Hollywood Hist-o-Rama

I recently purchased the newest Harold Lloyd DVD collection "Smiles and Spectacles". One of the DVD extras was an episode of Hollywood HIST-O-RAMA and naturally it was the one on Harold Lloyd. At only about 6 minutes, it tried to accomplish the impossible task of summing up his entire career--no small feat for a man who was one of the great comic geniuses of the silent era. And so, in an extremely fast-paced style, it tried. The super-fast-talking narrator spoke so quickly I struggled to keep up with him! And, sadly, much of what they said and how they summed up Lloyd's films was totally wrong! Most of his finest films were ignored and his absolute worst sound film, THE SIN OF HAROLD DIDDLEBOCK was featured prominently since the film was in the public domain! What a mess--and what a lousy history lesson for anyone interested in the topic. If you are trying to learn something, don't watch this series. Otherwise, I guess it's okay entertainment if you can follow the blistering pace.

I just saw one episode but it didn't make me eager to see the others! It was a puff piece on Joan Crawford. According to this Crawford had three different faces (???) and it uses very suspect "evidence" to prove this. It goes (very quickly) through some of his silents and sound ending with "Susan and God". It shows just pictures--no clips at all. It also moves at lightning speed--it was almost impossible to keep up with the narrator. Many of her early movies were left out entirely and they mention her marriage to Franchot Tone--but none of the others! You do think her first marriage to Douglas Fairbanks Jr. would figure in there. Worthless as any sort of commentary on Crawford and her career. Some of the pics are interesting though. You can skip this.