1896: Olive Carey is born Olive Fuller Golden in New York City.
1974: Samuel Goldwyn dies in Los Angeles.
Saturday, January 31, 2009
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Today in silent film history
January 29, 1880: W.C. Fields is born William Claude Dukenfield in Darby, Pennsylvania.
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
The Wind
Evidently, the original ending was tragic. The ending we have now is happy.
Of course, that all depends on your point of view.
We have the incomparable Lillian Gish coming to a place that must be roughly in the center of hell; desert, no water to be seen, and with a constant windstorm that often kicks into overdrive and does its best to blow the little settlement off the map (no loss, in my opinion).
Not surprisingly, Gish's character, Letty, can't handle the wind. Every time it starts up, her face turns fearful and fearsome; you just wait for her to break. It isn't just the wind, though. There is absolutely nothing of beauty anywhere in the landscape. The people are hard-working and, by the look of them, filled with despair. Some genius has decided to raise cattle in this No Man's Land (with what water? What grass?) and the local men are desperate to keep the operation going.
Rather than throwing in the towel and moving on, they continue to try eking out a living in this area. Letty finds herself stranded in the settlement, penniless, with her friend's ragingly jealous wife having thrown her out of their house. What the friend thinks of this, isn't recorded.
Letty, desperate, marries one of two men who proposed to her on the same night; not surprisingly, she chooses the one who is younger and more attractive, Lige (played by Lars Hanson). A fascinating scene follows, in which Lige takes Letty to his cabin and tries to bed her. When she rebuffs him, you see more of the person he really is. The realization that she has married him for convenience, not love, shatters him and he promises to earn the money to send her away as soon as he can.
The "happy" ending comes after Lige returns from an attempt to capture a band of wild horses to sell to the government, as a way of earning the money to send Letty home. In the meantime, Letty has been raped by another man, who took advantage of a raging windstorm to assault her in the knowledge that Lige could not return for several hours. Letty, in turn, has shot and killed the man, and buried him outside, or rather, let the wind bury him by covering him with the ever-present sand.
At the end, Letty tells Lige that she is in love with him, and that she can stand anything as long as they're together.
Wait. She no longer fears the wind, which almost drove her to a breakdown? She doesn't mind living in the middle of a barren, ugly landscape? She doesn't mind the constant sand drifts? She doesn't mind the very real threat that the whole cabin might blow away, with them in it? She doesn't mind that they'll die poor?
Furthermore, didn't he corral any of the horses, as he set out to do? If he did, he has some money, maybe even enough for both of them to leave the area and find a more hospitable location to live.
I don't see this as a happy ending. Deluded, certainly, but not happy.
Of course, that all depends on your point of view.
We have the incomparable Lillian Gish coming to a place that must be roughly in the center of hell; desert, no water to be seen, and with a constant windstorm that often kicks into overdrive and does its best to blow the little settlement off the map (no loss, in my opinion).
Not surprisingly, Gish's character, Letty, can't handle the wind. Every time it starts up, her face turns fearful and fearsome; you just wait for her to break. It isn't just the wind, though. There is absolutely nothing of beauty anywhere in the landscape. The people are hard-working and, by the look of them, filled with despair. Some genius has decided to raise cattle in this No Man's Land (with what water? What grass?) and the local men are desperate to keep the operation going.
Rather than throwing in the towel and moving on, they continue to try eking out a living in this area. Letty finds herself stranded in the settlement, penniless, with her friend's ragingly jealous wife having thrown her out of their house. What the friend thinks of this, isn't recorded.
Letty, desperate, marries one of two men who proposed to her on the same night; not surprisingly, she chooses the one who is younger and more attractive, Lige (played by Lars Hanson). A fascinating scene follows, in which Lige takes Letty to his cabin and tries to bed her. When she rebuffs him, you see more of the person he really is. The realization that she has married him for convenience, not love, shatters him and he promises to earn the money to send her away as soon as he can.
The "happy" ending comes after Lige returns from an attempt to capture a band of wild horses to sell to the government, as a way of earning the money to send Letty home. In the meantime, Letty has been raped by another man, who took advantage of a raging windstorm to assault her in the knowledge that Lige could not return for several hours. Letty, in turn, has shot and killed the man, and buried him outside, or rather, let the wind bury him by covering him with the ever-present sand.
