In recent months, audiences across North America have discovered the French silent comedian Max Linder (1884–1925). Linder developed a signature persona as a dapper Parisian and became an international superstar in the early decades of cinema. Seven Years Bad Luck, his first and most successful feature made in Hollywood, showcases his talents as a director, comedian and master of the sight gag.

Max breaks a mirror, leading to an endless series of calamities variously involving his fiancée, a train trip, the police and animals. Of course in the end, the hero prevails. As with Pierre Étaix last year, this restored classic is presented during the Five Funny French Films series to encourage museum audiences to discover Linder.