Harold Lloyd- Black, White, Silent, Funny as Ever
Even some of the grandparents we spoke to didn’t remember Harold Lloyd- mostly famous for his stunt where he was hanging from a clock, he was nonetheless one of the premier comedians of the 1920’s. Perhaps third only to his contemporaries Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton, his expressions and body language communicate plenty that serves to make this new boxed set, The Harold Lloyd Comedy Collection funny most of the way through.
Each of these films (13 shorts, 15 features) has been remastered, restored, and rescored, and there are too many bonus features to name (commentary on Safety Last! by Leonard Maltin is interesting, and the film itself is probably the best of the set). Thankfully, this a set that has been given the proper treatment, but that means it’s pricier than you may want to pay for (mostly) silent, black and white comedies- the complete set of three DVDs is around $90, but you can buy individual disks for $30. There’s even some 3D photography included (and the glasses to view them)- about the only thing missing is a model prop clock!
If you haven’t heard of “The King of Daredevil Comedy” before (and we hadn’t), you’re missing out on some excellent comedy that has inspired many of the comics that came after. The Harold Lloyd Comedy Collection has plenty of replay value, and even if you’re not usually a fan of silent/black and white movies, you’ll find plenty to like in Harold Lloyd. Even the special effects (done with camera tricks, but surprisingly convincing) are pretty neat!
