal chase scene that makes this movie one of the funniest and most creative comedies of all time.

Although slapstick and romantic comedies are normally looked down upon in modern cinema, the silent masters knew how to execute these genres with perfection, and Keaton was perhaps the most perfect. The slapstick in this movie isn't just dumb, pointless injury, it's chaotic and complex, as it escalates in insanity and humor, getting funnier and funnier. Half of the film doesn't even contain slapstick, and its still laugh out loud hilarious. Silent comedians may be most well known for their slapstick, but they were also masters of visual, situational comedy, as is evident in much of this movie's running time.

If you're ready for an insane, laugh out loud ride, you cannot go much better than this hilarious, and only 50 minute long Keaton classic!

Jimmy Shannon (Buster Keaton) and his business partner Billy Meekin are desperate for money. He inherits $7 million from his late grandfather but he has to be married on his 27th birthday which happens to be that day. He clumsily proposes to his girlfriend Mary Jones which angers her and she breaks up with him. Billy comes up with a list of seven other girls for him to ask. All heck breaks loose.

This is based on a play and I would like to change most of it. First, Jimmy should not be looking to marry anyone other than Mary. It seems unlikely that he couldn't get any one of the seven to marry him for $7 million. Anyways, it's much more appealing if his love for Mary is greater than any amount of money. The story should be that he couldn't find Mary and they set up a date close to the dateline. The plot hurdle would still be Billy throwing women at him and the movie would just continue as it happens in the second half. It would also avoid the joke where Jimmy rejects a woman just because she's black. That one is hilarious (not). The second half is where the Buster Keaton fun happens and the boulders roll is an absolute classic. That is pure Keaton joy. I would just rewrite the first half of the movie.

You can see why MGM ruined Buster Keaton. In "Seven Chances," they stick him in a Broadway romantic comedy, for which he's totally unsuited. He even is well dressed, with slicked back hair. The last third is a familiar chase sequence, totally out of character with the rest of the movie and below Keaton's standards.

However, what's worth seeing is one of two shorts tacked on the end of the DVD, "Neighbors." A character-based comedy (Buster's in love with the girl across the city fence; their parents try to keep them apart). It's sidesplitting and brilliant. Note: There are racial gags, some at white people's expense, others (sadly) at black's expense. At least Keaton used blacks in "Neighbors," not the whites in blackface in "Seven Chances."

The DVD is worth renting just for "Neighbors." Good music score, too.