Ça t'la coupe!

The great Harold Lloyd has a total triumph in 1924's Girl Shy. This films is jam-packed with wit, slapstick, and old-fashioned sweetness. Lloyd found his perfect leading lady in Jobyna Ralston, who had just the right amount of prettiness and comic timing. Lloyd, of course, was the master of comic timing in everything from set pieces to still-spectacular chases across Los Angeles downtown streets. I especially liked the daydream scenes where the shy Harold conquers 2 great 1920s stereotypes: the Vamp, and the Flapper. I'd love to know who plays theses women in this film. I think she also appears as the girl with the hole in her stocking. This actress is a hoot as the parody of the vamp and flapper..... Altho I admire Chaplin, Keaton, and Harry Langdon as master comics, Harold Lloyd may have been the most complete of these star performers. His acting range was the broadest and his characters were never quite as vaudevillian--Harold Lloyd's everyman persona still rings true 80 years later. Bravo, Harold Lloyd!

GIRL SHY is one of Lloyd's classics where that tight structure as the trademark of his comedy is most obvious. Every gag is so closed linked to another. It really leaves you marvel at his ability of building up and controlling his work. Besides, it is one of the great romantic comedies of the silent era, full of breath-taking imageries(like the scene when the Boy was dreaming about the Girl while fishing under a bridge..). It is hilarious throughout(especially for those 2 fantasy sequences). The great final chase is full of typical thrills that only Lloyd's comedy can provide(and, as we know it, `inspired' the final chase in The Graduate). Lloyd showed some wonderful drama acting ability too(when he had to dissuade the Girl from seeing him any more).

I initially went to the Film Forum's presentation to experience what going to the movies might have been like 80 years ago. To have an experience like my grandmother had (she used to rave about Harold Loyd). I thought the film was going to be OK. I was astonished at the wit of the film, its emotional content and the joy it brought to the audience. The gags were plentiful and quite clever, the action kept everything moving and the audience enjoyed themselves immensely (obviously a self selected group). The entire experience was enhanced by a live piano player and I think by the communal experience of seeing this film at the movies.

I highly recommend the film.

Long live Harold! This is a charming silent comedy where my hero plays a shy boy writing a book about the ways to seduce a woman. He wants to publish it, but the editor thinks this is a funny book. In his way, Harold fells in love with a beautiful young woman. This love helps him to stop being girl shy. Very funny gags, and also a sensitive way to illustrate love (such beautiful scenes are frequents in Harold's movie). This is also a great opportunity to see the beauty and the talent of the wonderful Jobyna Ralston. See it! And see all the Harold Lloyd movies of the 1920's! He was and still is one of the best comic actors in Hollywood history.

I have not seen very many Harold Lloyd movies, but if this film is any indication of his massive talent, I need to remedy that as soon as possible.

Harold is wonderful as Harold Meadows, a man so shy around women that he stutters until a whistle is blown. He is at work on a book about seducing women strangely enough and the imaginary scenes of him using his "techniques" on both a Vampire (Vamp) and a Flapper are early indications that this is going to be a very funny film.

The plot has been more than ably shared already, I will just add a few short observations.

It was a treat to see some of the earliest Our Gang / Little Rascal kids in this movie. In the opening scene in the tailor shop the wild-haired boy getting his pants stitched is Jackie Condon and the cute, chubby boy sitting on the floor is the first Our Gang "Fat Kid" , Joe Cobb. Later during the chase scene as Harold is riding horses, a freckle-faced boy calls out a cheer, this is Mickey Daniels, also of Our Gang fame.

I enjoyed, as everyone seems to of course, the chase/race at the end. It seems that they purposely used every form of land transport known at the time to get Harold to the place he needed to be.

Early product placement? Crackerjack boxes play a major role in this film.



All in all, this was am excellent introduction to Harold Lloyd for me, it makes me want to see more. I recommend it highly!