Manna for silent film buffs, and a revelation for anyone else who thinks that Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton were the be all and end all of silent comedy, The Harold Lloyd Collection--while not including his two best-known films, The Freshman and Safety Last--does feature one of his best, Grandma's Boy, and a sampling of seven two reelers. Lloyd's work holds up very well thanks to brilliantly constructed gags, and affection for his so-called Glass Character, a resilient symbol of American optimism and pluck. In Grandma's Boy, Lloyd plays a coward whose feisty grandmother inspires him to battle the titanic rival for his girlfriend's (Mildred Davis, Lloyd's future wife) affections. The breakneck “Number, Please?” is set at a boardwalk amusement park, where the jilted Lloyd tries in vain to get back into his girlfriend's good graces (although leashing her precious dog to a carousel is not going to do it). Also on the bill is “I Do,” “Just Neighbors,” “Are Crooks Dishonest?”, the great “His Royal Slyness” (featuring Lloyd's brother Gaylord), “Bumping Into Broadway” and “An Eastern Westerner." Silent comedy is a lost art (heck, after seeing White Chicks it seems that comedy itself is a lost art), but this collection is more than just a time capsule relic; it's a tribute to a master. While the picture quality varies on this extra-less disc, the image is good overall. Highly recommended. Editor's Choice. [Note: two other titles are also available in Kino's Slapstick Symposium series: The Charley Chase Collection ($29.95) and the double-disc The Stan Laurel Collection ($39.95).] (D. Liebenson)
The Harold Lloyd Collection
Kino, 208 min., not rated, DVD: $29.95 Volume 19, Issue 6
The Harold Lloyd Collection
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