Professor Beware.

Review #2529: Professor Beware.

Cast: 

Harold Lloyd (Professor Dean Lambert), Phyllis Welch MacDonald (Jane Van Buren), Raymond Walburn (Judge James G. Parkhouse Marshall), Lionel Stander (Jerry), William Frawley (Snoop Donlan), Thurston Hall (Mr. Van Buren), Cora Witherspoon (Mrs. Pitts), Sterling Holloway (The Groom), and Mary Lawrence (The Bride) Directed by Elliott Nugent.

Review: 

In the year that Professor Beware was released of 1938, Harold Lloyd turned 45 and had made nearly 200 films (shorts, features) for over two decades, all with the delight of having laughs at seeing a bespectacled glasses character. With that film, incidentally, Lloyd was no long producing his own films (as he had done since 1924, at least until he sold the land of his studio to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in 1937), as it was a production of Paramount Pictures with Lloyd as only a partial financier. The movie was directed by Elliott Nugent, who actually had done a handful of films as an actor before venturing into directing and being a playwright (most notably co-writing The Male Animal with James Thurber) for roughly two decades that saw him direct films with varying stars that ranged from Henry Fonda to Bob Hope. The screenplay was written by Delmer Daves, who was a few years away from being the director of such films as Destination Tokyo (1943) while Jack Cunningham and Clyde Bruckman were listed as doing an "adaptation" of a story as done by Crampton Harris, Francis M. Cockrell, and Marian B. Cockrell. The movie, made for roughly $800,000, was not a success with audiences at the time of release, and the fact that the film is the lone one not owned by the Lloyd estate meant that the movie lurked in the syndication circuit but hasn't really had much of a home media release (unless one likes, to, well, look for old movies on YouTube). Lloyd would produce a few films and do work in the radio before returning for one more starring role with The Sin of Harold Diddlebock (1947).

Okay, so what is the odd scenario encountered this time around: a professor is curious about the final missing fragment that tells the fate of an Egyptian from 3,000 years ago that had been buried alive for loving the daughter of the Pharoah...and the professor happens to look a bit like the Egyptian and believes that falling in love might make him go down the same path (in fairness, being buried alive does sound like a bummer). When the professor meets a girl through odd circumstances that result in him meeting public embarrassment, he sure believes he may be going the way of the Egyptian equivalent of the dodo. Lloyd and company wanted to fasten their machine of gags on the road to what they thought would be a good time. It is mildly successful in that regard...but it just seems tired, even with a runtime of 93 minutes, mainly because the gags only really get into gear for its climax, when the lead character corrals people to all follow him onto a boat by picking a fight. Lloyd aimed to get laughs from madcap situations but at a certain point watching him try to pull laughs from getting onto a rope from a moving train, it all seems that time is catching up to him. It may interest you to know this was the one and only movie appearance for Phyllis Welch MacDonald. She had made her debut on Broadway in 1935 with A Slight Case of Murder (coincidentally a play co-written by Runyon) and she moved to Hollywood after two years. Apparently, she signed a contract promising not to marry or be engaged for six months (otherwise pay $5,000) as part being in this film. The year after the film was released, she married and left acting to start a family while also being involved in children's theatre and even doing painted portraits on commission; she died in 2008 at the age of 95. Such a nice way to live life, as opposed to being stuck in further movies that may or may not have had better chances for her to actually do something besides be stuck with listless attempts at chemistry that remind you that movies on the road involving goofy encounters were just done better in It Happened One Night (1934). Stander and Frawley at least seem able to provide a chuckle. You might remember that previous sound efforts from Lloyd involved a would-be sleuth in Chinatown, a shoe salesman pretending to be successful, a movie-crazed wannabee, a mayor by accident that tries to reform a town, and a quick-paced comedy where a milkman goes to boxing contender. Some are better than others, most are at least semi-entertaining, but at least Lloyd had an idea of when it might just be time to go out on his terms.

Overall, I give it 6 out of 10 stars.

Song of the day!

*For those curious (in link form) about the pursuit of Lloyd's feature films in order up to Professor Beware:

A Sailor-Made Man, Grandma's Boy, Dr. Jack, Safety Last!, Why Worry?, Girl Shy, Hot Water, The Freshman, For Heaven's Sake, The Kid Brother, Speedy for the silent era

Welcome Danger, Feet First, Movie Crazy, The Cat's-Paw, The Milky Way for the sound

We will see The Sin of Harold Diddlebock in 2027.

The Milky Way (1936).

Review #2369: The Milky Way.

Cast: 

Harold Lloyd (Burleigh "Tiger" Sullivan), Adolphe Menjou (Gabby Sloan), Verree Teasdale (Ann Westley), Helen Mack (Mae Sullivan), William Gargan (Speed McFarland), George Barbier (Wilbur Austin), Dorothy Wilson (Polly Pringle), Lionel Stander (Spider Schultz), and Marjorie Gateson (Winthrop Lemoyne) Directed by Leo McCarey (#085 - Duck Soup, #1350 - Love Affair, #1394 - An Affair to Remember)

Review: 

