Number, Please? (1920) User Reviews

A Surprise Ending For A Lloyd Film

[ccthemovieman-1 · 7/10 · 1 August 2006]

This is pretty solid Harold Lloyd Short, about 25 minutes in length with three major segments: a couple of great gags at the amusement park; Harold trying make a phone call and then Harold trying to dispense of a purse he didn't steal.

The basic story is Harold trying to get back his girlfriend (Milred Davis) who is now with another man (Ray Brooks). They run into each other at a seaside amusement area and wild scenes ensue.

The first part is highlighted by a clever gag or two on a merry-go-round and crazy mirrors. The second part has some funny bit but goes on a bit too long as the our frustrated hero tries to make a public phone call. The third part is excellent as Harold just cannot get rid of this purse, no matter what he does.

That purse turns out to be his undoing. In the end, unlike most of Lloyd's films, he doesn't get the girl! That was a shock.

NUMBER, PLEASE? (Hal Roach and Fred Newmeyer, 1920) **1/2

[Bunuel1976 · 6/10 · 2 January 2007]

This middling Harold Lloyd short is neatly divided into three sections: concerning romantic rivalry at an amusement park, it starts off with a dog chase (this early part also involving a distorted mirror gag); the mid-section is devoted to the inventive telephone antics which give the film its title; the last part, then, resolves itself into a rather overstretched sequence in which Lloyd, chased by the police, tries to get rid of an incriminating purse.

Still, perhaps the single funniest bit occurs at the very beginning - a succession of title cards categorizing how various lovesick men deal with their predicament.

clever classic comedy short

[framptonhollis · 7/10 · 29 June 2018]

Typical of many of the better silent slapstick comedies, 'Number, Please?' is a highly entertaining, charming, and, simply put, FUNNY short. The gags are aplenty, and many of them take full creative advantage of the setting and the circumstances of the central characters. This short takes place largely within the realms of an amusement park, and this leads to many rather interesting cinematic moments (ex.: a gag taking place on a roller coaster in which some of the footage was shot on an actual roller coaster while it was moving, the placement of the camera on a carousel for a few shots in another fast paced slapstick sequence). The timing, choreography, etc. are all done near perfectly. It is also worth noting that the ending of the short is surprisingly bleak, as is the entire overall story it tells. It is full on comical slapstick, but at its very core is a theme of heartbreak and failure. However, Harold Lloyd is able to deal w/this heartbreak and failure w/a self deprecating and highly amusing smile.

Very Good Short Comedy

[Snow Leopard · 13 February 2003]

This is a very good short comedy, with some good material and a fine job by Harold Lloyd as one of his slightly amoral but still sympathetic characters. Lloyd was as good as anyone was at taking a simple situation and building it up with as much comic material as he could fit into it without going too far. The telephone booth sequence here is a great example, and it is as impressive in its creativity as it is enjoyable to watch. The rest of "Number, Please" also works pretty well, and while there isn't much of a story to speak of, Lloyd is creative enough that you barely notice. Lloyd's style works well in this one, and it's a very entertaining feature.

Amusing use of sight gags

[jordondave-28085 · 7/10 · 8 June 2023]

(1920) Number, Please?

SILENT COMEDY

Clocking between 23 and 25 minutes created by Hal Roach with a forgettable story line which conveniently centers around boy(Harold Lloyd) going to the fair/ amusement park then spotting the girl (Mildred Davis) he likes hanging around with her boyfriend with intentions to separate the two by first saving her dog and then return her hand bag which the boy didn't know it was hers. The title "Number, Please?" refers to the boy (Llyod) conversing and get through with phone company which if their is any reason to watch this, it would be to see the many amusing sight gags including Lloyd running away from cops, trying to discard the incriminating a lady's bag not knowing it belonged to the girl he is trying to impress, sitting at the end of a roller coastal ride with many wigs and hats flying to the back etc... It's just slightly outdated though but still entertaining. The eight of fifteen movies Harold Lloyd starred with actress Mildred Pierce.

Enjoyable bit of nonsense as only Lloyd could do it...

[Doylenf · 6/10 · 28 January 2007]

While NUMBER, PLEASE? is an enjoyable HAROLD LLOYD silent short, I do think that he has a tendency here to milk a situation for all it's worth and goes on too long in the same vein.

