Seven Chances (1925)

A man learns he will inherit a fortune if he marries. By 7 p.m. Today.

Director:

Buster Keaton

Writers:

Roi Cooper Megrue (adapted from David Belasco's famous comedy by), Clyde Bruckman (screen version),

Stars:

Buster Keaton, T. Roy Barnes, Snitz Edwards

1 win & 1 nomination.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Buster Keaton	...	James Shannon
T. Roy Barnes	...	His Partner - William Meekin
Snitz Edwards	...	His Lawyer - Caleb Pettibone
Ruth Dwyer	...	His Girl
Frances Raymond	...	Her Mother (as Frankie Raymond)
Erwin Connelly	...	The Clergyman
Jules Cowles	...	The Hired Hand

Storyline

Financial broker Jimmie Shannon is nearly bankrupt when an attorney presents grandfather's will leaving him seven million dollars. In order to inherit the money Jimmie must marry before 7 pm on his 27th birthday - today!

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Plot Keywords:

inheritance | time | millionaire | church | avalanche | 

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Genres:

Comedy | Family | Romance

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

11 March 1925 (USA)

Also Known As:

As Sete Ocasiões de Pamplinas

Filming Locations:

Greater Page Temple - West Adams Boulevard & La Salle Avenue, West Adams, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Buster Keaton Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

56 min

Sound Mix:

Silent

Color:

Black and White Color (2-strip Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Constance Talmadge:  Popular actress and sister of Buster Keaton's wife at the time, Natalie Talmadge, has a small uncredited role.

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Goofs

The boulders are clearly fake - one boulder hits Buster and bounces off of him.

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Quotes

Jimmie Shannon: (looking at a list of possible brides) Who bats next?

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Connections

Referenced in Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (1999)

User Reviews

Hilarious & Inventive

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.