It does hurt, in a sense, to reach the near end of the Harold Lloyd run. The Milky Way was the fifth sound movie that he starred in, which if you remember correctly, were not exactly comparable to his silent output in terms of audience appeal. By this point, he wasn't even the producer of his own movies and now he was 43 (to say nothing of the fact that every movie made after 1919 was done with a special glove to hide the fact that he had just eight fingers). The year after this movie was released, Lloyd sold the land of his studio to the Latter-day Saints, and the year after that saw him star in his last sound movie for nearly ten years. With this movie, it was based off Lynn Root & Harry Clork's 1934 play of the same name*, and three screenwriters are credited with this adaptation: Grover Jones, Frank Butler**, and Richard Connell. Evidently the movie was the byproduct of casting shuffles, as apparently it was originally developed in mind with Jack Oakie to star, and somehow Ida Lupino was in talks to play the role ultimately played by Dorothy Wilson before Lupino got sick and bowed out. This was the tenth of thirteen movies that McCarey made in the 1930s, one made in between Ruggles of Red Gap [1935] and Make Way for Tomorrow [1937] (incidentally, McCarey actually was the son of a fight promoter; the USC law school graduate even tried boxing before trying his hand at getting involved with film and went from gagman to director). A handful of cast mates and McCarey got sick during production and apparently it fell to Norman Z. McLeod and Ray McCarey to shoot a few sequences (uncredited). The play has been filmed one time since, with The Kid from Brooklyn (1946), as produced by Samuel Goldwyn with Danny Kaye in the lead role of a musical comedy (Lionel Stander happened to appear in both movies). As you might expect from the old days of trying to corner the market, Goldwyn had purchased the original negative of the 1936 movie, pulled them from circulation and nearly every print in order to destroy them. Of course, he didn't get all of them, and the best version of the movie actually is one that came from a print preserved by Lloyd himself. 

It does help to have some zip for a comedy, yes. The last of his sound movies with The Cat's Paw (1934) was relatively successful in having a pairing of Lloyd with an established supporting presence (George Barbier) that wasn't about just bumbling around with middle-ground romance, and even Movie Crazy (1932) had some promise too. The 88-minute runtime for this movie basically leaves the film with two distinct segments: Lloyd doing Lloyd elements (to a point) and the attempts at verbal jabs and occasional visual stuff. The movie does pretty well, for the most part, mostly because it has the composure of confidence for both filmmaker and in cast, mainly because it isn't just bumbling around with misunderstandings (it instead plays on one guy trying to hustle both the media and a fighter) that might be Lloyd's most accomplished movie since oh, probably Speedy (1928). You've got a guy being trained to fight by playing it tune to the waltz and antics with a horse to go with brief interludes in the ring (and a horse, I suppose). I like the distinct difference Lloyd gets to play before and after getting in the ring in terms of heightened confidence. Menjou and Stander makes their moments count with such worthy timing in terms of huckster pride (with the latter having a voice practically made for it) that keeps the movie fresh beyond just looking at Lloyd or the varying moments spent around Teasdale, Mack, or Wilson (who are equally fine). While you might know just what is coming around the corner for a chunk of its tenure, there is still enough interest generated by the energy that is present on screen, such as with its resourcefully quick ending to generate a worthwhile ending. As a whole, Lloyd's one play at the screwball movie with McCarey in tow is a fine one, having enough fun with antics and a game cast to make a worthwhile curiosity worth looking into.

Overall, I give it 8 out of 10 stars.

*It's funny to be semi-reminded of Battling Butler (1926), which dealt with Buster Keaton playing a guy being involved with a deception involving boxing, although that was based on its own play and is clearly distinct from The Milky Way; by coincidence, Chaplin also did a boxing sequence with City Lights (1931). But hey, never hurts to name drop.

**That would future Academy Award-winning writer Frank Butler to go along with future Academy Award winning director/writer McCarey, as Butler's collaboration with Frank Cavett for the screenplay to McCarey's Going My Way [1944] won an Academy Award, although that was a weird year in general, because McCarey's story for the film also wound up getting him an Academy Award for "Best Story" which well, goes to show what awards come and go.

The Cat's-Paw.

Review #2220: The Cat's-Paw.

Cast: 

Harold Lloyd (Ezekiel Cobb), Una Merkel (Petunia Pratt), George Barbier (Jake Mayo), Nat Pendleton (Strozzi), Grace Bradley (Dolores Doce), Alan Dinehart (Mayor Ed Morgan), Grant Mitchell (Silk Hat McGee), and E. Alyn Warren (Tien Wang) Directed by Sam Taylor (#667 - The Freshman, #727 - For Heaven's Sake, #758 - Safety Last!, #864 - Hot Water, #903 - Dr. Jack, #918 - Why Worry?, #938 - Girl Shy, #1331 - Coquette)

Review: 

Amusingly, this was the first film starring Harold Lloyd in which his character name was something other than "Harold" since Hot Water (1924; of course in that movie, that character was named "Hubby"). The movie was the eighth and final film collaboration between director Sam Taylor and star Harold Lloyd. You may remember that Taylor got his start as a director with Dr. Jack (1922) after a number of years as a writer. He directed Lloyd alongside Fred C. Newmeyer (back when co-directing was the rage) from that film all the way to For Heaven's Sake (1926) before going on to direct a variety of other stars such as Will Rogers and Mary Pickford. Taylor may not have been a distinct director of his time in say, personality, but he was a dedicated filmmaker regardless. This was near the end of Taylor's career as a director, where the release of his next film in Vagabond Lady (1935) was his penultimate feature before closing his career out with a Laurel and Hardy production in Nothing but Trouble (1944); Taylor died in 1958 at the age of 62. At any rate, the genesis for this film came from a novel that had been first serialized in The Saturday Evening Post by Clarence Budington Kelland (a prolific writer that had plenty of stories turned into films, such as Mr. Deeds Goes to Town [1936]) that Lloyd had liked enough to buy the rights to when only the first chapter had been out for the public. Taylor and an uncredited Clyde Bruckman did work for the script adaptation while Lloyd did a bit of uncredited directorial work (as one probably expects from someone producing his own film). The next feature film with Lloyd would come in 1936 with Leo McCarey's The Milky Way.