The fun starts at an amusement park where Lloyd is anxious to make an impression on a pretty girl (MILDRED DAVIS) who is with a boyfriend that would like to see Lloyd disappear. Both men are soon looking for her lost pooch (interestingly, called General Pershing), and while Lloyd finds the dog, it's the other man who gets the credit after a stunt involving a merry-go-round and man and dog on a leash.

The mid-section involving both men trying to get in touch with the girl's mother is not quite as amusing--in fact, it becomes trying at times and it's here that the story runs into a time lag with repetitious sight gags.

The last half involving a lost purse is highly amusing and played for maximum laughs as Lloyd, believing it's someone's stolen purse rather than the girl's, tries to get rid of it while it keeps coming back like a boomerang.

Amusing, but certainly not the best of Harold Lloyd's comedy shorts.

One of Lloyd's better films

[Horst_In_Translation · 6/10 · 28 August 2016]

"Number, Please?" is a 24-minute live action short film from 1920, so 4 more years and this one has its 100th anniversary. The names Roach, Walker, Lloyd and Davis will seem familiar to everybody with a bit of an interest in silent films and here we have one from the early years of cinema that is of course also still in black-and-white. Almost all the action takes place inside an amusement park and it is the perfect location for Lloyd to show us his comedic talent. After finishing his routine, there develops a story and plot about two guys being interested in a young woman (played by Mildred Davis a couple years before she married Lloyd) and one of the guys is Lloyd for example. Yes this film could have needed more intertitles too and it is sometimes painful to watch how the lack of sound keeps this film from being an even better watch but we need to be pleased with what we have I guess. And it's not too difficult as the contents here are among the more entertaining stuff Lloyd has to offer in his really prolific years around 1920. i recommend the watch. Thumbs up.

Fighting Frustrated Fate With Mr. Lloyd

[Ron Oliver · 10/10 · 21 April 2004]

A Hal Roach HAROLD LLOYD Comedy Short.

A young fellow desperately tries to win back the affections of his ex-girlfriend during a madcap day at a seaside pleasure pier.

Silent screen genius Harold Lloyd has a wonderful showcase for his comedic talents in this extremely funny little film. Among the difficulties confronting Harold are a couple of contrary canines, several suspicious cops, a grossly incompetent telephone operator and a rapacious goat. The sequences involving the crazy mirrors, the phone booths and the small black boy are absolute gems.

Mildred Davis--his future real-life wife--is the object of Harold's affections. Stout Roy Brooks plays the determined Rival.

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

decent,...but not especially great Lloyd short

[planktonrules · 7/10 · 11 May 2006]

This is a pretty good Harold Lloyd short, though it certainly is not among his very best. But, considering how good Lloyd's films were, it's still well worth your time to see it.

Harold sees a cute lady (Mildred Davis--his future real-life wife) and her date at the beach. He is instantly smitten and tries desperately to find this lady's lost pooch in order to impress her. This sequence is pretty funny and ultimately, the boyfriend claims credit for finding the dog after Harold does all the work! Despite this, Mildred wants to go on a balloon ride with both of them, but unfortunately the balloon only holds 2. And, the balloon operator will only allow her to ride AFTER she gets her mother's permission (though to me she certainly looked old enough on her own). In an awfully contrived moment in the film, she tells both the guys that she will ride with the one who gets her mother's permission first. The next 10 minutes or so when Harold tries to phone her mom isn't very good by Lloyd standards and is simply drug out too long.

After he and the other guy secure permission, they both race back--only to find that Mildred's purse with the balloon tickets is gone. Harold finds it but thinks it's a stolen purse and does everything he can to get rid of it--and a nice dog keeps bringing it back to him. I actually liked this part the best of any sequence in the film.

Finally, Harold realizes it's her purse but just before he gives it to her, a goat eats it. Wow,...now that I think of it, that's pretty lame. And, now that the purse is gone, she leaves with the other guy and the film is over.

Two major problems exist with the plot. First, Mildred seems rather shallow by making them jump through hoops--making her seem less the sweet typical lead lady in a Lloyd picture and more of a selfish lass. Second, in the end Harold does NOT get the girl! That's really odd for a Lloyd film but considering how unlikable Davis was in the film, he seemed better off anyways.

