Harold Lloyd Day

[harlowkeatongirl]

A topic on yer guy. Happy now, Gagman?

 

I saw some of his feature film work (MUCH better quality than I was able to rent from the library) today... although not all or as much as I would've liked since I had to go get my blood sugar checked at the doctor. But I'm really impressed with the guy. He had a very daredevil kind of comedy that is fun to watch. His work is very polished, not quite as automaton as Chaplin's, but not as improvised as Keaton's, either. I really enjoyed his stuff. Hope to see more soon. I love the movie where he lost his pants and was hopping along with the coat over him, then the coat got caught on something, then alluva sudden there he is -- hopping like a frog with no pants on. LOL!!

 

 

[gagman66]

"Harlowkeatongirl" I'm happy that you enjoyed what little you got to see of Harold yesterday. Didn't you get to watch Grandma's Boy though? It wasn't on until 7.00 pm (est.)or how about WHY WORRY?, which kicked off the tribute?

 

If you saw THE FUNNY SIDE OF LIFE and noted the fact that THE FRESHMAN was prominently featured, be aware that what you saw was not THE FRESHMAN, but rather an abridgement roughly equitable to Chaplin's 1942 re-issue of THE GOLD RUSH. Some of the compilation sequences shown in the prologue also didn't correspond to the original title cards or plot, notably the segment with the drunks from FOR HEAVEN's SAKE who in the actual film have just rescued alter bound Harold from a dastardly kidnapping in an effort by his ritzy "friend's" to avert what they feel is a impending matrimonial disaster!

 

The scene where Harold catches his riding tog's on the fence post but isn't aware of it at first, is from one of his three 1921 three-reel comedies AMONG THOSE PRESENT. This might very well be my favorite Lloyd short. Lloyd was an incredible practitioner of "the art of Pantomime" for my money as great as Chaplin was. Harold's pantomime run's the full gauntlet of human emotion, leaving no stone unturned. The classic two and three-reeler's shown on Tuesday BUMPING INTO BROADWAY, NUMBER PLEASE, AN EASTERN WESTERNER, NOW OR NEVER, and AMONG THOSE PRESENT all made between 1919-'21 prove this virtually beyond plausible doubt! Before you get angry at me again, all three artist's Chaplin, Keaton and Lloyd undisbutably were the extreme masters of pantomime!

 

Lloyd is often accused by latter-day critic's of "lacking the depth of character", found in the work's of Chaplin and Keaton! A ludicrous and totally baseless charge! This disturbing miss-perception has much to do with the long standing general lack of availability of his work in it's complete and original form. Don't forget, if you want top flight DVD-R's featuring the very best of Harold Lloyd, well than, I most certainly can (and will) help you out on that end!

[harlowkeatongirl]

> Lloyd is often accused by latter-day critic's of

> "lacking the depth of character", found in the work's

> of Chaplin and Keaton! A ludicrous and totally

> baseless charge! This disturbing miss-perception has

> much to do with the long standing general lack of

> availability of his work in it's complete and

> original form. Don't forget, if you want top flight

> DVD-R's featuring the very best of Harold Lloyd, well

> than, I most certainly can (and will) help you out on

> that end!

 

 

Well, I forgive you... but w/out a doubt your criticisms in the last thread was pretty misplaced... and I think you had to know that, too. That would've been like you posting "Hey, here's a great Harold Lloyd link, check it out..." and then me, coming in and going, "You know... This or That movie wasn't really that funny, yada yada yada..." That's what I mean by misplaced.

 

But I just chocked that up to your frustration at Lloyd not getting the recognition you think he deserves. If it seems like I purposely ignore Lloyd, I don't. I just don't know anything about him.

 

People remember artists different in retrospect, I think. Based on what I've found out, if you would've asked someone walking the street in 1928 who the most popular film comedian in America is.... I've got a good hunch Harold Lloyd would spring to many minds first. But in retrospect, I think Buster is a lot more celebrated now by silent film buffs than he was even in life. He's never the kind of character who demanded it, but I hate to see people trying to take away what credit he's earned in the years since his death.