It's funny that a two-year gap between this and Movie Crazy was something critics of the time needed to point out with Lloyd, as if one was checking problems in an assembly line. To be fair, some of the films did fall along the same outline with Lloyd in bumbling nature. Admittedly, when one is considering the fact that Movie Crazy (1932) was the only good feature of Lloyd's first three sound efforts, it sort of seems easy to say that The Cat's Paw (the name refers to a guy being used as a dupe) ends up being just as decent (at least this time, the "well-meaning boy or fumbler type of character", as I said in my last Lloyd review, doesn't seem too much on the nose here). Sure, it is a bit weird (take a guess at the stereotypes and wonder where the line is drawn), but it is pretty efficient at 102 minutes in letting Lloyd grow up just a bit. Not packing as much slapstick but still pretty loaded in useful principles, he may be playing a "fish out of water", but it is a compelling one to watch that straddles the line between silly and the eventual figure of actual interest without needing a climax involving stunts (unlike a handful of previous Lloyd films). Making light of dirty politics is handled in a silly way that at least is funny for a little while Merkel and Lloyd make a pretty decent pairing to go with a worthwhile honest dishonest man in Barbier. So yes, the climax involves a bout of trickery that amuses me because well, who doesn't love a bit of stage magic. As a whole, Lloyd may have a strange time getting into the groove of making consistent sound features, but The Cat's-Paw is a worthwhile example of Lloyd still trying to make his style of comedy connect to the audiences at large. While not everything has probably aged well in the nine decades since its release, it will likely be worth one's time.

 

Overall, I give it 7 out of 10 stars.

Movie Crazy.

Review #2024: Movie Crazy.

Cast: 

Harold Lloyd (Harold Hall / Trouble), Constance Cummings (Mary Sears), Kenneth Thomson (Vance), Louise Closser Hale (Mrs Kitterman), Spencer Charters (J.L. O'Brien), Robert McWade (Wesley Kitterman, Producer), Eddie Fetherston (Bill - assistant director), Sydney Jarvis (The Director), Harold Goodwin (Miller), Mary Doran (Margie), DeWitt Jennings (Mr Hall), and Lucy Beaumont (Mrs Hall) Directed by Clyde Bruckman (#908 - The General, #1304 - Welcome Danger, #1621 - Feet First) and Harold Lloyd.

Review: 

I will admit that there it has been slow road to cover the talkie era of Harold Lloyd, who certainly deserves to be remembered for his contributions to comedy. He made the transition to sound at the age of 36 after countless silent comedies two-fold: Speedy was initially released as a silent feature in April of 1928 before a version that added a few sound sequences came out in December. The following year saw the release of Welcome Danger. Movie Crazy is the third Lloyd talkie film of the seven he would do as star, most of them with him as producer. Clyde Bruckman was recruited to direct Lloyd once again, having directed him for three previous features (which involved the sound version of Speedy, Welcome Danger, and Feet First). He had gone from would-be sportswriter to intertitle writer to gag man for Buster Keaton and later director for various comedy production. However, Bruckman soon fell under the influence of what curtailed his career: alcoholism. As such, it fell to Lloyd to assist in the directing chair (which wasn't too odd, as he had co-directed a few of his own films, such as The Kid Brother, which had four directors), although he did not claim credit. The dialogue and screenplay was done by Vincent Lawrence while the story was done by Agnes Christine Johnston, John Grey, and Felix Adler. Lloyd and Ernie Bushmiller also contributed un-credited work on the script. After Bruckman was relegated to writing for comedy rather than directing it by 1935, he got into the habit of "re-utilizing" certain gags from his older productions for comedy short-subjects that he was doing at Columbia Pictures (such as for The Three Stooges), and one of them is the magician's-coat sequence in Movie Crazy. He would crib the scene for multiple productions and was sued by Lloyd each time for copyright, which Lloyd would win (one might wonder why Lloyd was so easy to sue, but imagine being put in a spot where your director and usual gag-assistant is too drunk to really direct and then he decides years later to crib a scene that originally had you as star). Bruckman committed suicide in 1955 at the age of 60.

Stop if you have heard this before: a well-meaning boy or fumbler type of character tries to make it good in a place that seems to be too much for one too oblivious to know how to play the game. Lloyd may have been the shrewdest in marketing himself for selective appearances in the early sound era, but that does not certainly mean that he fared the best among the silent-to-sound transitioners. The film has been labeled by some as one of Lloyd's best in the sound era, and I suppose we shall see if that is fully true at the end of the road, although truthfully, I am salivating at the prospect seeing Leo McCarey direct him in The Milky Way (1936), just two films after this one. Of course, when compared to Feet First and Welcome Danger, Movie Crazy is practically an ice-cold water bottle on a hot day, so take that for what it is worth with a 98-minute movie built on a handful of sight gags and the classic misunderstandings that I am sure you all know from certain comedies and so on and so forth (such as the aforementioned use of a magician's coat to wreak havoc for a dance). Anyway, let's get to the point: the movie is fine. It definitely seems a bit more reliant on visual gags to go along with the fact that the movie is basically two-fold: the fumbling young man that stumbles through the motions of trying to make something in Hollywood and the fumbling young man that stumbles through his feelings for two totally-not similar looking women. Honestly, I could really do with more stuff involving him bumbling as an "innocent" when it comes to the movie industry rather than when trying to not fumble between "romances", because if he wants me to believe in something for a guy that doesn't exactly have that much time to make me think he is still the picture of innocence (the man was near 40), I would rather have the first part, but I'm sure getting the girl is giving what people want, not more scenes involving him try to not cause the camera to explode when he forgets a line or makes for a terrible extra. Actually, Cummings does do a pretty good job in terms of being as an assertive contrast required to help set the tone of what goes on with a rough industry that demands everything everywhere all at once, and her treating Lloyd as a relief rather than a hinderance makes it a curious experience. Of course, she is also playing a character that Lloyd also falls for and go figure that she has a problem with him falling for the "Mexican character" that she is playing in makeup. Thomson is a decent foil to the proceedings in terms of being someone for Lloyd to counter against when it comes to the most interesting sequence: the fight scene at the end, one told with little dialogue that takes place on a dripping wet ship set that is executed quite well in execution and pacing. As a whole, whether serving as Lloyd's best sound film or not, it is a fairly decent comedy film from its time that will prove just how long he had a grip on an audience that needed a laugh and found him comforting to go along with.

