Seven Chances (1925)

Director:

Buster Keaton

Writers:

David Belasco (play)
Roi Cooper Megrue (adaptation)

Release Date:

11 March 1925 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Family | Romance

Plot:

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

Plot Keywords:

Number 7 In Title | Courtship | Inheritance | Dog | Remake

Awards:

1 win

Cast

Buster Keaton	...	James 'Jimmie' Shannon
T. Roy Barnes	...	His partner Billy Meekin
Snitz Edwards	...	His lawyer
Ruth Dwyer	...	His girl Mary Jones
Frances Raymond	...	Her mother Mrs Jones (as Frankie Raymond)
Erwin Connelly	...	The clergyman
Jules Cowles	...	The hired hand

Runtime:

USA:56 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White | Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Silent

Certification:

Portugal:M/6 | Argentina:Atp | USA:Passed | Spain:T | UK:U

Filming Locations:

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

Company:

Buster Keaton Productions

Trivia:

Buster Keaton had this project foisted upon him by producer Joseph M. Schenck, who had bought the rights to the hit Broadway show. Keaton later called it his least favorite feature and tried to keep film historian Raymond Rohauer from restoring the only known copy of the movie.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: Just as the horde of would-be brides overruns the college football game, one of the players can be seen throwing himself to the ground, already pretending to be trampled.

Quotes:

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

Movie Connections:

Featured in Reel Paradise (2005)

Hard To Top This For Silent Film Laughs

Buster Keaton, a businessman who is about to get into some serious trouble and lose all his money, finds out his fortunes might change rapidly as a relative dies and leaves him $7 million. One hitch: he has to be married by his 27th birthday to qualify for the cash....and - surprise - today is his 27th birthday.

Well, he frantically searches for anyone to marry him, starting with his girlfriend and then working down to others. He has a list of seven women - all very pretty, I might add, even with that stupid 1920s overdone makeup. Poor Buster quickly strikes out on all seven of those.

Then - and here is where the real fun starts - his business partner puts a story in that day's newspaper saying his buddy is looking to marry a woman and collect $7 million. All you have to do is meet him at the church at 5 o'clock to marry him. Well, hundreds - maybe a thousand - women all storm the church! When Buster sees this - and then gets a note from his girlfriend saying she WILL marry him - he escapes from the church to meet her. Unfortunately, the chase is on as the multitude of women chase him all over town.

The hordes of women pursue him the main street, through a railroad yard, past the suburbs and finally into the countryside where he loses them. He still isn't home free as giant boulders start chasing him down a hill and then chase him for miles. Keaton keeps running and running through all of it. He has more endurance than an Olympic marathon runner! It's touch-and-go whether he can make it to see his girl by the 7 p.m. deadline and get married.

All of this takes place in a 56-minute film with the last 15 minutes being total insanity with that great chase scene.

Silent movie comedy entertainment.does not get much better than this.