Bashful

When shy Harold Lloyd gets a telegram stating he will inherit two million dollars if he has a wife and baby when his uncle shows up, Bebe is anxious to be the wife. Where, however, will he get the baby?

Harold Lloyd had just made the switch from "Lonesome Luke" to the more realistic-looking "Glasses" character. While there isn't much in the way of the hard-knocks slapstick he had been working in for the previous two years, there are plenty of gags operating at top speed. One or two won't play today -- the first baby turns out to be Black, so Harold pretends to wipe its face as if the child is sooty. Still, the gags come fast and furious in the if-you-don't-enjoy-this-joke-here's-another style. There are plenty of good ones.

Harold (Harold Lloyd) gets all dressed up with help from Snub the Butler. He's attending The Girl's birthday party but he's too bashful to kiss her. He receives a telegram giving him an inheritance of $2 million as long as he has a wife and baby. The Girl is eager to be his wife and all they need now is a baby.

This is a 10 minute short with Harold Lloyd. It has its fun and Harold is working on his comedic skills. The police are like Keystone Cops. The Girl has plenty of sass. It's a good short although it doesn't have any big physical comedy elements. It certainly doesn't have his later highrise act.

Bashful (1917)

*** 1/2 (out of 4)

Hilarious one-reeler has Harold Lloyd playing a shy young man who attends a party a meets a beautiful, if slightly wild girl (Bebe Daniels). While at the party he receives a letter stating that his aunt has died and left him two million dollars but he must be married and with a child. The woman agrees to play the wife but they have a few issues trying to get a kid. BASHFUL is a rather hilarious little gem that really should be better known than it is. It's really too bad that more people aren't familiar with it because it contains some very big laughs including one that's certainly going to be considered politically incorrect. It involves a man bringing a baby over for Lloyd to show his uncle but when he up-wraps the baby it turns out to be black. WIthout missing a beat, Lloyd goes to wipe it clean. Yes, I know this won't sit too well today but the joke really worked well. Another hilarious moment deals with the uncle going up to the nursery only to discover countless babies that have actually been stolen from around the neighborhood. Both Lloyd and Daniels are at the top of their game here and 'Snub' Pollard is also good in his role as the butler. Bud Jamison is also extremely funny as the uncle. Fans of silent films should certainly give this one a try.

In 1916, just a year before "Bashful", Oliver Hardy made a short with the exact same plot as this Harold Lloyd film. It's so exact that although many might enjoy it, I was very disappointed because the film was essentially a knockoff of "One Too Many".

Harold plays a character that LOOKS like his typical bespectacled nice guy he played so successfully in the 1920s. This alone makes the film pretty good, as his earlier characters (such as Lonesome Luke) are pretty difficult to like. Along for support are two actors common in Lloyd films of the era, Snub Pollard and Bebe Daniels.

The film begins with Harold going to a party at Bebe's house. Soon he learns that an uncle is coming to town and promises to give him a huge inheritance since Harold has a wife and child...or at least Harold told his uncle this. In reality, he has neither and must find some substitutes for the uncle's visit. Can he and his pals fool the uncle? And where will they find a child?

As I mentioned above, the film is essentially a copy of another film...both with VERY contrived plots. Because it's not original and a bit ridiculous, I wasn't especially impressed.

By Harold Lloyd

A film short comedy that almost looks like it takes place a New Years Eve Party.

It has some slap stick comedy. My favorite slap stick comedy joke in this short is Harold Lloyd's character attempting to get a drink and can't get a cup so uses a straw to get the drink.

This film looks like it has flappers at this party getting drunk.

I did not think this film short was as good as some other Harold Lloyd films.