Overall, I give it 7 out of 10 stars.

Feet First.

Review #1621: Feet First. 

Cast:
Harold Lloyd (Harold Horne), Barbara Kent (Barbara), Robert McWade (John Quincy Tanner), Lillian Leighton (Mrs. Tanner), Henry Hall (Endicott), Noah Young (Sailor), Alec B. Francis (Mr. Carson), Arthur Housman (Drunken Clubman), and Willie Best (Janitor) Directed by Clyde Bruckman (#908 - The General and #1304 - Welcome Danger)

Review:
What is there to say that has not been said about Harold Lloyd? There were numerous stars and icons of the early years of cinema, which ranged from shorts to feature-length, and Lloyd was a pillar of both in a career that spanned three decades. He was as distinct in his persona as other icons of the era like Buster Keaton and Charlie Chaplin with his thrill sequences and notable stunts (with a share done by Lloyd, but not all of them contrary to perception, with crewmen like Robert A. Golden doing stunts) that resulted in a fair share of triumph for silent and sound films, and it is his attention to archiving his work that means one can readily enjoy most of his short films and all of his features without trouble (incidentally, Lloyd had complied gags from films such as this one for Harold Lloyd's World of Comedy in 1962, although he edited the film to remove dated material). How one enjoys their comedic presence of yesteryear is up to debate, but Lloyd was surely consistent enough in his silent output of eleven features, with the three big highlights being Grandma's Boy (1922), Safety Last! (1923), and The Freshman (1925). Not to be forgotten in this film is director Bruckman, because he certainly left as big of an imprint on comedy as Lloyd. He worked with a variety of comic legends in regards to gags and direction/writing. He started his young years as a sports writer before moving to further writing ventures and then film in intertitle writing in 1919. He moved on to a chance to assist with writing gags for Buster Keaton (it was Bruckman that found a book about a locomative chase in the Civil War that led to one of Keaton's best features with The General). Work with others soon followed, such as directing Laurel & Hardy with The Battle of the Century (1927, short subject), or work with Monty Banks (A Perfect Gentleman, 1928) and eventual work with comedians like W. C. Fields and The Three Stooges. Of course, this was the second collaboration between Lloyd and Bruckman, with their first talking feature not exactly being a winner. In fact, Welcome Danger (1929) was actually pretty dull, a hodgepodge that exists in sound and silent versions that played too loose with itself in landing anything more than pale in nearly two hours of film.

So, if there was a problem with too many cooks in the writing room and pacing before, does this film solve those quandries? Sort of, since it runs at 93 minutes, but there were six (!) credited writers this time around: John Grey, Alfred A. Cohn, and Bruckman contributed the story, while Felix Adler & Lex Neal did the scenario and Paul Gerard Smith did the dialogue. Lloyd played the bespectacled "Glasses" kid to a T for years and years, where he usually had to prove something (whether for a girl or for courage), so here we are in what seems to be a case of trying to drain from the well for what seems like the seventh time in a decade (after all, those Lloyd masterpieces all followed the same pattern), with varying results. It can best be described with a famous line used involving change: The more things change, the more they stay the same. What we have is a comedy of dueling masquerades, since Lloyd is doing his "Glasses" schtick to try and make an impression of the shoe place he works at in terms of personality while thinking that the lady he is wooing is the daughter of his boss, which leads to stints spent with high society, a sequence with a fussy parent, a boat, and a skyscraper. It is a fairly episodic film that naturally decides to spend nearly half of its time with the ocean liner (with gags that range from trying to hide papers with his face on it to running away in a mailbag as it goes off the boat) that goes on for over thirty minutes. Interestingly, the film then goes to a trip up (and down) a building in a series of gags that seem reminiscent of Safety Last! in his hanging(s) - the aspects with Best is the most dated part of the film, adhering to stereotypes that were omitted on re-release for TV and the ensuing compilation. Best was one of the first well known African American actors/comedians, although he generally was used to play roles considered demeaning - this was his first credited role (although he is credited under the horrid nicknname "Sleep 'n' Eat") in a career of two decades. The sequence is tedious enough, playing on making Best play a clownish janitor role that is referred to as a word relating to his skin is worse. The skyscraper sequence was shot the same way as with that film, in which there was construction done to put parts of the facade of a building (in this case a gas building in Los Angeles) onto a rooftop where a camera tower would be adjacent (stark in contrast to resorting to tricks like rear projection, although that is used for one momentary shot in the end). This sequence of dangling off the building goes on for near twenty minutes, and we are talking about a movie that only goes on for basically a minute after it stops yo-yoing off the building just to wrap things up abruptly and set up one more joke. Simply put, putting sound to a scene of someone trying to not fall down a building is too lengthy to really contemplate. Lost in all this is the acting, because it basically seems like a lamp post waiting to be tripped over for some mild gags, for which Lloyd is yet again the only notable one to stick out. Thing is, he was 37 when this came out, and there are only so many times one can be a square before it becomes a flat-footed mess. This was the second of two films for Kent with Lloyd, and she was the last leading lady to star in multiple films with Lloyd, and she certainly gives off nothing of interest in terms of romance or amusement with Lloyd, where one might as well be watching two broomsticks try not to bump into the other. McWade and Leighton are there in small notes that one hopes for time to serve as a foil, and yet here we are. As a whole, the episodes of gags should work better than they do, but average Lloyd might be well enough if one wants to see the progression of Lloyd continue yet again with a sound product that would fit best when there are no less average ideas available or for a completionist. 

Overall, I give it 6 out of 10 stars.

Welcome Danger.

Review #1304: Welcome Danger.

