Next Aisle Over (1919) User Reviews

Not Lloyd's Best

[atlasmb · 6/10 · 21 January 2020]

Harold Lloyd at this best is extremely funny. But in this short, the comic elements are mostly silly.

He takes a job selling shoes in a department store so he can be near an attractive woman (Bebe Daniels). Most of what follows never rises to the level of his best work. The physical stunts are moderately challenging and moderately funny. The degree of invention in his stunts, likewise, is mostly average.

He does stretch the bounds of reality by revealing that the main window in the store has no glass. Later he builds on that premise and tricks a gang of ruffians with a routine that takes perfect timing.

In the Olden Days public buildings such as stores . . .

[oscaralbert · 7/10 · 4 December 2018]

. . . featured spinning airlocks for entrance, NEXT AISLE OVER reveals. The theory behind such an unusual architectural feature seems to be that it would keep outside temperatures from percolating into climate-controlled shop interiors, which might convince buyers to save their money for a sunny day. (After all, what's the point of purchasing a swimsuit if you don't have enough funds left over after this transaction to get to the beach?) NEXT AISLE OVER illustrates the many pitfalls of these mercenary mixers of the masses. People are turned into so much cake batter, spun into each other like a chorus line of drunken whirling dervishes, and then littered on floors and sidewalks battered, bruised, and bewildered. All of this mayhem results from greedy merchants' desire to weaken the frugal resolves of their customers. Though these spinning airlocks have all but disappeared since NEXT AISLE OVER's release, certainly it would be prudent to run in the other direction should you stumble across such a Robber Baron Relic Today.

Nice Laughs for Lloyd Fans

[Michael_Elliott · 5 June 2013]

Next Aisle Over (1919)

** 1/2 (out of 4)

Nice silent one-reeler about a man (Harold Lloyd) who takes a job inside a department store because he finds one of the workers (Bebe Daniels) to be cute. Before long he's not only trying to sale shoes but he also has to deal with some kidnappers. NEXT AISLE OVER is another decent short from this part of Lloyd's career where slapstick was certainly his thing. This film here clocks in at just under 10-minutes and while it's certainly not a classic there are enough funny parts to make it worth watching. One of the best sequences deals with 'Snub' Pollard carrying a large number of items for his wife and being unable to get into a swinging door. Another funny sequence deals with Lloyd trying to put shoes on the sock-less man. Once the kidnapping scheme comes into play we're given a terrific sequence where Lloyd, in the window like a mannequin, starts hitting up on the three kidnappers who keep thinking one of their own is doing it. Lloyd is once again flawless in the role as his comic timing is really on the mark. Daniels is her sweet self as usual and Pollard is very funny in his scenes. Several of the Rolin Films troop are on hand here.

One of Lloyd's last 'jerk' films.

[planktonrules · 3/10 · 14 February 2019]

The Harold Lloyd films of the 1920s were works of art. While laughs were important, Lloyd's style changed a lot from his roughhouse 1910s pictures. Instead of relying on slapstick, they were much more plot-driven and very sweet...and you really liked the characters he played. "Next Aisle Over" is an example of Lloyd in his middle phase of his comedy. In other words, while the character LOOKED like the sweet bespectacled man of the 20s, he acted much like his earlier, jerky characters. Much of the time, you really have no understanding WHY he wacted the way he did....but you know you don't like the guy!

The film begins with a revolving door bit that is mildly funny...but you notice right away how mean Lloyd is in this one as he torments a little guy for no apparent reason. Then, he enters the department store and begins flirting with his girlfriend. When the boss arrives, Harold inexplicably slaps him around and causes a minor riot! Then, you realize he works there and the job shows him throwing things at customers, slapping them and being slapped by them. All in all, practically no plot, few laughs and a nasty, unlikable leading man. I see little to recommend in this one.

Not among Lloyd's finest

[Horst_In_Translation · 4/10 · 14 December 2018]

Here we git "Next Aisle Over" a 9-minute live action short film from 1919, so this one will have its 100th anniversary next year and if that does not emphasize how old it actually is, then let me say that this was made and released one year after World War I. The director is H.M. Walker and if that doesn't ring a bell yet, then let me add that the central character here is played by Harold Lloyd and with him you find other known names from the silent (short) film era like Daniels and Pollard. Our hero here works at a department store and causes mayhem when trying to impress a girl, when presenting shoes to a customer and when standing in the store window impersonating a dummy. So getting fired seems inevitable, but like so many other time the main character gets lucky and thanks to his clumsiness manages to get in the way of a robbery, so he becomes hero of the day and also manages to charm the girl in the revolving door, the one he expressed an interest in early on. Well, I did not like the watch here too much. Seen better from Lloyd and apart from that, some intertitles really would have helped too at times. Oh well, it's not a bad film or anything, but also nowhere near as funny as I would have preferred it to be. My suggestion is that everybody except the very biggest Lloyd fans should skip the watch here.

Character Nuances

[Single-Black-Male · 9 January 2004]

The rimmed glasses character is fully realized in this film because Harold Lloyd brings out his nuances. He possesses an essence that the Lonesome Luke personality lacked, and demonstrates that he could bring something to comedy without imitating Chaplin's persona.