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.

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.

For those not too familiar with life almost a hundred years ago, the phrase "Ask father," meant you better get the old man's approval if you want to marry his daughter. That was a MUST, and sets up the premise for this Harold Lloyd short. He, along with several other guys, are all after the same woman but must get to the father. Unfortunately, he's a tough business leader who runs an office like a dictatorship and one runs the risk of being thrown out on his rear trying to get in and see him.

That's the gag of the movie, which doesn't really have much spark until the last six minutes when Harold gets inventive in ways to see the boss, such as wearing a suit or armor.

Without giving anything away, I will say this movie might be the ultimate in showing how lightly marriage has always been treated in the films. This is a comedy, however, so nothing to take serious anyway. I did laugh, too, at the end, when we see how much true love meant to Harold (hint: not a whole lot, as it turns out.)

Ask Father (1919)

*** 1/2 (out of 4)

Before he can marry the woman he loves Harold Lloyd must first ask for her father's permission. The only problem is that her father is the busiest man alive so getting near him will take some time. Here's a very funny one reel that has plenty of laughs throughout. The stuff with the two bouncers, one a midget, is hysterical as is the moving floor in the father's office. The scene where Lloyd climbs up the side of a building is also great.

You can get this film in New Line's Harold Lloyd Collection.

In this Harold Lloyd comedy short, Lloyd plays one of many suitors wooing a rich girl with a very busy father. In order to win her hand, they have to get her father's permission first -- if they can even get an appointment to see him, that is.

This funny film is chock-full of physical pratfalls and sight gags. Lloyd storms the father's office, determined to talk to him at all costs, even if he has to don a suit of armor, impersonate a rampaging suffragette and out smart any number of office booby traps, not the least of which is a movable walk way that sends unwanted visitors sailing out the door.

I loved the ending of this movie too. Let's just say that things aren't always worth the effort it takes to obtain them.