Seven Chances

1925
Directed By Buster Keaton


SYNOPSIS

Jimmie (Buster Keaton) stands to inherit 7 million dollars from his deceased grandfather... if he is married by 7 o'clock on his 27th birthday... which is today! His girl (Ruth Dwyer) rejects his sudden and underwhelming proposal... so he tries to get any woman he knows to marry him with no success. After an article appears in the afternoon newspaper about the inheritance... every woman in town will stop at nothing to get him!

MY THOUGHTS

Seven Chances isn't as well known as some of Buster Keaton's films, but it should be.

The first half of the film is slow (almost boring,) setting up the plot. It features no action and a few mildly amusing moments. Then it dramatically shifts from first gear all the way to fifth and the film races to its finish... with Keaton literally running top speed the entire way. A mob of hundreds hungry brides chasing him... he jumps off a cliff onto a tree being chopped down. He then dashes down a steep hill, triggering a landslide with bouncing boulders threatening his life the entire way down. The entire sequence must be seen to be believed. (see above video) The shots and editing are as close to perfect as any scene could possibly be.


The premise, which came from a play, has been used before Keaton and many times after.
 
Fans of the Three Stooges will easily recognize the plot was later 'borrowed' for one of their most well known shorts 1947's Brideless Groom.


With as much success as the Stooges were able to have with the same plot... Keaton's take is still superior in every way.