User reviews

Take a hypochondriac & place him in the middle of a Latin American country with a revolution going on & what do you get? In this movie, you get great comedy. There are some sequences in this film that almost reach the classics of Safety Last or Girl Shy for Lloyd. Granted, there are a few spots early which are slow, but the uniqueness of how Lloyd plays off in the revolution & with the Giant are so classic that you almost forget the slow start the film has.

Actually, considering the film Lloyd did after this was Girl Shy, the split with Roach really did not slow him down, he sped up even faster. Still, this was the finish for the producer who discovered Harold & had taken him this far. It is so sad that thanks to the split, Harold owned all his films & a wholegeneration of American movie goers forgot he existed. I am so glad in recent years that we have been allowed to rediscover this talent. When you watch his films, you realize how much others who came much later actually were copying pieces of Harolds work in their own films. Remember The Bank Dick chase sequence? Harold did it first in Girl Shy. Remember the race to the church at the end of The Graduate? Lloyd did it first in Girl Shy & then consulted with Mike Nichols to do it again in the successful 1960's film. Forgotten genius describes Lloyd aptly & even though this is a notch below Safety Last & Girl Shy, it is well worth viewing.

Why Worry? (1923) : Brief Review -

Why Worry will make you feel sorry for not watching it. Another superb action-comedy blockbuster which was overshadowed between Lloyd's two great classics. Why Worry released exactly between, 'Safety Last' (1923) and 'Girl Shy' (1924), two of the finest Lloyd classics and also my top favourites. So, it is not on the level of both these classics and maybe that's why it was overshadowed or shall i say remained underrated but when you look at it after keeping the comparisons aside, it has everything any great comedy could offer. A hypochondriac vacations in the tropics for the fresh air - and finds himself in the middle of a revolution instead. This one has more action and very unimaginable too. Unlike Safety Last which had breathtaking stunts, but some terrific action sequences performed by Harold Lloyd and tallest actor ever John Aasen. They make you believe on those wonderful action scenes which were never seen before by the audience then. Besides, Why Worry has no worries as far as the typical Harold Lloyd-Newmeyer comedy is concerned. Watching Lloyd playing a millionaire is a very pleasant thing for me. I always found his face very charming but he played millionaire quite few times only and this was one among them. He is fantastic in his role, actually influential. That's one of the best thing about this film that it gave so many formulatic situations to cinema world. A Millionaire who is over possessive about his health and his Love Interest, his nurse is not as Rich as him all this is used in many films that came later. Also that Jail break scene or him getting mistaken military service, or pills stuff or him being normal by the end etc. So many formulatic creations in comedy genre. Overall, an amazing entertainer. May be slightly less than a Classic but definitely recommendable.

RATING - 7.5/10*

By - #samthebestest.

The zaniest, most cartoonlike of all Harold Lloyd features recaptures the energetic anarchy of his wilder short subjects while at the same time drawing from the sort of satirical innocent-ugly-American-abroad adventures that Douglas Fairbanks and Anita Loos had popularized in the teens.

Lloyd plays an obtuse millionaire hypochondriac who "has taken so many pills he rattles when he walks." He blunders into a banana republic's revolution and must defeat a dictatorial regime backed by an unscrupulous Yankee. Along the way, he faces up to his imaginary ills and falls for his spunky, long-suffering nurse -- ably played by the quietly sexy Jobyna Ralston in her first feature as Lloyd's love interest. But the real star is John Aase n -- all eight feet, nine and a half inches of him -- who makes an excellent 503 pound mad hermit, buddying up with Lloyd for some of the most improbable and unrelenting sight gag sequences ever put on film -- among them, an extended effort to pull the giant's aching tooth.

The setting is obviously Latin America (and, in fact, the whole film functions nicely as propaganda, artfully fudging the United States' imperial subjugation of the region by focusing on a single American villain) but when real-life Mexicans earnestly protested the film's stereotypes, Lloyd responded by changing the intertitles to suggest that the whole thing takes place on a mythical island. I can't imagine anyone was fooled by this since the Latino stereotypes still dominate the film: lazy peasants, greasy strongmen, etc.