Sly treatise on what man will do for love

[raskimono · 9/10 · 23 April 2004]

Funny Lloyd short is plenty on laughs as Lloyd goes to great limits to win the heart of a girl. Isn't that the basic plot of all the silent shorts from all the screen comics. There is the girl you have to the get and the laughs come from the approach. Today's comic have women in the movies but they are prizes that are given to the comic, not chased or earned in today's movies, id est the female love interest does not function as the macguffin which is the case in all the good silent comedies. That said, there are cops following Harold as he is acting very suspiciously for he is trying to dispose of a purse that he did not steal. As he tries to do this, making phone calls with a crying child, scenes on a rollercoaster all combine to deliver the laughs and finally, a bitter-sweet ending is the perfect coda to the futilities of the female hunt.

Harold Lloyd and two dogs

[SnoopyStyle · 7/10 · 31 July 2023]

The Boy (Harold Lloyd) is heartbroken for The Girl (Mildred Davis). She's with The Rival (Roy Brooks) at the seaside carnival. She loses her dog General Pershing. The Boy sets off to find it. OMG SAVE THE DOG! The Merry-o-around is scary as heck. I can't stop thinking about that scene. It ends up being funny, but it starts off as awkwardly scary. I honestly lost track of the story when it actually gets to "Number, Please". I was wondering what is happening with the phone call. The purse is a good gag especially when there is another dog. The dogs are the center of two great gags. They really save the day.

Number, Please? was quite a hilarious short from Harold Lloyd

[tavm · 9/10 · 1 July 2009]

Just watched this Harold Lloyd short on the DVD "The Cook and Other Treasures". It takes place in an amusement park in Orange Park, California. Plenty of gags involving a girl (Mildred Davis-Lloyd's future wife), rival Roy Brooks (who'd become Lloyd's assistant later on), telephone booths, a dog, a purse, a merry-go-round, and a little black boy who'd later become a member of the original "Our Gang" (Ernie Morrison). Producer/director Hal Roach appears in silhouette early on. Also early on is a gag involving a roller coaster and hats that provides the start of consistent laughs that I give through most of this entertaining short. The scene with the telephone booths and operators mixing up various calls was also one of the most hilarious in the short. I think I've said enough so on that note, I highly recommend Number, Please?

Bumpy Ride

[JoeytheBrit · 5/10 · 21 January 2010]

Roy Brooks makes an unlikely love rival for Harold Lloyd in this fairly tame comedy short. He's a tall, slightly lumpy man with childish features, but Harold seems to see him as a real threat as he tries to enjoy a day at the beach with Mildred Davis. She plays the boys off one another, promising to ride in a hot air balloon (and you can't help wondering whether that was a metaphor for something entirely different) with the first to win her mother's consent. Big Roy races off in his car, but wily Harold figures on being the first to ask mum by phoning her.

It's this decision that sets the tone of the film, which I can only describe as the comedy of frustration which, when you think about it, really isn't very funny at all. Everything that can go wrong for Harold as he tries to make his call does: people keep beating him into one of three available booths, and when he does finally make it into one he discovers he hasn't any money. A kindly desk clerk allows him to use his phone but the line accidentally gets burned through by a carelessly placed cigar. On and on goes Harold's woes and, while the quality of the comedy isn't always worthy of admiration, Harold's dogged determination to enjoy a ride with Mildred certainly is.

The second half of the film is mostly concerned with Harold and Roy's attempts to distance themselves from Mildred's purse which has been stolen by a thief who sneaks it into Harold's pocket when the police – who are everywhere – get too close. Considering Lloyd's reputation for thrill comedy, this one is fairly routine, even though it begins on a roller-coaster. You wonder how, with such a gigantic, fast-moving prop at his disposal, Lloyd allowed a gilt-edged opportunity to pass him by…

Harold wants the girl back

[Petey-10 · 9/10 · 19 May 2010]

Harold Lloyd wants back the girl, Mildred Davis, she has lost.Her new boyfriend, Roy Brooks, doesn't want to lose the girl.The girl has lost her dog in an amusement park, so the boys try to find the dog and the way to her heart.The girl has a balloonist uncle and he gives her a pass for two in his balloon, but there must be her mother's approval first.Easier said than done.Number, Please? (1920) is directed by Hal Roach and Fred C. Newmeyer.Roach is also seen in the movie playing a sailor.This is a great short comedy with many gags.It's funny when the dog is caught in the merry-go-round.The sequence where Harold tries to make a call at the telephone booth is most amusing.The lady gives him her baby who won't stop crying.It's a lot of fun to watch Harold with the purse.This is a treat for all the Harold Lloyd fans.

