Ask Father

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.

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.

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.)