For Heaven's Sake

(1926) For Heaven's Sake COMEDY ACTION DRAMA

Harold Lloyd plays upper class and wealthy successful real estate investor, J Harold Manners accidentally burning down a missionary's coffee cart that was supposed to serve the poor. He then writes a check to Brother Paul (Paul Weigel) who in turn assumed he was supposed to use the money to open up an actual facility with his name left on the sign. Except that by the time he found out his name was used without his consent, he then goes straight down there to make the change, except that the young teenage lady who got angry after catching him tear the sign down had no idea he was indeed Harold manners. The one who donated enough money for Brother Paul to open up an actual facility, who introduce her to him as her daughter, Hope (Jobyna Ralston). And he goes head over heels over her who she tries to entice him to reform criminals who hang out at the pool hall, particularly Bull Brindle (Noah Young). Some of the innovative gags also include Lloyd managing to bring many criminals to participate into the missionary. As well as Lloyd making efforts to control five very wasted friends from hurting themselves and guide them safely back to the mission to get married to his love interest Hope. There is some death defying stunts that involves plenty of vehicles and an open top bus that would be hard to imitate if they are done now.

As per 'Why Worry?', Harold Lloyd once again plays an eccentric millionaire here, though one without a worry in the world compared to his earlier hypochondriac. It is refreshing to see Lloyd as something other than his usual nebbish self and the film gets off to a strong start with Lloyd causing chaos everywhere while never being phased, not even when bandits are shooting at him from a speeding car. The plot soon veers in a very different direction though as Lloyd meets and falls in love with the daughter of a preacher who he accidentally donated to. It is a plot turn that comes without any character progression and it almost feels as two different films have been spliced together as Lloyd jumps from being cool and detached to energetically drumming up business for the preacher's mission 'Never Weaken' style. There is also a weird kidnapping subplot that comes out of nowhere and never quite feels right (despite leading to a good chase scene). Indeed, clocking in at under one hour, it feels as if a significant chunk of the film is missing - and according to some reports, Lloyd trimmed the movie himself after being dissatisfied with the final product. The film is not quite as poor as all that, but coming on the back of the well developed narrative comedy that 'The Freshman' was, this feels like a step back towards the skits-based plotting of his earlier works.

Callous millionaire playboy Harold Manners (Harold Lloyd) mistakenly burns down street preacher Brother Paul's coffee cart for the poor. He overpays a $1000 cheque and Paul builds a mission in his name. Harold's horrified to find his name associated with the do-gooder and intends to take down his name. Instead he falls for Paul's daughter Downtown Girl Hope and works to win her heart by creating a thriving mission. When their marriage is announced, his rich friends from the old days kidnap him for his own good.

The train running over his car is hilarious. Lloyd's unflinching deadpan delivery absolutely sells it. There are great comedy bits throughout. The romance isn't that bad either although it's pretty straight forward. There are a few big stunts but nothing as iconic as his building climb. The bus ride during the climax is impressive at times. This is good fun.

Harold Lloyd in his prime as a multi-millionaire who thinks nothing of buying - and trashing - two cars in one day, and who funds a mission for the poor without realising it. He wants nothing to do with it until he spies the minister's comely daughter (Jobyna Ralston). Some decent jokes, an hilarious chase sequence, and a hair-raising race to the altar on a driverless bus help place this, perhaps lesser-known entry, amongst the comedian's better works.

"For Heaven's Sake" was double-billed with "Grandma's Boy" on Turner Classic Movies' Silent Sunday, 12 July 2015, and it was a glorious pairing.

Harold Lloyd was working with Hal Roach for "GB" and was independent "For Heaven's Sake."

The first was, and was intended to be, more of a character study, as the alleged experts call it, while the second was more of a purely gag-filled romp.

"Sake" also had Lloyd's loveliest -- in my opinion -- co-star in the Tennessee girl, Jobyna Ralston, of South Pittsburg. (Some of her family is still there. I've tried, unsuccessfully, to talk the lifeless chamber of commerce into having a Jobyna Ralston film festival. It's a sad town but in a beautiful part of the country, not too far from Chattanooga. South Pittsburg is the home of the Cornbread Festival, featuring the Lodge iron skillets.)

"For Heaven's Sake" also has some wonderful stunts, with Lloyd's frequent foil Noah Young performing yeoman work, as do several excellent stunt performers.

It is, after all, Harold Lloyd, so you know there will be athletic performances and great sight gags, but the directing is quite an eye-opener, too, with that moving camera referred to in this review's title.

Both these films intrigued and delighted me with the moving camera, visually quite fascinating and very inventive and clever.

There is more story here than some supposed experts and even some reviewers here admit to and, combined with the sight humor, they make this a great movie, one I highly recommend.