Good Early Lloyd

[Michael_Elliott · 25 November 2006]

NUMBER, PLEASE? (1920)

*** (out of four)

Harold Lloyd two-reeler has Lloyd trying to mend a broken heart by going to an amusement part where he meets a lovely young lady but he must compete with her boyfriend. The first reel is wonderfully funny with all sorts of great gags including one where Lloyd is in the last cart of a ride with everyone else's hats hitting him. The second reel loses a lot of its punch but overall this was still a pretty good short that shows off what was to come in Lloyd's career.

Available on DVD through Kino and New Line.

Lloyd loses the girl, in this very funny short, sited at an amusement park.

[weezeralfalfa · 10/10 · 4 October 2018]

I really liked this Harold Lloyd silent short. It made me laugh many times.........Lloyd gets a lot more excitement than he bargained for, when he decided to spend the day at Ocean Amusement Park, to try to forget the loss of his latest girlfriend. But, soon he spots her. She's with a date, so he has to think of a way to wean her away from her date(Roy). He decides to try throwing a ball in a small hole, to win a Kewpie doll for her. He fails the first few tries, and she turns up her nose at him. This makes him go berserk. He starts throwing balls at the Kewpie dolls, first in that stall, then in the next stall, before running away...........Then, he sees that the girl's unleashed (bad idea) dog has run away, and she is upset. Both he and Roy run after the dog. Lloyd spots him, and tries to sneak up on him. His attempts all fail, and he nearly gets a broken back for his trouble. Finally, a vendor picks up the dog, and throws him to Lloyd, who takes him to the girl. But, there, the dog gets away and jumps on the merry-go-round. When it stops, Roy is nearby, picks him up, and presents him to the girl. Foiled! In frustration, Lloyd ties Roy's arm to the merry-go-round, so he has to run to keep up with it.(This should have disqualified Lloyd, in the eyes of the girl!)........ Now, the girl wants to take a ride in the big balloon, which her uncle manages. He agrees to give 2 tickets, if the girl's mother agrees. She tells the men the first to get her mother's permission gets to ride with her. Roy speeds off in his car. Lloyd has no car, so he thinks telephone. But, getting into a phone booth, and getting the right number proves difficult, with various adventures. Unfortunately, the process takes too long, and he comes in second to Roy. Foiled again!.......The girl puts the 2 tickets in her purse, and sits on a park bench. Soon, a thief steals her purse. A cop starts chasing the thief. They collide with Lloyd , at a corner. The thief slips the purse into Lloyd's jacket pocket while being searched. Lloyd soon figures out what happened, and desperately tries to get rid of the purse, not realizing that it belongs to the girl. All his attempts laughingly fail. I thought the case of the compulsive retriever dog was especially funny. Finally, he runs into the girl and Roy. He hides the purse behind his back. I'm not sure if he was trying to hide it or had surmised that it belonged to the girl, and wanted to surprise her. In either case, what he eventually pulled out was just the rim of the purse. Foiled once more! I'll let you try to guess what happened to the rest of the purse. The girl and Roy leave Lloyd to get on the toy train by himself, disappointed that their balloon ride tickets had disappeared. You can see this at YouTube.

Getting There

[boblipton · 5/10 · 31 July 2023]

Harold Lloyd takes twenty-five minutes of screen time to make a one-minute telephone call in this engaging short comedy.

It takes place at the Ocean Park Amusement Pier in Santa Monica, which certainly helps fill several minutes. Amusement parks had long been and would continue to be bright locations for comedy. Mostly, though, Lloyd takes advantage of the fact that he looks like a normal young man in love with a normal young girl -- Mildred Davis in this case -- with whom he has quarreled. He had played a grotesque, Keystone-style comic in his earlier shorts for Roach, but this new costume allowed him a greater range of stories, and an ability to appeal to middle-class audiences.

Amusement at an Amusement Park

[evanston_dad · 1 September 2015]

Hijinks ensue at an amusement park when Harold Lloyd decides to compete with another for the affections of his true love. There are quite a few set pieces to earn giggles from its audience, and a couple to earn outright guffaws. There's some funny business with a carousel, but the funniest bit in the movie involves a stolen purse that both Lloyd and his rival desperately try not to get caught holding. As always, Lloyd is a delightful screen presence, and his silent comedy persona instantly makes you root for it.

I saw this as a double bill with Lloyd's "Grandma's Boy" at the Pickwick Theatre in Park Ridge, Illinois as part of a summer silent movie festival. Let's keep festivals like that alive.