Why Worry? grossed slightly less at the box office than Lloyd's previous film, Safety Last (almost $1.5 million vs. almost $1.6 million), and cost about a hundred thousand dollars more to make (almost $221,000 vs. almost $121,000). It was his last film for producer Hal Roach. Lloyd went on to make his next ten films independently for release through distributors like Pathe, Paramount and Fox -- but despite a few wild sequences in films like Hot Water and For Heaven's Sake, he never again made a picture quite as snappy and offbeat as Why Worry?

If the film looks back to Fairbanks, it looks ahead to the hypochondriac heroes of Broadway's The Nervous Wreck and its film versions, including Eddie Cantor's Whoopee! and Danny Kaye's Up in Arms, not to mention the mythical political intrigue of W. C. Fields' Million Dollar Legs, the Marx Brothers' Duck Soup, Woody Allen's Bananas, and much else in the realm of American low comedy.

For Lloyd's long-standing female sidekick Mildred Davis, "Safety Last" was the final of 15 films with the comedian. The two married on February 10, 1923, both making the decision for her to step aside to raise their future two children. Actress Jobyna Ralston, plucked from the stage by actor Max Linder and appeared in a number of his movies, took Davis' place in September 1923's "Why Worry?," as his nurse. The two, alongside a valet, journey to an island off Chile so Lloyd, playing a hypochondriac rich businessman, can rest in its tropical climate. Trouble is they stumble upon a revolution which embroils them in some incredible hijinks.

"Why Worry?" also was the final film of Lloyd's association with producer Hal Roach, dating back to 1913. The comedian became his own independent producer, forming the Harold Lloyd Film Corporation. Before the two split, to make their last picture together they had to find a last-minute replacement for Lloyd's cellmate named Colosso, a gigantic wild hermit with an aching toothache. Their original choice, Ringling Brothers Circus' Cardiff Giant (real name George Auger), died a day before leaving his Florida home for California. When Roach's publicity department made a nationwide call for a large man, a newspaper article was discovered detailing a man from Minnesota who possessed a gargantuan shoe size. John Aasen was awarded the part, which called for him lugging around and firing a canon on his back at the rebels.

"Why Worry?" was a tough act to follow after the critically-acclaimed "Safety Last." But the film was greeted by capacity theater crowds, ensuring Lloyd's transition to independent productions would be highly successful.

A rich, young hypochondriac figures WHY WORRY? As long as he's got his nurse & valet to look after him absolutely nothing could happen, right?

Harold Lloyd, one of America's preeminent comedians of the Silent Era, uses his remarkable comic skills and tremendous athletic abilities to score another solid hit in this tale full of adventurous hilarity. With remarkable nonchalance, he calmly proceeds to thwart a Latin American revolution which threatens to shatter the tranquility of his restful vacation. But once his temper is aroused--at the sight of a distraught female--he really becomes a two-fisted hero eager to take on any number of bad guys.

Special mention should be made of Minnesota-born Norwegian-American John Aasen (1887-1938), who in his film debut plays Harold's gigantic companion. Nearly nine feet tall & rather fearsome, he nonetheless almost immediately grabs the viewer's complete sympathy while suffering mightily from a raging toothache. Gentle with Harold, he becomes an unstoppable one-man army in dealing with their enemies.

This film marked a milestone of sorts for Harold. It was his last produced in collaboration with Hal Roach; their friendly parting allowed Harold to gain virtually complete control over his films. WHY WORRY? was also his first movie to feature his new costar, beautiful Jobyna Ralston, who delivers a feisty, compelling performance as Harold's nurse; his previous leading lady, Mildred Davis, was now very busy in her new life as Mrs. Harold Lloyd.