 

As for The General not being very funny, I beg to differ. My parents laughed and they don't laugh at ANY silent movies. The General, admittedly is not pantomime, is not danceable, is not slapstick. It's a very smart kind of comedy with lots of action... and the laughs are found more in the relationship between Johnnie, Annabelle, and The Train, than in any slapstick they perform. So for that reason, my parents will let out a chuckle at Buster's stuff. They, like me, enjoy his facial expressions, physical ticks, etc. Just small subtle things that make the audience laugh because it's just so silly. But not over the top.

 

Example: Steamboat Bill Jr.. he gets knocked out by the cop and thrown in the back of the truck, feet hanging out. Then he crosses them, like he's gonna enjoy the rid. LOL! See.. that's a silly move for someone who was just conked on the head. Things like that. That's what I'm into. I don't see as much of that in the other comedians. (I do see it, but not as much.)

[gagman66]

Don't misunderstand "Harlowkeatongirl" for the record I do not recall ever openly critizing THE GENERAL or Buster either for that matter. I merely stated that THE GENERAL isn't "the best introduction to Keaton". I have actually referred to THE GENERAL "as great cinema", and "an epic comic melodrama"! That doesn't sound like criticism to me! I never said I didn't like it, I merely commented in a personal E-mail that it is not my favorite.

 

To many modern critics, THE KID BROTHER (1927) is often now described as Lloyd's greatest film. It is not one of my favorites either! If it makes you feel any better, I have seen THE GENERAL several more times than I have THE KID BROTHER. I first saw THE GENERAL in 1979, I didn't finally see Harold's so called "Masterpiece" until March of 1994! I have seen THE GENERAL in many forms over the years and I recall noting that most "didn't do the film justice"! THE GOLD RUSH is still often times called Chaplin's best, and while in it's entirety and original form it is very good, it is not, nor has it ever been my favorite among his features! I'm confident in time that you will grow to appreciate Harold's work in the same way you now do Buster's and Charlie's. Lloyd could be very subtle when the occassion called for it too. There are few if any of his features during the 1920's that I would consider "over the top" Harold himself once said "I always tried as hard as I could to make my gag's possible, they were not the cartoon gag's of the early slapsticks they were things that could conceivably occur."

 

Please understand that when I was a kid back in the late

1970's and early 80's all 11 of Harold Lloyd's silent features films (all be it in heavily abridged form) were available in Super 8 millimeter film format from a company called Blackhawk. As for Buster only his public domain titles THE GENERAL, COLLEGE,and STEAMBOAT BILL JUNIOR were offered by them at that time. In order to collect the rest of the independent Keaton features you would have needed to step up to the very costly 16 millimeter. The rights to his features were owned by a distributor in this format called AUDIO BRANDON.

 

Our family had four Lloyd features in Super 8 (GRANDMAS BOY, SAFETY LAST, GIRL SHY, THE FRESHMAN) plus a few shorts. While we had a few Keaton shorts on film by contrast, it wasn't until late 1980 or '81 that we purchased those three Keaton features (from Blackhawk) on VHS. Incidentally, Harold's films but for a few shorts were not released by Blackhawk on VHS or Beta. TIME-LIFE held those rights and their price's were outrageous! What I'm trying to say, is that while I was introduced to Buster first via the Robert Youngson compilation FOUR CLOWN'S which showcased a healthy dose of SEVEN CHANCES. I saw much more of Chaplin and Lloyd subsequently, and Harold quickly became my favorite. This is rare as most people are generally more familiar with the works of either Chaplin, Keaton or both before Lloyd. So in your case it's just the opposite of me. You are just finding out about Harold now. You have much to learn and I'm for certain you will enjoy the journey.