Cast: 
Harold Lloyd (Harold Bledsoe), Barbara Kent (Billie Lee), Noah Young (Patrick Clancy), Charles B. Middleton (John Thorne), Will Walling (Captain Walton), Edgar Kennedy (Police Desk Sergeant), James Wang (Dr. Chang Gow), Douglas Haig (Buddy Lee), and Blue Washington (Thorne's Henchman) Directed by Clyde Bruckman (#908 - The General) and Malcolm St. Clair.

Review: 
It does seem interesting to finally reach the sound era when it comes to Harold Lloyd. He appeared in eighteen feature films, with just seven of them being sound. The production of this film came a few months after the release of Speedy (1928), with the intent to shoot as a silent production with the same director in Ted Wilde. However, Wilde (who subsequently died of a stroke in 1930 at the age of 40) became sick during production, which would continue for nearly a year. The idea to change it into a sound feature coming after it had already been shot after Lloyd felt that sound would not be just a passing fad. Extensive re-shoots where done, namely by re-doing half of the silent version into sound and dubbing the other parts. If one thinks the film seems a bit long at 115 minutes, this evidently was even longer in previews, reportedly being edited from roughly 165 minutes. Admittedly, nerdy botanist (and son of a famed San Francisco police chief) meets dope ring in Chinatown does seem like the kind of thing to inspire shenanigans for a premise. 

It sure is a shame the resulting film is a jumbled mess, racked with inconsistency when it comes to delivering gags that actually land. I suppose this was bound to happen if one thinks of it like with the law of averages, where one is bound to deliver a clunker at some point when it comes to Lloyd. After all, there are four credited writers for this film in Paul Gerard Smith, Felix Adler, Lex Neal and Bruckman. Maybe there were too many cooks present, or maybe this is an example of a film that really just doesn't have it. At least one can't say Lloyd sounds terrible in sound, seeming a bit more nervous to follow with the times than anything. The times unfortunately come with a slightly annoying lead and a pathetic villain alongside some dated humor to boot (while I do enjoy being amused at complaints from social justice loons for "cancel culture" stuff, the government of China at the time was actually offended at this, which led to Lloyd offering a sincere apology). Kent comes and goes from the film, which doesn't help make this little romance seem any more real than a coloring book. The others range from okay to awkward, where being used to the microphone (or dubbing) is something one needs to get used to but never quite does. I do wonder if the silent version of this film turned out any better, but this happens to be the longest feature Lloyd would ever do (the aforementioned Speedy lasted 86 minutes), with this going from focusing on Lloyd and Kent (i.e. lame physical gags) to the police stuff to Chinatown antics, which goes on and on before I eventually start twiddling my thumbs and start eyeing things on my shelf. Following the story of what actually is going on isn't much better, whereas a silent film seemingly could do more with its premise through imagination. Here, it just seems a bit less loose, and it results in a film that perfectly fits the mold of average old-timey filmmaking. If you want to spend two hours with a film that you could get a chuckle at while spending time with the newspaper or phone, this might work out if you prefer your films from 90 years ago.

Overall, I give it 6 out of 10 stars.

Speedy.

Review #1070: Speedy.

Cast: 
Harold Lloyd (Harold 'Speedy' Swift), Ann Christy (Jane Dillon), Bert Woodruff (Pop Dillon - Her Grand-daddy), Byron Douglas (W.S. Wilton), Brooks Benedict (Steve Carter), and Babe Ruth (Himself) Directed by Ted Wilde (#1044 - The Kid Brother)

Review: 
Speedy was the eleventh feature film starring Harold Lloyd, along with being his last silent film, released during the early transition from silent to sound features, with his next film Welcome Danger (1929) being filmed in both silent and sound but released in the latter. In any case, this is a fairly interesting film that manages to have its own share of charms. The plot involves Lloyd's character trying to save his love's grandfather from losing his business of operating a horse-drawn streetcar in New York City. Lloyd plays this carefree role convincingly enough, being quite charming and as useful as ever in his work with selling the gags. Christy and Woodruff are fairly decent, showing a bit of charm in each of their scenes with Lloyd. The other members of the cast are decent enough, although there isn't any particularly memorable adversaries or companions this time around, though the gags manage to make up for it enough.

There are numerous scenes showing the landscape of New York City, such as the scenes at Luna Park at Coney Island, or parts with Yankee Stadium, with the credit going to the filmmakers for not resorting to sets to try to simply have the film all filmed in sets, although a street of the Lower East Side was constructed on property that Lloyd owned on Westwood, California to complete the film. In any case, it's certainly interesting to look at this film as a time capsule of the city 80 years ago. The sequences on Coney Island are pretty entertaining, particularly the dollar-bill gag. Over halfway through the film, Babe Ruth (along with Lou Gehrig, appearing for a few seconds) shows up in an extended cameo role, being one of Lloyd's passengers on the taxi, which is pretty amusing. It may interest you to know that Wilde was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Director of a Comedy for this film, awarded at the 1st Academy Awards, although he lost to Lewis Milestone for his work on Two Arabian Knights (1927). This was the only Oscar ceremony in which there were separate categories (in this case, "Dramatic" and "Comedy") for Best Director. Naturally, the film ends with a big spectacle chase, filled with laughs and amusement that will surely prove charming to watch. On the whole, this is a fine piece of film-work that will certainly charm fans of silent films or fans of Lloyd - with me falling into both categories. It isn't as great as something like Safety Last! (#758), but it will fall under the line of an acceptable gem to focus 86 minutes on - take it for what it's worth.

Overall, I give it 8 out of 10 stars.

The Kid Brother.

Review #1044: The Kid Brother.

Cast: 
Harold Lloyd (Harold Hickory), Jobyna Ralston (Mary Powers), Walter James (Jim Hickory), Leo Willis (Leo Hickory), Olin Francis (Olin Hickory), Constantine Romanoff (Sandoni), Eddie Boland ("Flash" Farrell), Frank Lanning (Sam Hooper), and Ralph Yearsley (Hank Hooper) Directed by Ted Wilde and J.A. Howe.