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

The most lively of Harold Lloyd's classic comedies is arguably his most accessible when seen today, and can now be enjoyed without the indiscriminate editing and idiot soundtrack added by Time-Life Films in the early 1960s. Of all his silent features it's the least rooted in the ideals of its age, employing an element of fantasy quite out of character from his usually plausible boy-next-door scenarios. Adopting one of his popular idle, young millionaire roles, Lloyd stars as a wealthy hypochondriac on vacation in South America, thwarting a military coup with the help of his loyal nurse and a gentle (but formidable) giant. It's a measure of Lloyd's appeal that he could be so inventive without seeming at all out of the ordinary in the manner of Keaton or Chaplin. His innocence and vigor allowed him to milk an amazing amount of humor from any one gag (curing the giant's toothache, for example), building each laugh with an escalating but practical absurdity rarely possible outside of silent film comedy.

Heavily medicated millionaire hypochondriac Harold Van Pelham (Harold Lloyd) is sent to Paradiso, a tropical island nation off South America, for his health. He brings along his adoring nurse and his valet Mr. Pipps. American Jim Blake leads a band of renegades against the sleepy government. Upon arrival, Harold is mistaken for an expected government representative. He escapes the firing squad with the help of wild giant fellow prisoner Colosso.

It's a cute little comedy. The first laugh comes as Harold tries to pull Colosso's tooth. It's extended slapstick fun for a simple premise. The giant is great visual contrast and a fun comedy partner. I don't know if he ever worked with Harold after this. They're certainly good together here although Harold is a little mean sometimes. There's a difference between cluelessness and callousness. As a rich self-obsessed character, he often drifts into the later. There is plenty of great physical comedy although it's missing a final one big stunt.

I had watched this in Hollywood as well but, given its late-night broadcast (being the last of 7 Lloyd films shown in a row), I was quite tired when its turn came and therefore not in the best position to appreciate it!

Lloyd is a spoilt millionaire and a hypochondriac to boot - not his typical struggling character therefore, but just as resourceful in dealing with situations beyond his control; he goes to a supposedly peaceful South American republic for health reasons and finds it torn by revolution! This film, then, would seem to be the precursor of all the south-of-the-border comedies which came much later - for instance Woody Allen's BANANAS (1971).

Still, while the comic action scenes at the climax certainly deliver the goods - Lloyd is assisted by a giant he met while in prison (and whom he had rid of a crippling toothache) - I think that the film is at its best during the earlier stages (especially the hilarious scene in which, taking a stroll around the village streets, he admires the leisurely lifestyle of the simple-folk there - with everyone he meets apparently sound asleep, unaware that their predicament is actually the result of a fresh beating by the oppressive militia!). Incidentally, this was Jobyna Ralston's first film with Lloyd (playing his loving nurse who, at one point, is disguised as a Mexican serving-boy in order to escape the lecherous attentions of the chief villain!).

In "Why Worry?" Harold Lloyd plays Harold von Pelham, a pampered and spoiled millionaire who has all the time in the world to worry about medical conditions that don't exist, and treat his smitten nurse and trusted valet as mere lackeys. He goes to a South American retreat for some much-needed rest and relaxation, but instead finds himself in the middle of a revolution. Along the way he picks up a devoted friend, a giant man named aptly Colossus, who becomes as loyal as a dog to Harold because he helps to pull an aching tooth. By the film's end, Harold has plumbed reserves of hidden strength, realizes he no longer needs his pills and medications, and discovers his love for his nurse.

The funniest thing about "Why Worry?" is that this little band of lovable characters never has a clue what's actually going on around them. They don't know one side of the warring parties from the other; they just know when they're in trouble, and they go from scene to scene doing whatever is necessary to get themselves out of scrapes without realizing how they're affecting the bigger picture. This film is wonderfully written and performed, with hilarious bits. Watching Harold's transition from pampered wimp to scrappy freedom fighter is delightful, and he has wonderful chemistry with Jobyna Ralston, who plays his nurse, and John Aasen, the impossibly enormous actor who plays Colossus.

This film is a treat.