At the end, Letty tells Lige that she is in love with him, and that she can stand anything as long as they're together.
Wait. She no longer fears the wind, which almost drove her to a breakdown? She doesn't mind living in the middle of a barren, ugly landscape? She doesn't mind the constant sand drifts? She doesn't mind the very real threat that the whole cabin might blow away, with them in it? She doesn't mind that they'll die poor?
Furthermore, didn't he corral any of the horses, as he set out to do? If he did, he has some money, maybe even enough for both of them to leave the area and find a more hospitable location to live.
I don't see this as a happy ending. Deluded, certainly, but not happy.
Saturday, January 24, 2009
Today in silent film history
This is an ongoing one.
On this date in 1990, Madge Bellamy died in Upland, California.
On this date in 1990, Madge Bellamy died in Upland, California.
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Buster's walk
So many people have imitated Chaplin's walk. I've never seen anyone try to imitate the way Buster Keaton walked, and I've never known anyone to remark on it, either.
It's one of the many things that strike me when I watch him. He has this particular walk, very distinctive, that fits in perfectly with the characters he plays. It's almost a toddle, as if his character is still, primarily, a child. Then he breaks out of it and starts to run, to dance, to climb, but he always returns to that walk.
Even after watching his films over and over again, it's hard to describe it, exactly. He moves through the chaos almost as if it had nothing to do with him (and, often, it doesn't). He toddles, he stumps, he staggers - but whatever he does, it's the right movement for what he is doing at the time. In a way, it's something like a wind-up toy, arms and legs in their own special harmony.
There are none of Chaplin's cane-twirling affectations about Buster; his walk is so much a part of his onscreen character that it can be difficult to focus on it alone. And he never lost it! In the episode of The Twilight Zone ("Once Upon A Time"), he takes on the character, and the walk, with the utmost ease.
Such genius.
It's one of the many things that strike me when I watch him. He has this particular walk, very distinctive, that fits in perfectly with the characters he plays. It's almost a toddle, as if his character is still, primarily, a child. Then he breaks out of it and starts to run, to dance, to climb, but he always returns to that walk.
Even after watching his films over and over again, it's hard to describe it, exactly. He moves through the chaos almost as if it had nothing to do with him (and, often, it doesn't). He toddles, he stumps, he staggers - but whatever he does, it's the right movement for what he is doing at the time. In a way, it's something like a wind-up toy, arms and legs in their own special harmony.
There are none of Chaplin's cane-twirling affectations about Buster; his walk is so much a part of his onscreen character that it can be difficult to focus on it alone. And he never lost it! In the episode of The Twilight Zone ("Once Upon A Time"), he takes on the character, and the walk, with the utmost ease.
Such genius.
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Another dream couple
This may raise quite a few eyebrows.
I was thinking about dream couples (see my previous post by that title), and I came up with one that may seem ridiculous, but it works for me:
Lillian Gish and Buster Keaton.
Yes, I know Lillian was noted for tragedy, and Buster for comedy. Some of you may be shrieking, "No! Dorothy was the comedy player, not Lillian!" I know Dorothy was the comedienne of the family, and a good one, but as far as I'm concerned, there wasn't a single thing Lillian couldn't do, on screen or stage. The same is true for Buster.
They both had an amazing ability to do whatever it took to make the scene - and the film - as effective as possible. They both took enormous risks. They were both completely dedicated to their craft. Lillian subjected herself to hypothermia (Way Down East), intense heat and wind (The Wind), and starvation (La Boheme). Buster came within a hair's breadth of drowning (Our Hospitality), stood still while the front of a house fell around him (Steamboat Bill, Jr.), and ran a wild ride on the handlebars of a riderless motorcycle (Sherlock, Jr.).
Buster has an edge here, having suffered a serious injury on the set of Sherlock, Jr. without realizing it, and only discovering more than a decade later that he had broken his neck (the scene where he is dangling from the chain of a water tower, and the flood of water throws him onto the railroad tracks).
Both were perfectionists; both gave it their all.
So, you may ask, in what sort of film could they have costarred?