Review: 
The Kid Brother was the tenth feature film to star Harold Lloyd, released nearly nine months after For Heaven's Sake (#727). The film attempts to carry numerous elements together, such as comedy, romance, and drama, and it manages to do fairly decent while being consistent with its gags. The basic story isn't too particularly deep, but it is one that makes for good entertainment (much like the other Lloyd films) that is more than enough. The film credits two directors (Wilde and Howe, with the latter given a "co-director" credit), although apparently there was also uncredited work done by Lloyd and Lewis Milestone (previously reviewed on Movie Night for his direction of The Racket (1928) - #901). In any case, there is quite a good amount of gags and intertitles to go around, such as the laundry shuffling sequence, or the climax involving a massive ship and one mischievous monkey. The cast all do a fine job in the roles they are assigned to play. Lloyd plays his role with a bit of bashfulness as the youngest Hickory yet he also doesn't underplay his cleverness either, with Lloyd being adept at rolling with the situations that go on in the film. Ralston is charming as ever, doing an acceptable job in her final film with Lloyd. The rest of the Hickorys are brimming with confidence and stature, and each of the three (James, Willis, and Francis) do a good job in their scenes, especially with Lloyd. Romanoff, Boland and Yearsley prove to be fairly decent adversaries as well. This is a movie that comes and goes with amusement and a bit of sharpness that you'd expect from a film with Lloyd, but it is done in a way that it doesn't come off as standard fare or repetitive. There is a certain enjoyment to the situations and how it is executed that make this a fair winner. At 84 minutes long, the movie is just the right kind of length for reasonable enjoyment for most fans of silent films or ones looking for a good laugh.

Overall, I give it 8 out of 10 stars.

Girl Shy.

Review #938: Girl Shy.

Cast: 
Harold Lloyd (Harold Meadows, The Poor Boy), Jobyna Ralston (Mary Buckingham, The Rich Girl), Richard Daniels (Jerry Meadows, The Poor Man), and Carlton Griffin (Ronald DeVore, The Rich Man) Directed by Fred C. Newmeyer (#667 - The Freshman, #674 - Grandma's Boy, #758 - Safety Last!, #864 - Hot Water, and #889 - A Sailor-Made Man, #903 - Dr. Jack, #918 - Why Worry?) and Sam Taylor (The Freshman, #727 - For Heaven's Sake, Safety Last!, Hot Water, Dr. Jack, Why Worry?)

Review: 
It is nice to come closer to being full circle with Harold Lloyd's silent feature filmography, with this being the ninth of his eleven to be reviewed (reviewed out of order, but still). This was Lloyd's sixth feature film, with this being the first not to be produced by Hal Roach (who had produced the previous five); in addition, this was a "character picture" (as described by Lloyd), where the relationship between Lloyd and Ralston's characters is given more emphasis than simply having a load of gags. However, the climax of the movie (involving numerous modes of transport, such as the trolley, horse-drawn wagon, and horseback) is a clear highlight for the movie in terms of eye catching hilarity. This time around, the main character is a stutterer around girls who writes about his "lovemaking"; two different types of women (and how to "woo" them) are shown, one being a vamp and the other being a flapper; these two scenes are pretty amusing for the time. Lloyd and Ralston do a pretty job together, balancing sentiment along with moments of amusement quite well. Daniels lends a capable hand to the film, and Griffin serves as a fair enough villain for Lloyd to take action against. Like the other Lloyd films, it runs at a good capable pace (this time around 80 minutes) while also showcasing some fun gags; one of my favorites is Lloyd being moved slowly by a turtle while trying to talk with Ralston. The stuttering (and accompanying whistle to help Lloyd out) never comes off as tedious nor too ridiculous; the parts with him trying to get his book published is quite funny as well. On the whole, this falls along the line of being another good Lloyd movie to watch and enjoy. It isn't as great as something like Safety Last!, but it definitely is something to have a good time with, stutter or not

Overall, I give it 8 out of 10 stars.

Why Worry?

Review #918: Why Worry?

Cast:
Harold Lloyd (Harold Van Pelham), Jobyna Ralston (The Nurse), John Aasen (Colosso), Wallace Howe (Mr. Pipps), Jim Mason (James H. Blake), Leo White (The Mighty Herculeo), Gaylord Lloyd (Man), and Mark Jones (Mounted Captain) Directed by Fred C. Newmeyer (#667 - The Freshman, #674 - Grandma's Boy, #758 - Safety Last!, #864 - Hot Water, and #889 - A Sailor-Made Man, #903 - Dr. Jack) and Sam Taylor (The Freshman, #727 - For Heaven's Sake, Safety Last!, Hot Water, Dr. Jack)

Review:
This was the fifth feature film featuring Harold Lloyd, and it was the first film with Jobyna Ralston as the leading lady, with Lloyd having married previous leading lady Mildred Davis during production of this film. At any rate, this is a film with a good amount of visual humor and an enjoyable cast along with a quick pace for a movie filled with gags. This time around, Lloyd plays a wealthy hypochondriac who goes on vacation on a small island in the Pacific - only to encounter a revolution, and a 7'2 giant played by John Aasen, one of the tallest actors in history. Aasen (along with the foreign setting) is used to make some clever enough gags, with one of my favorites being when Colosso knocks over some of the soldiers (standing in bowling formation) all over with a cannonball. Naturally there are some gags involving the unassuming nature Lloyd conveys, and some language gags that go by quickly enough. Lloyd and Ralston are fair enough together, doing all the cues you'd expect from these films, even if they spend a good chunk of the film apart from each other. Mason is a okay villain, not much of a bully but not too bad and pretty much what you'd expect from a dude wanting to just take over a country. On the whole, it's another good Lloyd film, and with a runtime of barely over an hour it's an easy one to recommend as a likely good time for someone looking for a good silent film.

