Grandma's Boy

Harold Lloyd's first great feature pits him in his ideal homespun setting with a simple and archetypal plot in which the mild-mannered Boy gradually learns to overcome his cowardice - with the help of his loving grandmother - to become the toast of the town; in this respect, it predates the star's more celebrated THE FRESHMAN (1925) in being, above all, character-driven (with a dash of sentimentality). That said, perhaps the film's most hilarious scene is a typical one in which both Lloyd and his rival for the affections of leading lady Mildred Davis unwittingly mistake moth-balls from Lloyd's ancient costume (which had belonged to his grandfather) for sweets.

It's climaxed, however, by three lengthy and impressive set-pieces: the Civil War feat of the hero's grandfather (also played by Lloyd and remarkably anticipating Keaton's THE GENERAL [1927]); the chase leading up to the capture of the town bully by the newly-brave Lloyd (brought about by the presence of a Zuni doll - more than 50 years before such an artifact would achieve immortality via the classic made-for-TV compendium TRILOGY OF TERROR [1975]!); and our hero's settling of accounts with his mean-spirited rival, which features some rather physical tussling for this kind of film. As ever with Lloyd, apart from providing the requisite attention to gag structure and the creation of atmosphere, the film results in being quite technically proficient.

I think the best overall summary would be to call this a dramatic comedy. Harold Lloyd displays accomplished slapstick while at the same time being involved in the drama of catching a tramp causing a lot of problems for the town. An ongoing subplot involves the used-to-be school bully (now grown up) who continues to bully Harold and does his best to take his girl from him. It is not until Harold's grandma tells him about a special amulet that his grandfather used in the Civil War and got his courage from that he gets up the courage to take after the tramp and take on the bully. All of the action involves numerous slapstick antics that really make the movie. Yet, with all of that, the point still comes across that things don't give us courage and abilities. We get our courage to act from within ourselves. This movie reinforces that there were very good silent movies made and we can learn from them and have a lot of laughs at the same time.

About 20 years ago I was fortunate enough to see Harold Lloyd's first feature-length film, Grandma's Boy, at a public screening. I recall that it went over very well with the audience, that Harold was highly sympathetic in the lead role, and that I found the movie pleasant and engaging, with a stronger plot than some of Lloyd's later features. Now that I've rediscovered the film on DVD it's a pleasure to report that it holds up beautifully and, unlike some silent comedies, plays well on TV. Grandma's Boy is a richly atmospheric period piece that is sweet, funny, and suspenseful, and certainly ranks with Lloyd's best work. It's all the more impressive that this was his first attempt at a full-length feature, for it marks a genuine stylistic break with the sort of thing he'd been making up to this point. Unlike some of Harold's earlier, "gag happy" short comedies, this film offers a well structured story built around recognizable human beings who inhabit a basically realistic world. The story is more character-driven than gag-driven, and more relaxed in tempo than most of Lloyd's earlier films. Admittedly, some of the characters are a little cartoon-y, but they don't behave outlandishly or pick fights at the drop of a hat in order to get laughs. And while there are certainly plenty of laughs along the way, everything seems to unfold naturally, and nothing feels forced.

Grandma's Boy is set in the sleepy rural village of Blossom Bend, which, we are told, is "one of those slow towns where the Tuesday morning Express arrives Wednesday afternoon. If Monday's train gets out of the way." Except for a brief prologue and a flashback to the Civil War, the story takes place when the film was made, that is, in 1922, but in the sort of Town That Time Forgot that might have looked like a quaint throwback to some viewers even then. Harold plays a young man who lives with his grandmother, and is the kind of guy who would be called a wimp -- or worse -- nowadays. The prologue dramatizes Harold's lifelong reluctance to defend himself from bullies. He's a coward, he knows it, and he's miserable about it. On the other hand, Harold's grandmother is a peppery old lady who is not to be trifled with. (Anna Townsend plays this role, and she's wonderful). Grandma sympathizes with the boy's plight, yet also realizes she's coddled him long enough, and that he must find the courage within himself, even if getting him to that point requires trickery on her part.