Answer: I don't know. Light comedy, perhaps; Lillian was noted for her deeply tragic roles, and it would be nice to see a change of pace. One of Buster's misfortunes on film was that his leading ladies - with the exception of Sybil Seely - simply didn't register much; they were there, and they went through the motions. Lillian would never have been one of the bland, faceless crowd; she'd have given as good as she got, and I think they'd have been marvelous together.
I was thinking about dream couples (see my previous post by that title), and I came up with one that may seem ridiculous, but it works for me:
Lillian Gish and Buster Keaton.
Yes, I know Lillian was noted for tragedy, and Buster for comedy. Some of you may be shrieking, "No! Dorothy was the comedy player, not Lillian!" I know Dorothy was the comedienne of the family, and a good one, but as far as I'm concerned, there wasn't a single thing Lillian couldn't do, on screen or stage. The same is true for Buster.
They both had an amazing ability to do whatever it took to make the scene - and the film - as effective as possible. They both took enormous risks. They were both completely dedicated to their craft. Lillian subjected herself to hypothermia (Way Down East), intense heat and wind (The Wind), and starvation (La Boheme). Buster came within a hair's breadth of drowning (Our Hospitality), stood still while the front of a house fell around him (Steamboat Bill, Jr.), and ran a wild ride on the handlebars of a riderless motorcycle (Sherlock, Jr.).
Buster has an edge here, having suffered a serious injury on the set of Sherlock, Jr. without realizing it, and only discovering more than a decade later that he had broken his neck (the scene where he is dangling from the chain of a water tower, and the flood of water throws him onto the railroad tracks).
Both were perfectionists; both gave it their all.
So, you may ask, in what sort of film could they have costarred?
Answer: I don't know. Light comedy, perhaps; Lillian was noted for her deeply tragic roles, and it would be nice to see a change of pace. One of Buster's misfortunes on film was that his leading ladies - with the exception of Sybil Seely - simply didn't register much; they were there, and they went through the motions. Lillian would never have been one of the bland, faceless crowd; she'd have given as good as she got, and I think they'd have been marvelous together.
Sunday, January 18, 2009
A Midnight Dreary
I'm one day ahead, but I couldn't wait any longer.
Tomorrow, January 19, is the 200th birthday of Edgar Allan Poe, inventor of the modern mystery story, whose disappearance and death are as mysterious as anything he himself could ever have written.
I've waded through all sorts of ideas about Poe's death: That it was due to alcohol; that he had contracted rabies; cerebral edema; you name it. Whatever the cause, I wouldn't be at all surprised if Poe would have been delighted to know that he would still be a subject of debate more than 150 years after his death.
A quick look at the IMDb provided an interesting reminder. In 1909, one hundred years ago, and one hundred years after Poe's birth, D.W. Griffith made the short film The Sealed Room, loosely based on Poe's short story "The Cask of Amontillado". In 1914, Griffith made another Poe-inspired film, the truly creepy The Avenging Conscience. In 1915 came a very loose Poe biography (this one from director Charles Brabin).
The link between these films, besides Poe himself, is that they all starred Henry B. Walthall, who made The Sealed Room the same year he began acting in films. By the time The Raven was filmed, Walthall had left Griffith's stable of actors.
Now that we know - well, most of us, I hope - that Poe was maligned by Griswold well after his death, these bygone looks at his life show how he was viewed by long-gone audiences. Poe's life was tragic enough without being accused of alcoholism and drug abuse, but as Mark Twain so aptly put it, "A lie can travel halfway around the world while the truth is still putting on its shoes."
The Avenging Conscience is my favorite of the Poe-inspired films. Walthall plays a nameless man who is well and firmly under the thumb of his uncle, and experiencing almost unbearable anguish when the domineering old man refuses to allow the nephew to marry the woman he loves (whom Walthall's character calls Annabel; we never know her real name, either). Walthall was the perfect choice to play the sensitive lover, downtrodden nephew, and unwilling criminal in the film. His scenes with a suspicious police officer will have you on the edge of your seat.
It's sad, but true, that the films have not treated Poe well, by and large. Some of the most dreadful schlock has been "based" on his works; very few of these films are worth watching. The silent films I've seen that have been influenced by Poe - especially the three mentioned here - are the best, in my opinion.
Forevermore, Mr. Poe.
Tomorrow, January 19, is the 200th birthday of Edgar Allan Poe, inventor of the modern mystery story, whose disappearance and death are as mysterious as anything he himself could ever have written.
