Runtime: 86 minutes
Directed by: Ted Wilde
Starring: Harold Lloyd, Ann Christy, Bert Woodruff, Byron Douglas, Babe Ruth!
From: The Harold Lloyd Corporation
“Harold Lloyd gives the finger to himself in a mirror” was not what I was expecting to write here, but...
The actual reason for me watching this last night was that late last week the newest season of Major League Baseball began; furthermore, April 15 is the 75th anniversary of Jackie Robinson breaking the color barrier in the MLB. A subplot of Harold Lloyd's last silent is that he's a fan of the New York Yankees and one scene has THE Babe Ruth having a crazy taxi experience w/ Lloyd driving him from an orphanage to Yankee Stadium. This time of year is exciting for baseball fans like me; you are happy to see exciting games in general and there's always hope that your favorite team will be able to win a World Series this year.
Well, except for the Baltimore Orioles. They've been pretty rotten the past few years but maybe they'll be better several seasons from now.
Speedy concerns Lloyd as a young man who can't hold down a steady job, much to the consternation of both his girlfriend and his father, the latter having a horse-drawn trolley—something that was antiquated even in the late 20's. Along with the main plotline of heels wanting to acquire dad's business by hook or by crook, there's also Harold's employment problems & him going to Coney Island on a date. One highlight of this is being able to view both NYC and Coney in the 1920's.
While not a classic like Safety Last!, this was still very good. There was enough in the way of laughs (such as there being at least 5 minutes of the havoc that arises from Lloyd having a crab in his pocket), constant misunderstandings and funny setpieces to satisfy me. For those familiar w/ Pride of the Yankees, you get to see Lou Gehrig at bat for a few seconds. Plus there's the unexpected sight of a middle finger—from what I understand this may have been the first time on film but there apparently were a few other occasions before The Hays Code. Whether or not you're a fan of (what was) America's pastime, I was happy to see some silent hilarity last night.
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