Le talisman de Grand-mère

Harold Lloyd once said the number one favorite movie of his was "Grandma's Boy." Part of the reason was the script was intended to tone down the 'thrill' aspect of the comedian's trademark routines and insert some 'heart' into the plot. But once producer Hal Roach saw the rough cut, he advised the actor, "Harold, you're a comic, you've got to get laughs. Let's go back." And he did.

Lloyd plays a rather timid grandson to his kindly nana, Anna Townsend. After seeing him getting constantly picked on, especially by the town bully who's aiming for Lloyd's girlfriend, grandma gives him a charm she claims her husband, who fought in the Civil War and was a coward, gave him confidence to capture a group of Union officers. Harold takes the charm and begins his quest to apprehend a dangerously strong vagrant who is terrorizing his town.

Despite the extension of a 30-minute script, Charlie Chaplin absolutely loved the entire feature film. He gave it one of his ultimate praises, saying "It is one of the best constructed screenplays I have ever seen on the screen."

Although the similarity of this plot to several other Lloyd films is obvious (thus preventing it from getting a rating of 10), this is still one of Harold Lloyd's best. What sets this apart from many comedies of the same era is that it is NOT jam-packed with laughs but takes a more leisurely pace and tells a sweet story. Our hero, Lloyd, is a wimp with little self-confidence. His loving grandmother gives him Grandpa's good luck charm--saying it will give him strength and courage. As a result he is able to help the town look for a dangerous desperado and in the process prove to his girl that he is indeed a man.

Great cinematography, pacing and excellent laughs all work together to make this his best film up until that time. Plus, unlike most comedies of the time, this one is quite artistic and sweet.

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.

"Grandma's Boy" is an entertaining Harold Lloyd comedy that combines plenty of his usual slapstick antics with some thoughtful, if simple, ideas that add another dimension. Lloyd's character is more sympathetic than usual, and the story is funny, includes some good action, and is occasionally reflective. While it does not have any dazzling sequences (such as in "Safety Last"), it succeeds quite well on its own level.

Lloyd gives a good performance as always, with his hapless but earnest character. The rest of the cast helps out as well. Charles Stevenson is suitably overbearing as Lloyd's rival, Mildred Davis is likable as his girlfriend, and Anna Townsend is believable as his grandmother, determined to help out her boy. The amusing story that she tells about Harold's grandfather is one of the highlights, and it is used quite well in the plot.

The rest of the story is good as well, and all in all this is an enjoyable little feature.

GRANDMA'S BOY is a terribly timid fellow until the old lady decides to instill some much needed courage into him.

This sweetly poignant and very funny film started off as a two-reeler, but star Harold Lloyd, with the approval of producer Hal Roach, kept adding gags until the completed picture ran about an hour. Harold also wanted something else - to instill a serious element to the story and his character, an innovation new to American comedy films.

He succeeded brilliantly, with the finished film a joy, blending the hilarious and the sentimental seamlessly. As always, Harold is a special treat to watch, his amazing athletic abilities made even more impressive by the fact that he was missing half of his right hand. The plot makes Harold deal with both a contemptible bully and a vicious tramp, giving our hero full opportunity for running, falling, leaping & almost endless fisticuffs, all of which he carries off with great skill and good humor. And just to show that his bag of tricks is not depleted Harold throws in an uproarious Civil War flashback to delight the viewer.

Lovely Mildred Davis plays the girl of Harold's dreams. Charles Stevenson as the Rival and Dick Sutherland as the Tramp both make wonderful villains. Noah Young, who so often played the heavy in Harold's films, here has the relatively small role as the sheriff of Blossom Bend. Best of all is sweet elderly Anna Townsend, playing Harold's little darling of a grandma; whether attacking the Tramp with a broom or rejoicing at her grandson's newly found courage, she remains the heart of this very special movie. Anna Townsend would die the following year, 1923, at the age of 78.

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