Overall, I give it 8 out of 10 stars.

Dr. Jack.

Review #903: Dr. Jack.

Cast: 

Harold Lloyd (Dr. "Jack" Jackson), Mildred Davis (The Sick-Little-Well-Girl), John T. Prince (Her Father), Eric Mayne (Dr. Ludwig von Saulsbourg), C. Norman Hammond (Jamison, the Lawyer), and Charles Stevenson (Asylum Guard) Directed by Fred C. Newmeyer (#667 - The Freshman, #674 - Grandma's Boy, #758 - Safety Last!, #864 - Hot Water, and #889 - A Sailor-Made Man) and Sam Taylor (The Freshman, #727 - For Heaven's Sake, Safety Last!, and Hot Water)

Review:

Dr. Jack was the third feature length film starring Harold Lloyd, released two months after Grandma's Boy had come out. Unlike that film, this is a more gag focused movie that runs at a length of just an hour long. Lloyd is once again good at his element, always managing to be likable and easy to see in nearly any sort of heroic role. The gags are par for the course (the card game one is a good one, taking its sweet time to work), and Mayne is a fine foil for Lloyd in part because of how easy he sells this antagonistic role, with the climax being a satisfying conclusion for the main characters. Davis and Lloyd (who married each other the following year) are a good pair once again, doing the staring at each other bits well enough. Prince also does a decent job as the father. On the whole, if you've seen one Lloyd film, you'll probably think this has some sort of familiarity (hence why it is best to spread out the schedule), but there is always enough charm and a sense of believability within the madcap fun that goes on at times to make for a fun time, which is the case for this film. The structure may seem familiar, but it's a structure that works just as well in part due to its nature of enjoyment.

Overall, I give it 8 out of 10 stars.

A Sailor-Made Man.

Review #889: A Sailor-Made Man.

Cast: 
Harold Lloyd (The Boy), Mildred Davis (The Girl), Noah Young (The Rowdy Element), and Dick Sutherland (Maharajah of Khairpura-Bhandanna) Directed by Fred C. Newmeyer (#667 - The Freshman, #674 - Grandma's Boy, #758 - Safety Last!, and #864 - Hot Water)

Review: 
Given that this film was released on December 25, 1921, it only makes sense to honor the film on its 95th anniversary. This was Harold Lloyd' first feature film, though it came purely by accident. The excessive amount of gags written for the film meant a length not seen for shorts (also known as two-reelers) of the time, which amounted to a cut that lasted 47 minutes. Lloyd decided to preview this film to audiences (custom at the time), and the positive reception to the film led to its length being kept as is. With a cast like this (and a film length like this), it certainly makes for a passable film up to the standards that other Lloyd films had, with enough entertaining gags. Lloyd is affable as ever, always managing to do an everyman task like this with his own edge of charm. Davis is servicable as the love interest, and Young is fairly entertaining in his rowdiness. On the whole, it's not the best Lloyd film in terms of story or gags, but it is still a fine piece of entertainment that is readily available for people curious about Lloyd or yearning for more fun.

On a side note, Happy Hanukkah (which began yesterday), Merry Christmas, Happy Kwanzaa and Boxing Day (beginning tomorrow), but most of all, have a Happy New Year.

Overall, I give it 8 out of 10 stars.

Hot Water.

Review #864: Hot Water.

Cast:
Harold Lloyd (Hubby), Jobyna Ralston (Wifey), Josephine Crowell (Her Mother), Charles Stevenson (Her Big Brother), and Mickey McBan (Her Little Brother) Directed by Fred C. Newmeyer (#667 - The Freshman, #674 - Grandma's Boy, #758 - Safety Last!) and Sam Taylor (The Freshman, #727 - For Heaven's Sake, Safety Last!)

Review:
The last time I did a Harold Lloyd film was last November, and I figured that it was time once again, with around 20 days to Thanksgiving and such. This time around (in his 7th feature film) is an episodic kind of film, with three parts merged into one feature, as opposed to the plot driven Lloyd films (like Safety Last!, for example). The first part (involving him winning a turkey in a raffle and the ensuing ride home) is pretty well done, with the turkey naturally playing a good part in some fine gags. The second part (about Lloyd and some of the extended in law family going on a ride in a new car) is also well done. One moment that was pretty quirky was when the mother-in-law starts crying (because her wedding gift was broken - by an annoying little kid, naturally) and Lloyd consoles her by kissing her on the cheek...via a dog, of course. I do like that one of the inter titles talks about how the couple will soon have a new car to themselves...after 59 payments, of course. Naturally this was made in a time where neck ties were important to wear (I myself wear two ties), which leads to a fine little gag when he puts one on when driving. The gags are fun to watch as usual, with Lloyd being a good every-man. The last part (involving the mother-in-law sleepwalking around the house) is pretty funny with all of the misunderstandings by Lloyd, with a chase scene in the middle of a wind storm at his house. His hair even goes up near the end, which is a charming little shot. The movie itself is quick at 60 minutes, and if one is looking for a Lloyd film, this would fit the bill nicely.

So there was a baseball team that won the World Series on Wednesday (November 2nd), from Chicago. Must've been the White Sox. (Ha!) 
Congratulations to the Cubs, who I first referenced in my Sharknado (#625) review (back in 2014, when talking about the fact that the film was made meaning the Cubs would win in my lifetime...with a footnote saying I could live to be 100.), and now they finally did it. Strange year, this is. 

Overall, I give it 8 out of 10 stars.

Safety Last!

Review #758: Safety Last!

