Seven Chances
Screening on Film
With Buster Keaton, Ruth Dwyer.
US, 1925, 35mm, black & white, silent, 69 min.
In this contemporary comedy, Keaton plays Jimmie Shannon, a young man as unsuccessful in business as he is in love. His extreme reticence (what other romantic approach could we imagine from "the Great Stoneface"?) has kept the girl of his dreams from discovering his true feelings; meanwhile, the imminent financial ruin he faces forces him to dodge a stream of subpoena-bearing lawyers. One of these, however, has a will rather than a summons: Jimmie will inherit $7 million if he marries before 7:00 p.m. on his 27th birthday, which happens to be that very day. What ensues is an amalgam of the early chase film, old-fashioned slapstick, and brilliant sight gag. Seven Chances spotlights Keaton's mastery at mixing social satire with visual humor and highlights his artful athleticism.