On n'entre pas

The young couple have decided to marry and it is time to ask the father for the hand of his daughter. Problem is, the father does not want to give the daughter away. So every time he goes to the office to ask the father, he is tossed out.

There are some amusing incidental things here, such as an old Coca-Cola advertisement saying it cures fatigue. I also liked the midget an the secretary being referred to as "corn-fed".

This short film as a whole is pretty strong, and I would say among Lloyd's best work. Definitely better than the "Eastern Westerner". Maybe not as good as "Safety Last", but for how short this was, they really packed a lot into it.

This one-reel Harold Lloyd comedy packs a lot of good gag ideas into its short running time. There is a good variety of slapstick, sight gags, running jokes, and gadgetry, and even a brief version of the 'human fly' routine that Lloyd later made so memorable in "Safety Last". Lloyd, Bebe Daniels, and the rest of the cast all do a good job with the material.

Lloyd plays a young suitor for the hand of a rich and very preoccupied businessman, the kind of person who has a legion of assistants whose purpose is to keep everyone else away from him. Lloyd's ever-hopeful character, determined to see him to ask for his daughter's hand, is helped in his efforts by Daniels, who plays an upbeat office worker amidst all of the drudges. It's impressive how much material they squeezed out of this fairly simple setup. After a somewhat slow start, there are non-stop funny moments the rest of the way.

There are a lot of imaginative gags, and a number of them are also tied together in clever ways. The cushion gag by Daniels's character, the treadmill gadget, and the confrontations with the two tough guys who guard the entrance are all repeated in a variety of different and creative ways. It's enjoyable both for the comedy and for the ingenuity that it reveals.

At long last, I've allotted sizeable time (which should take up to the very last day of the year) to check out New Line's massive THE HAROLD LLOYD COMEDY COLLECTION 7-Disc Set!

I started off with this one, which is basically a one-joke short (albeit only 13 minutes in length) - a boy's various attempts to meet "the busiest man in town" in order to ask for his daughter's hand in marriage - which frequently has characters being shoved out of the father's office by his burly underling. Lloyd ultimately fails in his quest, but eventually finds true love with the father's secretary (played by Bebe Daniels). It's an enjoyable star vehicle which, among other things, sees Lloyd in drag; bafflingly, there's no director credit attached to this one!

A Hal Roach HAROLD LLOYD Comedy Short Subject.

Infatuated with the daughter of a bullying millionaire, Harold must first ASK FATHER for permission to marry the girl.

The main attraction in this very short & funny little film is watching Harold attempt to sneak into the fierce old man's office. Movie mavens will notice that this film was made shortly before the studio accident which blew off half of Harold's right hand.

Bebe Daniels plays a sympathetic switchboard operator; Snub Pollard appears as an eccentric private secretary.

Robert Israel has composed an excellent film score which perfectly complements Harold's antics on the screen.

The boss has a popular daughter. She has two mushy suitors who have waited five months to "ask father". The boy (Harold Lloyd) is doing everything to court her and faces every hurdle.

It's a thirteen minute comedic short. It's good slapstick. The two suitors should be combined into one rival and constant bully. The treadmill is funny although I don't understand why the office would have that. The pillow is a funny bit and that sells the telephone girl. She could have more screen time. Finally near the end, he does some impressive climbing. Quite frankly, he should end the story out there if possible.