Cast
Harold Lloyd (The Boy), Mildred Davis (Mildred, The Girl), Bill Strother ("Limpy" Bill, The Pal), Noah Young (The Law), Westcott Clarke (Mr. Stubbs, The Floorwalker), and Earl Mohan (The Drunk) Directed by Fred C. Newmeyer  (#667 - The Freshman and #674 - Grandma's Boy) and Sam Taylor (The Freshman)

Review
Yes, Safety Last. When it comes to an actor doing all their own stunts, Harold Lloyd is a prime example of this, and especially in the 1920's. The scene of him hanging from the hands of a clock high above the street is especially impressive while also one of the most memorable scenes put onto film. Lloyd shines once again as the everyman (sorry, everyboy) who manages to get himself into such fun situations. As with good silent movies, there are good titles, with my favorite being this gem: "There were certain days of the week when she could be sure of a letter from him. They were Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday". Words fail me here. The movie runs along nicely, not dragging and managing to have fun gags, especially with the climax of Lloyd trying to climb a building. It is impressive to see Lloyd hanging from a clock, because it just showcases his brilliant physicality (I myself would not climb 5, let alone 12 stories), but it is his charm of being likable despite all of the madcap stuff that happens to him that makes the movie work well. Silent comedies are fun to watch because the gags that work manage to do so without needing sound, just good ol' slapstick, with a little bit of suspense this time around. The movie is enjoyable while also having thrills that make for good entertainment. Whether it be Keaton, Chaplin. or Lloyd, you really can't go wrong.

Overall, I give it 10 out of 10 stars.

For Heaven's Sake.

Review #727: For Heaven's Sake.

Cast
Harold Lloyd (The Uptown Boy), Jobyna Ralston (The Downtown Girl), Noah Young (The Roughneck), Jim Mason (The Gangster), and Paul Weigel (The Optimist) Directed by Sam Taylor.

Review
It's a quick movie described by Lloyd himself as a "gag picture", which as you can tell means that the movie was more about the comedy bits than his character pictures, like Grandma's Boy or The Freshman. Lloyd was reluctant to release this film due to his disappointment with it, but the movie was a success. As for the film itself, it's enjoyable enough. Is it as good as the previous two Lloyd films I mentioned? Not entirely, but it is nice. The movie sets itself quickly and leaves itself enough time to make gags, right down to the title cards. I especially like the entire sequence with Lloyd being "chased" all throughout the town, which turns from just a small gang into a big group, and it just has gag after gag, succeeding rapidly. The cast is effective enough with the gags in the movie, and Lloyd and Ralston do well together. The movie loads itself up with gags in a near-hour span, and it works well enough to be entertaining without needing too much plot. Comedy is the best medicine, and it can be big or small.

Overall, I give it 8 out of 10 stars.

Movie Night: Grandma's Boy.

Review #674: Grandma's Boy.

Cast
Harold Lloyd (Grandma's Boy/ Grandfather), Mildred Davis (His Girl), Anna Townsend (Grandma), Dick Sutherland (The Rolling Stone), Charles Stevenson (His Rival / Union General), and Noah Young (Sheriff) Directed by Fred C. Newmeyer (#667 - The Freshman)

Review
Yes, I am aware of the 8 day delay between reviews and that the month has had only two reviews. I'm doing a pretty terrible job on quantity, but I just hope the quality is at least good enough. Enjoy. Oh hey, another Harold Lloyd film, this being his second feature film (The first being A Sailor-Made Man), out of the 18 (or so, if you count compilation) films he did. The movie's structure is simple, but effective enough, the trope of the wimpy hero who overcomes his weaknesses is standard nowadays, but back then it was probably like Silly Putty, a fad that keeps going (and stops being a fad, I suppose) and going. The gags are pretty good; I like Lloyd and his character's look, it just seems like Lloyd could make a gag work even with just shoes and a cat. The movie is well-paced for 60 minutes, and it manages to be enjoyable, especially the last 20 minutes, which manage to be laughter-inducing, especially with the facial expressions by Lloyd and Sutherland. The movie built itself on gags and a pinch of story development, which make for a fine film.

Overall, I give it 10 out of 10 stars.

Movie Night: The Freshman.

Review #667: The Freshman.

Cast
Harold Lloyd (Harold Lamb), Jobyna Ralston (Peggy), Brooks Benedict (The College Cad), James A. Anderson (The College Hero), Hazel Keener (The College Belle), Joseph Harrington (The College Tailor), and Pat Harmon (The Football Coach) Directed by Fred C. Newmeyer and Sam Taylor.

Review
When people think of Harold Lloyd, they think of him dangling from the clock tower in Safety Last, or his work in Grandma's Boy (which I'll review in the future), or his role in The Freshman, which is what I'm covering. Lloyd's career could've been stopped before he gained his fame; in 1919 he lost a finger and a thumb in an accident, with a prosthetic glove concealing the damage. But he did not let that stop him. The Freshman was Lloyd's highest grossing silent feature, and it's easy to see why. His character (Harold, also known in the movie as Speedy) is so likable. Lloyd's character isn't a random passerby who happens to pop in, he's a character whose purpose is given depth. You emphasize with him and his plight, which makes it easier to laugh at his naiveness. The gags are slight but easy to recognize, the movie has a lot of fun with the situation Harold sets himself in. My favorite gags involves Harold speaking to the crowd...while a kitten comes out of his sweater. The characters are easily describable given their character names, but at least they act their parts convincingly, especially Benedict, who is easy to dislike, and for good reason. The romance between the main leads is sweet and brief enough to work. The football action at the end is particularly noteworthy because we get to see how football was over 80 years ago. The action was filmed at the Rose Bowl (with crowd shots at Cal Memorial Stadium), and the football action is about as wild and silly (with Lloyd) as it can get. It certainly is a good way to end the film. The movie is like a gift basket, sweet and entertaining for a short period of time (about 70 minutes), and that's probably why this movie is still a great hit with others. I highly recommend this film (along with other silent movies with Keaton and Chaplin) for a good way to spend a day, especially on Thanksgiving.

Overall, I give it 10 out of 10 stars.