The Film Junkie

Harold is just a shy little guy scared by all females with a wicked stutter.  However, in the evening, while all the others are dancing and ‘making love’ he writes chapter upon chapter about his alleged ‘conquests’ and how he uses different tactics for each different ‘type’ of woman.

The film starts out seeming a fair bit misogynistic, but we soon discover that Harold is the only person who believes his methods and that to the rest of the world they are a joke.  We feel bad for him, but it is nice to know that such advice as ‘behave like a Cave Man’ is seen as ridiculous by those around him.

This film relies for the first half on Harold Lloyd’s acting ability, which is exceptional for a silent movie star, while the second hald showcases his physical comedy in one of the most amazing chase scenes I have ever seen.  He steals everything from a horse-drawn carriage to several cars to an out of control streetcar which he surfs through the city streets.

The plot is sweet and you are able to really connect to these characters and hope that they will find their way to one another.  Though the film lags in the middle, the chase scene is one for the record books.

Grade: A-

This Harold Lloyd short is hilarious from start to finish.  Harold once again plays The Boy, and in this instance he is trying to gain the permission of his ladylove’s father to marry her while competing with other gents for her affection and fighting her father’s employees for a chance to see him.

Harold fights through all kinds of crazy circumstances from trap doors to revolving floors and always ends up flat on his back and popping back up to try it all again.

This is a classic look at Lloyd’s brand of comedy because it shows him at his most genuine and most physically adventurous, there is even a precursor to the classic climb in 1923’s ‘Safety Last’ here.

Great Lloyd.

Grade: A

This very short little Harold Lloyd film concerns The Boy (Lloyd), a rebellious young man who has been kicked out of too many pubs in New York and is thus sent to the ‘wild west’ by his father to straighten up.

The Boy inevitably meets The Girl (Mildred Davis) and must help her out of a scrape while silmultaneously involving himself in someone else’s battle.

Lloyd performs some classic bits in this flick.  From disguising himself inside of a coat to a great poker scene where he disguises himself as the barkeep to check out the cards of the competition.

Overall this film is a great introduction to Lloyd’s brand of silent comedy.  Where Keaton was the great stone face and Chaplin was the tramp, Lloyd is the dorky everyman who will always find his way out of a tough spot.

Grade: B+

One of the most tense film watching experiences I have ever had was during this Harold Lloyd comedy about a small town boy who goes to the big city to make money so that he can marry his sweetheart (Mildred Davis).

The film starts out simple enough, a few nice gags with Harold and his friend (Bill Strother) hiding from the landlady in their coats on the hangers and Harold posing as a mannacin. 

Then comes his big idea to make a lot of money from his boss: he will have Bill climb a 12 story building and entertain the masses, only Bill gets sidetracked with a cop and Harold must climb the building himself!

What a fantastic feat!  He clearly has no wires or help of any kind, no safety and this is not against a filmed backdrop, you can see the people walking below.  Lloyd actually climbed the building with his own free hands.  The gags while climbing include a clock almost breaking, a rope around the ankle and a mouse climbing up his pant-leg and they are all heart-stopping.

The film may not be much to begin with, but my god!  That climb is one of the most amazing things I have ever seen on film.

Grade: A-