I've waded through all sorts of ideas about Poe's death: That it was due to alcohol; that he had contracted rabies; cerebral edema; you name it. Whatever the cause, I wouldn't be at all surprised if Poe would have been delighted to know that he would still be a subject of debate more than 150 years after his death.
A quick look at the IMDb provided an interesting reminder. In 1909, one hundred years ago, and one hundred years after Poe's birth, D.W. Griffith made the short film The Sealed Room, loosely based on Poe's short story "The Cask of Amontillado". In 1914, Griffith made another Poe-inspired film, the truly creepy The Avenging Conscience. In 1915 came a very loose Poe biography (this one from director Charles Brabin).
The link between these films, besides Poe himself, is that they all starred Henry B. Walthall, who made The Sealed Room the same year he began acting in films. By the time The Raven was filmed, Walthall had left Griffith's stable of actors.
Now that we know - well, most of us, I hope - that Poe was maligned by Griswold well after his death, these bygone looks at his life show how he was viewed by long-gone audiences. Poe's life was tragic enough without being accused of alcoholism and drug abuse, but as Mark Twain so aptly put it, "A lie can travel halfway around the world while the truth is still putting on its shoes."
The Avenging Conscience is my favorite of the Poe-inspired films. Walthall plays a nameless man who is well and firmly under the thumb of his uncle, and experiencing almost unbearable anguish when the domineering old man refuses to allow the nephew to marry the woman he loves (whom Walthall's character calls Annabel; we never know her real name, either). Walthall was the perfect choice to play the sensitive lover, downtrodden nephew, and unwilling criminal in the film. His scenes with a suspicious police officer will have you on the edge of your seat.
It's sad, but true, that the films have not treated Poe well, by and large. Some of the most dreadful schlock has been "based" on his works; very few of these films are worth watching. The silent films I've seen that have been influenced by Poe - especially the three mentioned here - are the best, in my opinion.
Forevermore, Mr. Poe.
Saturday, January 17, 2009
Horrifying news
It seems that the acting director of the National Film Archives of India, based in Pune, has decided to sell off the old films belonging to the archives. Evidently, the smell was unpleasant, and bothered said acting director.
How terrible, to work around an unpleasant smell! Yes, it makes perfect sense for the acting director to throw away film history, our cinematic heritage, to clear the air. Oh, I can hear you saying, but what if the NFAI contains a film, or films, thought to have been lost? It's happened before, in archives worldwide. What if the eternally-wise acting director sells off, or throws away, an irreplaceable screen gem?
Too bad! The smell cannot, must not, be tolerated! Out with the old, and in with the pleasantly-scented! The acting director can't be expected to simply put up with it. Really, how can anyone expect it?
Sarcasm aside, I'd cheer myself hoarse if the acting director were unceremoniously booted from the NFAI, desk contents thrown at him one by one, and forced to take a full-time, minimum-wage job in one of these positions:
Sewer worker
Morgue attendant
Night janitor in the emergency room of an inner-city hospital
Fat renderer
Wastewater plant peon
Cleaning up crime scenes (particularly messy ones, at that)
Really, if the person in charge of a piece of cinematic heritage has such delicate nostrils, he should get a whiff of something really unpleasant.
How terrible, to work around an unpleasant smell! Yes, it makes perfect sense for the acting director to throw away film history, our cinematic heritage, to clear the air. Oh, I can hear you saying, but what if the NFAI contains a film, or films, thought to have been lost? It's happened before, in archives worldwide. What if the eternally-wise acting director sells off, or throws away, an irreplaceable screen gem?
Too bad! The smell cannot, must not, be tolerated! Out with the old, and in with the pleasantly-scented! The acting director can't be expected to simply put up with it. Really, how can anyone expect it?
Sarcasm aside, I'd cheer myself hoarse if the acting director were unceremoniously booted from the NFAI, desk contents thrown at him one by one, and forced to take a full-time, minimum-wage job in one of these positions:
Sewer worker
Morgue attendant
Night janitor in the emergency room of an inner-city hospital
Fat renderer
Wastewater plant peon
Cleaning up crime scenes (particularly messy ones, at that)
Really, if the person in charge of a piece of cinematic heritage has such delicate nostrils, he should get a whiff of something really unpleasant.
