There are some great stunts on display in this Harold Lloyd film short and not just those featuring Lloyd himself. The acrobat who feigns injury doing his back flips actually lands fairly hard on sidewalks and concrete in an unnatural position and I had to wonder how much of that he could take before hurting himself. Maybe he did, who knows?
I read a trivia note on this film that stated Lloyd had a stunt double for the more difficult ones, but there sure were enough close-ups of Lloyd on the airborne I-beam to make it seem like he was doing them himself. The blindfold gimmick in the chair was pretty remarkable, and even though the chair was secure, Harold wasn't, so it looked pretty dangerous. The balance, coordination and timing of all the stunts on display are really something to see.
Of course, what led to all those dangerous maneuvers was Harold's conviction to commit suicide after a misguided impression that his girl (Mildred Davis) was marrying another man. Talk about a perfectionist, he had to figure out the correct spelling of 'sepulchre' before pursuing his task. That would appear to take the starch out of any man.
I haven't seen nearly as many Harold Lloyd shorts as other favorites like Laurel and Hardy, Chaplin or Keaton, but the few I've seen are beginning to make me a fan. This one was pretty good, but if you're afraid of heights you may need a tranquilizer.
I read a trivia note on this film that stated Lloyd had a stunt double for the more difficult ones, but there sure were enough close-ups of Lloyd on the airborne I-beam to make it seem like he was doing them himself. The blindfold gimmick in the chair was pretty remarkable, and even though the chair was secure, Harold wasn't, so it looked pretty dangerous. The balance, coordination and timing of all the stunts on display are really something to see.
Of course, what led to all those dangerous maneuvers was Harold's conviction to commit suicide after a misguided impression that his girl (Mildred Davis) was marrying another man. Talk about a perfectionist, he had to figure out the correct spelling of 'sepulchre' before pursuing his task. That would appear to take the starch out of any man.
I haven't seen nearly as many Harold Lloyd shorts as other favorites like Laurel and Hardy, Chaplin or Keaton, but the few I've seen are beginning to make me a fan. This one was pretty good, but if you're afraid of heights you may need a tranquilizer.