Jimmy Shannon is a young man working at a brokerage firm on the brink of financial collapse. Just when things couldn’t get worse, a lawyer finally manages to deliver good news: Jimmy is set to inherit seven million dollars from his late grandfather. The catch? He must be married by 7:00 p.m. that very same day, which also happens to be his 27th birthday. What begins as a romantic proposal turns into a chaotic, cross-town chase to find any woman willing to marry him before the deadline.

Seven Chances is based on the Broadway play of the same name, written by Roi Cooper Megrue and produced by David Belasco, which premiered in 1916. Keaton’s film adaptation maintains the original premise but infuses it with his unmistakable physical humor and an escalating sense of absurdity that culminates in one of the most iconic chases in silent film history.

At the time of its release, critics considered it a minor entry in Keaton’s career—funny, but not quite on par with his masterpieces. Yet decades later, Seven Chances is praised for its technical inventiveness and comic timing, especially in its thrilling final sequence, in which Jimmy is chased downhill by hundreds of furious brides in a spectacle of pure slapstick genius.

The film’s opening was shot in early Technicolor, a rarity for comedies of the silent era. While not as famous as The General or Sherlock Jr., Seven Chances was still a box office success, grossing nearly $600,000.

Today, the film is remembered for its tight narrative structure, inventive gags, and that unforgettable finale. In 2010, the International Buster Keaton Society even reenacted the “Bridal Run” in the streets of Muskegon, Michigan, with dozens of participants in wedding dresses.

The film was based on a successful Broadway play written by Roi Cooper Megrue and produced by the famous Broadway producer David Belasco.  

Trivia

• The legendary boulder avalanche scene was partly accidental—lightweight rocks made of papier-mâché were rolled downhill, and Keaton improvised the entire chase, narrowly dodging them on the spot.

• While Keaton is the sole credited director, John G. Blystone originally began work on the film before leaving due to creative differences.

• The bridal chase sequence has been parodied countless times in film, TV, and commercials.

• The early color footage at the start makes this one of the few silent comedies with surviving Technicolor scenes.

• Over 500 women were hired as extras to play the rampaging brides—many were vaudeville performers and dancers from the L.A. scene.

The Soundtrack

"Seven Chances" was the first soundtrack for Buster Keaton's films made by Caspervek, written ex-profeso in 2015 for The Urban Beach Cinema, one of the largest open-air film festivals in Spain. The soundtrack defined the later style that the band would continue to use to score slapstick comedies, with a mix of classic jazz, swing, and the ensemble's signature minimalism.