Sunday, January 11, 2009
Another DVD beef
Why is it that, when a special-interest film is released on DVD, some distributors will release a horrible print? Yes, I understand that nitrate stock doesn't hold up. I know it disintegrates. I know it burns like mad. Yes.
And, yes, sometimes by the time it's copied, the process of decomposition has already begun, leaving a lackluster print. As we all know, there isn't unlimited money for film restoration.
My idea is, why don't the distributors list the films they could issue on DVD, with the warning that the films aren't in good shape? It would be so much better than ordering a DVD, waiting eagerly for it to arrive, then playing it, only to find that it's a fifth-generation copy, either so blown-out or so dark that no detail can be seen? If they can issue them on DVD, why not offer a short clip of the film so the would-be buyer can see what the film looks like, in order to make a more informed decision?
I'd love to see fundraising efforts among the public - for example, Company X has a film that needs restoration. Company X tells the target audience that said film needs restoration. Company X tells the target audience where donations can be made. Company X (ideally) offers a lower price on the final product for donors. Film is restored and offered to an enthusiastic public as it should be seen.
Is this a pipe dream?
And, yes, sometimes by the time it's copied, the process of decomposition has already begun, leaving a lackluster print. As we all know, there isn't unlimited money for film restoration.
My idea is, why don't the distributors list the films they could issue on DVD, with the warning that the films aren't in good shape? It would be so much better than ordering a DVD, waiting eagerly for it to arrive, then playing it, only to find that it's a fifth-generation copy, either so blown-out or so dark that no detail can be seen? If they can issue them on DVD, why not offer a short clip of the film so the would-be buyer can see what the film looks like, in order to make a more informed decision?
I'd love to see fundraising efforts among the public - for example, Company X has a film that needs restoration. Company X tells the target audience that said film needs restoration. Company X tells the target audience where donations can be made. Company X (ideally) offers a lower price on the final product for donors. Film is restored and offered to an enthusiastic public as it should be seen.
Is this a pipe dream?
Friday, January 9, 2009
Murnau, Borzage and Fox box set
I've been drooling over this since I found out it existed. It's about time! The collection contains Murnau's classic film Sunrise and the lesser-known City Girl, as well as Seventh Heaven, Street Angel, and several more (including quite a few talkies).
One beef I have with The Powers That Issue DVDs is that they release all of the worst films imaginable, while the good ones - and I don't just mean silents here - await their turn. Thus, when a set like this is issued, it's cause for rejoicing! I regard Murnau as one of the great geniuses of film, and Borzage's work is very impressive.
I rented Sunrise years ago, on VHS, and the copy was so bad that I lost interest in the film. Years later, I had the opportunity to see it on the big screen. That's when I discovered what I'd been missing. The print was crystal-clear and absolutely beautiful, and the audience - all film fans, or they wouldn't have been there - remained still throughout the screening. It was one of the quietest showings I've ever known. How could it not have been, with that magic on the screen?
The cost of the set has put me off buying it yet, and I'm glad I did. The reviews have been interesting. People adore the films, and the quality of them, but they hate the packaging; it seems that the DVDs are packaged so that they can scratch easily, and they do scratch. I hope Fox takes the hint and protects the DVDs in further issues of the set. Sometimes it's good not to get what you want, right when you want it!
One beef I have with The Powers That Issue DVDs is that they release all of the worst films imaginable, while the good ones - and I don't just mean silents here - await their turn. Thus, when a set like this is issued, it's cause for rejoicing! I regard Murnau as one of the great geniuses of film, and Borzage's work is very impressive.
I rented Sunrise years ago, on VHS, and the copy was so bad that I lost interest in the film. Years later, I had the opportunity to see it on the big screen. That's when I discovered what I'd been missing. The print was crystal-clear and absolutely beautiful, and the audience - all film fans, or they wouldn't have been there - remained still throughout the screening. It was one of the quietest showings I've ever known. How could it not have been, with that magic on the screen?
The cost of the set has put me off buying it yet, and I'm glad I did. The reviews have been interesting. People adore the films, and the quality of them, but they hate the packaging; it seems that the DVDs are packaged so that they can scratch easily, and they do scratch. I hope Fox takes the hint and protects the DVDs in further issues of the set. Sometimes it's good not to get what you want, right when you want it!