Grade: A

Travelling to South America to convalesce, a wealthy hypochondriac inadvertently thwarts a military coup after the locals mistake him for an intervening US banker (and as he mistakes them for hotel employees) in this chaotic Harold Lloyd comedy. The film has some very funny moments due to language barrier issues with Lloyd hilariously signing his name on a list of prisoners to be shot at sunrise at one point, however, mistaken identity comedy is hardly Lloyd's forte. As such, the film is full of gags that do not exactly give Lloyd the chance to show off what he does best. There is also a painfully long sequence that seems to go on forever as Lloyd tries to extract a sore tooth from giant he befriended in jail. As the giant in question though, John Aasen turns in a remarkably good performance for a first time actor. Quality supporting turns also come from Jim Mason as the revolutionary leader and Jobyna Ralston as Lloyd's long-suffering nurse. Given the title and the protagonist's hypochondria, it would have been nice for the film to offer some food for thought in terms of worrying about problems that are not as big as they seem, but everything here is about the laughs. It is amusing too, but Lloyd is not always in his element.

There's no point in my synopsizing the plot of Harold Lloyd's last movie for Hal Roach. All of his silent features are lots of fun, so Why Worry over those details? It's my favorite of all his features, not because it's clearly better or others are worse, but probably because Harold is so American in this one. Really, it's how we see ourselves when we're honest: rich and self-obsessed and blowing every little problem out of size and ignoring the real issues, but basically kind to giants with toothaches, and when something threatens our real self-interest -- say, by having Jim Mason put his dirty hands on Jobyna Ralston -- then truly terrible in our wrath. Actually, I don't see any world power behaving any different, and the only reason the little guys resent it is because they can't do it themselves.

But enough of politics, modern and ancient and all times in between. I also think that this movie marks a high water for Lloyd. His next movie would be released by Paramount, but it was all his own money and profit, and he would retreat a bit, with GIRL SHY, relying on the big chase sequence, and HOT WATER seeming more like three shorts stitched together.

In some ways, like the other greatest stars of the era (Pickford, Chaplin, Fairbanks) Lloyd was the victim of his own success. He was giving the audience what they wanted because he was a star. A star was not just the player; he was the sort of character he always played in the sort of movie he starred in, and so long as he remained a star, he was stuck doing that, until his public grew tired. That wouldn't happen until the 1930s rolled around, so Lloyd didn't worry.

Another fun silent era Lloyd film. This one casts Lloyd as a hypochondriac millionaire who takes a vacation to a South American island, but is mistaken for an American Company Man sent to interfere with the revolutionaries who are trying to overthrow the government of the banana republic. Jobyna Ralston is utterly charming as Lloyd's nurse, and pituitary giant John Aasen is highly entertaining as Lloyd's sidekick.

Jackie Chan fans will notice a number of gags Chan borrowed from this film and recycled for his own fight scenes.

Light hearted entertainment for the whole family.

The funniest of all his pictures, and that's saying something. 60 minutes of perfect gags with no letup. John Aasen as Colosso the giant is wonderful, and any picture with the wonderful Jobyna Ralston is always welcome.

To revisit Harold Lloyd's films one sees again and again why the actor's name was mentioned in the same breath as other comedic figures of the silent era. Lloyd's pictures are consistently entertaining, employing robust situational humor, sight gags, and some physical comedy alongside wonderfully clever scenarios. Just as much to the point, Lloyd's "Glasses" character was very adaptable and could be shaped to fit any story; here, the fictional Harold is a well-meaning if naïve fellow of high society who bumbles his way into a revolution while vacationing in South America. 'Why worry?' doesn't strike me as being quite so immediately grabbing and funny as some of Lloyd's other movies, but it surprises in its own way, and is reliably enjoyable and well worth one hour of one's time.

Jobyna Ralston, a fine actress and a regular collaborator for a time of the star, has a less prominent role here than in some other titles, but she nonetheless provides a soulful foil to the more heightened boisterousness of her co-stars. John Aasen makes a "big" impression as mountain man Colosso, and is a terrific sidekick for the protagonist as the story progresses. None of this is to discount the other actors involved, all of whom very ably play their parts to bring the picture to life. Naturally, though, Lloyd gets the prime spotlight, and he lights up the screen with his penchant for delightfully exaggerated body language and indeed bodily sacrifice in the name of comedy.

