Seven Years Bad Luck

To be honest with you, I had never heard of the silent actor Max Linder until I picked up his DVD compilation from the library the other day. On it contains many shorts along with this, his feature from 1921, to the audiences of today, to which I say Thank You Very Much! Because this film is just WAITING to be discovered! Max plays a ridiculously rich guy, who is about to get married, and how a single day's sequence of events could seriously jeopardize his engagement. I was surprised to learn that this is the first movie that uses the "mirror" gag that we've seen countless times (most notably by the Marx Bros). Linder does this gag so astonishingly well, all other attempts in any other comedy (including animated!) pales in comparison. There are many other witty gags on display here, some fun with animals, some VERY clever disguise work (with some rather funny, but never offensive black person disguise) and some very amazing stunt work. And here's another reason why you should see this. With most silent movies nowadays, I don't find much particularly funny anymore. But with this, I was laughing out loud at least 3 times during the movie. And when I notice myself laughing, then it must mean something!

Seven Years Bad Luck is an excellent comedy written, directed and starring an excellent comedian named Max Linder. Though not particularly well remembered today, this movie proves that Linder deserves all the reputation he can get. I found two scenes to be especially funny -- "the mirror routine," in which a tired Max's cook appears to be his mirror image, and the sequence in which Max enters a lion's cage in an attempt to escape from a group of furious cops.

At the time Linder made this feature in Hollywood, he hadn't been very active in the movie-business because of depressions and fading health, and Seven Years Bad Luck was, despite promising reviews, not a hit and was soon forgotten. Fortunately, the movie is now available on DVD from Image Entertainment, accompanied by a good musical score composed by Robert Israel.

Seven Years Bad Luck definitively gets a 10 out of 10 from me, for its brilliant gags which are all so decently performed. A must-see!

To me, this movie was highly reminiscent of a Harold Lloyd or Buster Keaton film, though with fewer laughs. Now this ISN'T to say it wasn't funny or was a bad film--but the number and intensity of the laughs was lower than other similar films. And the reason it looked a lot like a film by these other comedians is that Max Linder originated so many of the comedy routines we took for granted in films by later comedians--such as the mirror gag that was copied in DUCK SOUP (1933). Also, in the scenes where Max steps on and off the train so acrobatically are exactly the sort of thing I would expect Keaton or perhaps Chaplin to do. Chaplin himself credits much of his success to things he learned by watching early Linder films, though by the time he made it to Hollywood, Linder's film apparently lost a lot of their frenetic spark.

This film ostensibly is about Max breaking a mirror and trying to avoid bad luck--though everything he did only made things worse. While a promising premise, the movie really seemed to lose direction and the original plot is seldom in evidence later in the film. Some very good and interesting moments, but a lackluster and vague plot didn't help this movie. Still, it is nice to see Linder in a full-length film and it is well worth seeing for its finer moments. to highlight Linder's talents.

The first of three feature-length movies Max Linder made during his second stay in Hollywood sees his luck taking a turn for the worse after he breaks a mirror. An uneven comedy that is wildly funny at times, but which misfires just as often. The brilliantly choreographed 'human mirror' gag was later copied by the Marx Brothers. The fact their their routine is held up as an example of comic genius while Linder's version is largely forgotten pretty much typifies the Frenchman's unfortunate status as one of cinema's overlooked geniuses.

After drinking too much at his bachelor party, wealthy Max Linder stumbles home, disoriented. He confuses his window and closet. Servants accidentally break Max' full-length mirror and conceal the fact by having a Max look-alike (Harry Mann) pose as his reflection. The ruse works through his morning shave, but Max realizes the glass is missing and throws a shoe at the mirror. Unfortunately, the new glass arrived and repairs were made. Max broke the mended mirror and fears "Seven Years Bad Luck" will follow...

The "mirror scene" in the opening minutes wasn't the first or last time this "bit" was done; however, it was the best. There are other great moments in this feature. The main story involves "false friend" F.B. Crayne trying to steal pretty Alta Allen (as Betty) from luckless Max. You'll lose track of the plot while marveling at how Max is able to sneak on a train and evade pursuers. Note how his disguise as a Black porter avoids the stereotypical qualities common for the time; there are no exaggerated lips or eyes, and Max' stance is explained by his over-sized pants. A female passenger is unable to accept the "masked" Max...

There are those who like Max with the lions, but the scenes do look forced. Much better is the finale. When Max in thrown in jail, he meets an inmate (Cap Anderson) who demands, "Scratch my back!" Max initially declines, but taking care of the other man's "itch" becomes pleasurable when they dose off and Max dreams his new companion is female. When they wake up, Max wants "Mary" again, but his new partner has a hard time giving up the relationship. In the end, switching partners appears to solve the problem.

********* Seven Years Bad Luck (2/6/21) Max Linder ~ Max Linder, Alta Allen, F.B. Crayne, Harry Mann, Cap Anderson