Thanks due
Many thanks to Luke McKernan, who linked to my blog yesterday. A link back to his blog can be found at the bottom of this page. His is a fascinating compendium of all kinds of info concerning silent film (with a large number of links to follow).
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
Silent film festivals
Okay, I've decided to put up a list of silent film festivals worldwide. I want to note that I am not receiving any advertising money for it; I just wanted a comprehensive list of festivals so that fans can find the one closest to their location. I want to state, however, that I am very open to having any festival pay to advertise on this blog; just leave a comment and I'll find it and contact you by email.
I'm listing these festivals in order of the time of year they take place. If anyone would like to see a festival listed here, please contact me with all the necessary details, and a link to the festival's website. The festival dates for 2009 will be given here, subject to updates.
JANUARY
SLAPSTICK 2009
January 22 – 25
Bristol, England
TRADER JOE'S SILENT MOVIE MONDAYS
January/June, 2009
The Paramont Theatre
Seattle, Washington
FEBRUARY
SAN FRANCISCO SILENT FESTIVAL WINTER EVENT
February 14, 2009
One day only.
KANSAS SILENT FILM FESTIVAL
February 27 and 28, 2009
White Concert Hall
Campus of Washburn University
17th and Jewell
Topeka, Kansas
SEPTEMBER
CINECON
September 3 – 7, 2009
Egyptian Theater
Hollywood, California
SILENT FILM FESTIVAL
September 4 – 6, 2009
Deluxe Theatre
Opotiki, New Zealand
THE FALL CINESATION
FILM PRESERVATION FESTIVAL
September 24 – 27, 2009
Lincoln Theatre
Massillon, Ohio
OCTOBER
LE GIORNATE DEL CINEMA MUTO
October 3 – 10, 2009
Pordenone, Italy
I want to state here that there are more festivals out there, but they hadn't updated their websites from last year, so I couldn't find this year's dates. If you want your festival included, just send a comment!
I'm listing these festivals in order of the time of year they take place. If anyone would like to see a festival listed here, please contact me with all the necessary details, and a link to the festival's website. The festival dates for 2009 will be given here, subject to updates.
JANUARY
SLAPSTICK 2009
January 22 – 25
Bristol, England
TRADER JOE'S SILENT MOVIE MONDAYS
January/June, 2009
The Paramont Theatre
Seattle, Washington
FEBRUARY
SAN FRANCISCO SILENT FESTIVAL WINTER EVENT
February 14, 2009
One day only.
KANSAS SILENT FILM FESTIVAL
February 27 and 28, 2009
White Concert Hall
Campus of Washburn University
17th and Jewell
Topeka, Kansas
SEPTEMBER
CINECON
September 3 – 7, 2009
Egyptian Theater
Hollywood, California
SILENT FILM FESTIVAL
September 4 – 6, 2009
Deluxe Theatre
Opotiki, New Zealand
THE FALL CINESATION
FILM PRESERVATION FESTIVAL
September 24 – 27, 2009
Lincoln Theatre
Massillon, Ohio
OCTOBER
LE GIORNATE DEL CINEMA MUTO
October 3 – 10, 2009
Pordenone, Italy
I want to state here that there are more festivals out there, but they hadn't updated their websites from last year, so I couldn't find this year's dates. If you want your festival included, just send a comment!
Saturday, January 3, 2009
Lloyd's romances
I'll say it right out: I am not a fan of Chaplin.
Go ahead and scream, then turn on your favorite of his movies; I can watch his work, but I don't view him as a genius. Keaton, yes. Chaplin, no.
However, this post is about Harold Lloyd. I just had to get the Chaplin talk out of the way.
I do like Lloyd, very much; he is second to the great Buster in silent comedy. I like his romantic comedies the best, since he is rather abrasive in some of his earlier films. The movies with Jobyna Ralston are my favorites, not only because of their perfect screen chemistry, but also because of the sweet-natured storylines. Girl Shy is, in my opinion, the best film Lloyd ever made, and it was a wonder to me to discover that it influenced The Graduate, more than forty years later.