This movie paints a nostalgic picture of small town life that was never so simple in reality, but, like the story of Tom Sawyer, it holds the powerful appeal of life as we wish it was. Period charm is a major element of the film's strength, but in order to appreciate it fully a modern viewer needs a certain amount of historical perspective. For example: during one scene, when Harold is forced to wear his grandfather's ancient suit to a party, his embarrassment may be hard for some to understand. The other party-goers think he looks strange in his 19th century frock coat, but their own clothing looks just as odd to us as Harold's "old-fashioned" suit does to them, especially the leading lady's massive hair ribbon. (Did that thing look funny to some viewers, even in 1922? I'll bet the flappers thought so!)

The film's best known sequence is a flashback to the Civil War, as Harold's Grandma tells him of his grandfather's exploits behind enemy lines. This is the funniest segment, deliberately played in a "heightened" manner like a hokey stage melodrama. I was especially fascinated by the witch who helps Harold's grandfather triumph over his enemies; she wears heavy stage makeup, emotes like crazy, and looks like she must have a gingerbread house somewhere back in the woods. All of this wacky over-playing is acceptable, dramatically speaking, because we eventually learn that Grandma's story is, well, not entirely true. It's interesting that Lloyd and his colleagues took this approach to the Civil War sequence, but the motivation is not hard to imagine: when this film was made there were plenty of actual Civil War veterans still around, and the war and its aftermath lingered as a painful memory for many. Perhaps the filmmakers chose to treat the war scenes as exaggerated melodrama in order to make the material more palatable to contemporary audiences. A few years later, when Buster Keaton made The General, he chose to treat the war with almost documentary-like realism while dropping black comedy gags into the mix, and some critics of the day felt his approach was in poor taste. Lloyd's version of the war is quite different from Keaton's but valid in its own way, and may well have influenced Keaton when he made his masterpiece.

As memorable as the Civil War sequence is, the most gripping section of the film depicts Harold's transformation from coward to hero, as he manages to subdue a dangerous tramp who has been terrorizing the town. (The tramp is played by Dick Sutherland, an enormous actor with an unforgettable face.) This is a terrifically suspenseful sequence, alternately funny and thrilling, and it's followed by a deeply satisfying finale in which this lifelong sissy applies the lessons he learned in dealing with the tramp to the bully who has tormented him since boyhood. And don't miss the delightful closing gag! Grandma's Boy is a film that leaves the viewer with a warm glow, one of the best movies Harold Lloyd ever made, and one of the top comedies of the silent era.

Another fun Lloyd movie, set in the standard small, rural town of silent movies. (I always wonder how close those were to reality.) Lloyd is endearing as a timid boy, and displays some fine acting as well as comic ability. Anna Townsend as Lloyd's grandma is refreshingly both tough and likeable, a bonus for the modern female viewer. Mildred Davis (Lloyd's future wife) doesn't have a huge part, but plays it well. (Though I wonder about the childlike clothes she wears; would anyone over 13 really have sported a massive hair bow in 1922?) The movie seems to have had great influence: the civil-war sequence must have been an inspiration for Keaton's "The General", and a flashback to Harold's boyhood shows how his distinctive bespectacled look even helped create Harry Potter. As usual, several good animal actors. There is one joke--having to do with a white family's black butler--that is in kind of questionable taste, but it could be construed as more of a comment on class than race. You'll enjoy watching this with your kids (or without!)

Blossom Bend is a small leisurely place. Harold (Harold Lloyd) is a meek, modest, and retiring 19 year old. He's in love with Mildred although he faces his Rival at every turn. He's raised by his loving grandma. No matter how much he's bullied since childhood, he never fights back. The latest is a dirty volatile tramp. The sheriff leading a mob arrives looking to apprehend the tramp for robbery and murder. Harold volunteers for the posse although he doesn't have the courage to do the job until his grandma gives him his grandpa's magic charm which he got during the war.

This is a fun little feature from Lloyd. Personally, I thought it was brave not to hit back as a little kid and it was kindness to give the other kid his food. Obviously, I don't want him to hide under his cover in fear. There are some great car chase stunts. It's plenty funny and I like the character. It's a solid silent era comedy.