Of course, a fine cast would mean little if the feature didn't hold up otherwise, but 'Why worry?' is a really good time from start to finish. With multiple frequent collaborators on board for the production, including director Fred C. Newmeyer, it's all but certain that anyone who admires Lloyd's other works will find this just as amenable. The narrative is duly engaging and primed for comedy, even as it has a bit more of an adventure-laden slant than some of its brethren. More importantly, dexterous scene writing fulfills all its requirements while finding excellent balance between the funny shenanigans we expect from Lloyd; well-orchestrated instances of (PG-appropriate) violence in accordance with the plot; and effective communication of the course of events, such that we get a meaningful sense of the lark upon which "Harold Van Pelham" has embarked. Really, the writing is joyfully sharp and intelligent through and through. To the extent that 'Why worry?' is less focused on outright humor than some of Lloyd's other pictures, we're instead treated to fantastically rich invigoration of storytelling that's more intrepid and daring than clownish.

Top all this off with outstanding production design, and stupendous work from behind the scenes. The costume design, hair and makeup work, and set design and decoration are superb. So, too, are the stunts and effects, and as is true elsewhere in Lloyd's filmography - more so, I think, than with other silent stars - animals are highlighted at various points to swell comedic effect, and used well to that end. When all is said and done this is rather just as strong as any of Lloyd's other features, only its emphasis is shifted very slightly from what we're accustomed to. Any viewer who appreciates old comedies will find just as much to like here, while the more action-oriented angle of the production may make it more appealing to those who otherwise struggle with classic cinema. One way or another the essence remains the same - 'Why worry?' is a tremendous, highly entertaining slice of cinema that holds up fabulously well even 100 years later. If you have one hour to spare, then this is well worth seeking out!

Solid enough at the beginning, which has a rich hypochondriac (Harold Lloyd) going down to a fictional island off of South America for some relaxation with his nurse (Jobyna Ralston), who secretly harbors feelings for him. The man takes so many pills he "rattles when he walks," and seems the unlikeliest of heroes, so naturally he ends up inadvertently getting sucked into battling revolutionary forces. He does so with the help of Colosso, a very large man played by John Aasen, a 7'1" Norwegian American man regrettably in brownface, as some of the revolutionaries are. The scenes with Lloyd and Aasen playing off their size disparity are fun in the beginning, and include Lloyd trying all sorts of ways to pull a tooth for the giant.

Unfortunately, the film devolves into madcap fight scenes that, while energetic, aren't all that funny or impressive from a stunt perspective, so it lagged for me down the stretch. The film is not helped by its stereotypical depictions of the Latin Americans, including general laziness/lethargy and the banana republic type antics of the soldiers, all with their nerves on edge and who easily go off. On the other hand, one can see a mild criticism of American imperialism out of the corrupt and immoral businessman (James Mason). Regardless of all that, there are just not enough strong gags here for a full hour. Meanwhile, Jobyna Ralston is very cute in her giant sombrero and "boy's clothes," but there's not enough of her. Overall, it's amusing, but pretty average fare.

This is one of Harold Lloyd's most entertaining comedies, with Lloyd, Jobyna Ralston and John Aasen making good use of a variety of material, especially a lot of Absurdist-style gags and routines. It starts just a little slowly in setting things up, but once it gets going, there are a lot of good laughs without a slow stretch.

Lloyd plays a good-natured but completely oblivious upper-class hypochondriac who travels to the tropics for a rest, and finds himself in the middle of a chaotic revolution. His naive initial reactions to the situation are quite amusing, and few screen comics could have pulled them off as well as Lloyd does.

As things get hotter for Lloyd and Ralston, the hilarious giant Colosso (Aasen's character) joins the madness, and that leads to some even more humorous gags. The lengthy sequence resulting from the first meeting between Harold and Colosso is very cleverly done, squeezing more than you would ever have guessed possible out of a simple situation. Afterward, Colosso's size and strength are used in many imaginative ways, with a lot of rather elaborate sight gags that are set up nicely.

The whole thing works very well. Once everything is set up, it flies by so quickly that it seems only to have taken a fraction of its running time.