When Lloyd isn't being the brash young man, he is very effective and believable in a romantic film. Girl Shy works in large part because the character of Harold Meadows is very shy, withdrawn, and due to a stutter, largely unable to communicate with women - not that he would know what to say to most women anyway, as we see in the film. His meeting with Mary on the train, at first stuttering madly, then talking to such an extent that they don't notice their train has arrived and that they are the only passengers still on it, is one of the best scenes in the film. Lloyd also has Ralston making the first move; as Harold stands outside her taxi, trying to look reserved and studly, Mary leans out and kisses him on the mouth.
Girl Shy and The Freshman have a similar scene concerning the character of Harold and his beloved. In Girl Shy, Harold views Mary's reflection in the water and sighs longingly; in The Freshman, he wipes the soap off the mirror in his room only to see, not himself, but Peggy, standing in the doorway behind him. It works, both times.
In the earlier films I've seen, with Bebe Daniels, there is more of a sexual element to the proceedings; that image of Lloyd and Daniels eating ice-cream cones and eyeing each other, is a prime example. In his films with his soon-to-be-wife, Mildred Davis, this element is toned down somewhat, though Lloyd's characters still tend to grate on the nerves. It's with Jobyna Ralston that he shows a softer, vulnerable side, as when Harold breaks down and cries in Peggy's lap in The Freshman. In The Kid Brother, he is so eager to keep Mary in sight that he climbs ever higher in a tree, then falls out of it. In For Heaven's Sake, after Mary tells him off in public, he smiles in wonderment and gladly tours the mission with her, remarking "Very pretty," as he looks at her, not at the surroundings.
Lloyd could, in my opinion, have been a leading man in dramatic roles, too; he had the talent, and he certainly had the looks! He was very effective at glamming down for his films, hiding his beautiful face under makeup and behind glasses (and when the glasses were removed, people didn't recognize him). On the other hand, had he done so, we might not have this wonderful set of films to view.
Go ahead and scream, then turn on your favorite of his movies; I can watch his work, but I don't view him as a genius. Keaton, yes. Chaplin, no.
However, this post is about Harold Lloyd. I just had to get the Chaplin talk out of the way.
I do like Lloyd, very much; he is second to the great Buster in silent comedy. I like his romantic comedies the best, since he is rather abrasive in some of his earlier films. The movies with Jobyna Ralston are my favorites, not only because of their perfect screen chemistry, but also because of the sweet-natured storylines. Girl Shy is, in my opinion, the best film Lloyd ever made, and it was a wonder to me to discover that it influenced The Graduate, more than forty years later.
When Lloyd isn't being the brash young man, he is very effective and believable in a romantic film. Girl Shy works in large part because the character of Harold Meadows is very shy, withdrawn, and due to a stutter, largely unable to communicate with women - not that he would know what to say to most women anyway, as we see in the film. His meeting with Mary on the train, at first stuttering madly, then talking to such an extent that they don't notice their train has arrived and that they are the only passengers still on it, is one of the best scenes in the film. Lloyd also has Ralston making the first move; as Harold stands outside her taxi, trying to look reserved and studly, Mary leans out and kisses him on the mouth.
Girl Shy and The Freshman have a similar scene concerning the character of Harold and his beloved. In Girl Shy, Harold views Mary's reflection in the water and sighs longingly; in The Freshman, he wipes the soap off the mirror in his room only to see, not himself, but Peggy, standing in the doorway behind him. It works, both times.
In the earlier films I've seen, with Bebe Daniels, there is more of a sexual element to the proceedings; that image of Lloyd and Daniels eating ice-cream cones and eyeing each other, is a prime example. In his films with his soon-to-be-wife, Mildred Davis, this element is toned down somewhat, though Lloyd's characters still tend to grate on the nerves. It's with Jobyna Ralston that he shows a softer, vulnerable side, as when Harold breaks down and cries in Peggy's lap in The Freshman. In The Kid Brother, he is so eager to keep Mary in sight that he climbs ever higher in a tree, then falls out of it. In For Heaven's Sake, after Mary tells him off in public, he smiles in wonderment and gladly tours the mission with her, remarking "Very pretty," as he looks at her, not at the surroundings.
Lloyd could, in my opinion, have been a leading man in dramatic roles, too; he had the talent, and he certainly had the looks! He was very effective at glamming down for his films, hiding his beautiful face under makeup and behind glasses (and when the glasses were removed, people didn't recognize him). On the other hand, had he done so, we might not have this wonderful set of films to view.
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