Stars: Harold Lloyd, Ann Christy, Bert Woodruff, Brooks Benedict, Babe Ruth | Written by John Grey, Lex Neal & Howard Emmett Rogers | Directed by Ted Wilde
One of the three giants of silent cinema in Hollywood (the others were Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton), Harold Lloyd is well-known for his impressive stunt work (albeit overshadowed somewhat by Keaton’s own feats). There aren’t so many feats of physical daring in Speedy, Lloyd’s final silent picture, but there are plenty of opportunities to witness the actor’s not insignificant acting abilities. In a medium and genre known and often derided for its mugging, ostentatious performances, Lloyd’s face could convey nuanced shifts in tone. This is perfect for a low-stakes comedy like Speedy, during which a good chunk of screentime is dedicated to a day out at Coney Island, as it’s the little things that stand out.
Which isn’t...
One of the three giants of silent cinema in Hollywood (the others were Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton), Harold Lloyd is well-known for his impressive stunt work (albeit overshadowed somewhat by Keaton’s own feats). There aren’t so many feats of physical daring in Speedy, Lloyd’s final silent picture, but there are plenty of opportunities to witness the actor’s not insignificant acting abilities. In a medium and genre known and often derided for its mugging, ostentatious performances, Lloyd’s face could convey nuanced shifts in tone. This is perfect for a low-stakes comedy like Speedy, during which a good chunk of screentime is dedicated to a day out at Coney Island, as it’s the little things that stand out.
Which isn’t...
- 4/25/2016
- by Mark Allen
- Nerdly
Silent comedy rules! Harold Lloyd epitomizes 'twenties optimism while serving up the fun. Even better, he filmed this on the streets of New York, so we feel as if we stepped into a time machine. The great disc extras include input from New Yorker extraordinaire Bruce Goldstein. It's a great show for holiday viewing -- unless your family hates New York. Speedy Blu-ray The Criterion Collection 788 1928 / Color / 1:33 silent aperture / 86 min. / available through The Criterion Collection / Street Date December 8, 2015 / 39.95 Starring Harold Lloyd, Ann Christy, Bert Woodruff, Babe Ruth, Byron Douglas, Brooks Benedict. Cinematography Walter Lundin Film Editor Carl Himm Original Music Carl Davis Written by John Grey, Lex Neal, Howard Rogers, Jay Howe Produced by Harold Lloyd Directed by Ted Wilde
Reviewed by Glenn Erickson
Criterion's Blu-ray of Harold Lloyd's 1928 comedy Speedy is a double pleasure. First, it reminds us that Harold Lloyd is a flat-out delight, as funny...
Reviewed by Glenn Erickson
Criterion's Blu-ray of Harold Lloyd's 1928 comedy Speedy is a double pleasure. First, it reminds us that Harold Lloyd is a flat-out delight, as funny...
- 12/12/2015
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
Constance Cummings: Actress in minor Hollywood movies became major London stage star. Constance Cummings: Actress went from Harold Lloyd and Frank Capra to Noël Coward and Eugene O'Neill Actress Constance Cummings, whose career spanned more than six decades on stage, in films, and on television in both the U.S. and the U.K., died ten years ago on Nov. 23. Unlike other Broadway imports such as Ann Harding, Katharine Hepburn, Miriam Hopkins, and Claudette Colbert, the pretty, elegant Cummings – who could have been turned into a less edgy Constance Bennett had she landed at Rko or Paramount instead of Columbia – never became a Hollywood star. In fact, her most acclaimed work, whether in films or – more frequently – on stage, was almost invariably found in British productions. That's most likely why the name Constance Cummings – despite the DVD availability of several of her best-received performances – is all but forgotten.
- 11/4/2015
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
African-American film 'Bert Williams: Lime Kiln Club Field Day.' With Williams and Odessa Warren Grey.* Rare, early 20th-century African-American film among San Francisco Silent Film Festival highlights Directed by Edwin Middleton and T. Hayes Hunter, the Biograph Company's Lime Kiln Club Field Day (1913) was the film I most looked forward to at the 2015 edition of the San Francisco Silent Film Festival. One hundred years old, unfinished, and destined to be scrapped and tossed into the dust bin, it rose from the ashes. Starring entertainer Bert Williams – whose film appearances have virtually disappeared, but whose legacy lives on – Lime Kiln Club Field Day has become a rare example of African-American life in the first years of the 20th century. In the introduction to the film, the audience was treated to a treasure trove of Black memorabilia: sheet music, stills, promotional material, and newspaper clippings that survive. Details of the...
- 6/16/2015
- by Danny Fortune
- Alt Film Guide
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