- Seven Chances
Infobox_Film
name = Seven Chances
imag_size =
caption = Theatrical poster
director =Buster Keaton
producer =Joseph M. Schenck Buster Keaton
writer = Story:David Belasco Roi Cooper Megrue Screenplay:Clyde Bruckman Jean Havez Joseph A. Mitchell
starring =Buster Keaton
music = Robert Israel (1995)
cinematography =Byron Houck Elgin Lessley
editor = Buster Keaton
distributor =Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
released =March 11 1925
runtime = 56 minutes
country =United States
language =Silent film English intertitles
amg_id = 1:43834
imdb_id = 0016332|"Seven Chances" (1925) is an American
comedy silent film directed by and starringBuster Keaton , based on a play written byDavid Belasco . Additional casts members include T. Roy Barnes,Snitz Edwards , Ruth Dwyer, and others. The film also starsJean Arthur , a future 1930s screwball actor, in an uncredited supporting role as a telephone operator. [imdb title|id=0016332|title=Seven Chances.]Plot
The story tells of Jimmy Shannon (Keaton), a financial broker who's nearly bankrupt when an attorney presents his grandfather's will that left him seven million dollars.
In order to inherit the money, Jimmie must marry before 7 pm on his 27th birthday, which is the day he reads the will.
Cast
*
Buster Keaton as Jimmy Shannon
* T. Roy Barnes as Billy Meekin
*Snitz Edwards as The lawyer
* Ruth Dwyer as Mary Jones
* Frances Raymond as Mrs Jones
* Erwin Connelly as The clergyman
* Jules Cowles as The hired hand
*Jean Arthur as Receptionist at country clubCritical reception
When released,
Mordaunt Hall , the film critic for "The New York Times ," gave the film a mixed review, and wrote, "After viewing Buster Keaton's latest comedy, "Seven Chances," one is justified in assuming; that there is a slump in the fun market...it took the combined efforts of three experienced gag men to turn the stage effort into screen material. The result inclines one's belief in the old adage concerning too many cooks, as although there are quite a number of good twists some of them have been produced in haste. The ideas did not have time to ripen and are therefore put before the audience in a rather sour state." [ [http://movies.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9E01E5DF143EE531A15754C1A9659C946495D6CF Hall, Mordaunt] . "The New York Times," film review,March 17 ,1925 . Last accessed:February 19 ,2008 .]Film critic Dennis Schwartz liked the film and wrote, "A less ambitious but, nevertheless, hilarious Buster Keaton comedy. It's taken from the play by David Belasco and scripted by a team of writers. This minor film is based on a one-joke premise, but it has one of the greatest ever chase scenes. Keaton proves he's a master at building the comedy until it reaches its absolute breaking point." [ [http://www.sover.net/~ozus/sevenchances.htm Schwartz, Dennis] . "Ozus' World Movie Reviews," film review,
August 29 ,2005 . Last accessed: February 19, 2008.]"Time Out London" gave the film a positive review and wrote, "Less ambitious and less concerned with plastic values than the best of Keaton, this is nevertheless a dazzlingly balletic comedy in which Buster has a matter of hours to acquire the wife on which a seven million dollar inheritance depends...From this leisurely start, the film takes off into a fantastically elaborate, gloriously inventive chase sequence, in which Buster escapes the mob of pursuing harridans only to find an escalating avalanche of rocks taking over at his heels as he hurtles downhill. Added only after an initial preview, the rocks make for one of the great Keaton action gags." [ [http://www.timeout.com/film/reviews/74352/seven_chances.html "Time Out"] . Film reviews, 2008.]
The review aggregator
Rotten Tomatoes reported that 100% of critics gave the film a positive review, based on 11 reviews, marking the film as "Fresh." [ [http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/seven_chances/ "Seven Chances"] atRotten Tomatoes . Last accessed: February 19, 2008.]Remakes
The story was remade several times, notably by the
Three Stooges in their 1947 short, "Brideless Groom ", and in "The Bachelor", a 1999 film starringChris O'Donnell .Awards
Wins
* British Film Institute Awards: Sutherland Trophy - Special Mention, Buster Keaton; 1966.ee also
*
Buster Keaton filmography
*List of United States comedy films References
Footnotes
External links
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*
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* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cgGgsxUuEQo "Seven Chances"] film clip atYou Tube
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