Un heureux mari

(1921) I Do SILENT COMEDY

The set up regards (Harold Lloyd) marrying his new wife (Mildred Davis) and upon coming home, their friend of two children leaves them with Lloyd and his new wife to look after.

Some of the sight gags includes the Lloyd trying to clean up the mess and mishaps of the older boy child; especially when goes out to buy fireworks and brings them home; scenes of trying to put baby to sleep; when Lloyd's newly wife tries to calm the children and put them to sleep. There is also a sequence of a prowler around the neighborhood with both Lloyd and Mildred to the housekeeper being spooked up about!

This Harold Lloyd short wasn't really much; not one of his funnier efforts. Of course, I never see bratty kids as anything hilarious. That's what the bulk of this story is, Harold and his wife, Mildred Davis, babysitting his in-laws two young kids. One is a baby who is constantly crying and the other is a four-year-old terror who does everything but demolish the house. Letting the kid create havoc over and over was not entertaining to me.

The best part was the last four or five minutes when the couple thinks that this big goon (Noah Young) is burglarizing their house. Half the time it's the pet cat scaring the couple, but overall, that segment is fun with some good sight gags, reminding me of another Lloyd short, "Haunted Spooks."

However, the good ending doesn't save the whole picture, which I probably wouldn't watch again. Lloyd has done too many other good things to waste even 25 minutes on this one again. It just isn't that funny.

A Hal Roach HAROLD LLOYD film.

When he says `I DO' at his nuptials, a young man has no idea the travail his wife's family will put him through.

Harold Lloyd had another winner with this domestic comedy in which he must deal with his wife's nephews, the elder a dreadful little brat and the younger a crying baby, during a long & frightful night. As so often happened, Harold's superb athletic abilities enhance his role, even with half of his mutilated right hand hidden by a special glove. Lloyd's hilarious HOT WATER, which came three years later, doubtless drew some of its inspiration from this film.

I DO originally ran longer, but when the preview audience didn't respond with enough laughs to the opening scenes Harold removed the entire first reel, tightening the picture down to a tad under 25 minutes. The animated sequence depicting the wedding is a nice touch.

Mildred Davis appropriately plays Harold's wife - they would soon be married in real life. Noah Young, who acted many a tough guy in Lloyd's films, lends his menacing presence to the end of the movie.

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

This Harold Lloyd short is the story of newlyweds who use subterfuge to transport some bootleg liquor, then agree to watch a couple of children while the brother-in-law is otherwise occupied. The story includes a bad guy who seems to be checking out the neighborhood.

The best part of the film is the small section that deals with the ornery nature of the young boy left in their charge. I could have watched an entire film about the duel of wits between Lloyd and the kid.

As others have pointed out, the film is uneven, but its best parts are truly funny.

In this Harold Lloyd short, Lloyd and Mildred Davis play a newlywed couple who get stuck watching their two nephews. One is a baby, the other a toddler, and they proceed to drive Lloyd crazy as only little children can. Lloyd finds his slippers nailed to the floor, finds that preparing a bottle isn't as easy as it might seem and really finds out what it means to be a dad when the toddler comes home with an armload of fireworks and begins shooting them at him and the maid.

As far as Lloyd's short comedies go, this isn't one of his funniest, but it's only 25 minutes long, and hey, it's Harold Lloyd after all. You'll be able to see the ending coming practically before the movie has even started.

Grade: B-