Dont be shy. Watch 'Bashful'!

Bashful (1917)
Starring: Harold Lloyd, Bebe Daniels, William Blaisdell, Snub Pollard, Belle Mitchell, and Bud Jamison
Director: Alf Goulding
Rating: Seven of Ten Stars

A shy young man (Lloyd) will inherit millions of dollars if he has a wife and child. When the estate executor (Blaisdell) pays him a visit, his girlfriend (Daniels) pretends to be his wife, and his manservant (Pollard) and cook (Mitchell) set out to find and "borrow" a baby.

"Bashful" hits the ground running and never slows down for its 9-minute running time. The early part of the film is amusing, but things get over-the-top hilarious once the menacing executor of the estate (played with great effect by the giant-of-a-man William Blaisdell) arrives to vet the heir and his family, and the household staff go through their efforts to make sure their employer can present a baby.

As is almost always the case, Harold Lloyd and Bebe Daniels are a joy to watch. This film is made all the more fun by there being a slight role reversal to what was typical in these older films: Daniels' character wants to smooch with Lloyd's character and she isn't afraid to go after him for it. Meanwhile, Lloyd's character is more demure and brushes off her advances. (Daniels played a similar character in "Off the Trolley", which is another Lloyd/Daniels pairing I highly recommend.)

 

As mentioned above, "Bashful" is a fast-moving film, and not a second of screen time is wasted on anything that doesn't move the plot along, or isn't a gag or an extended comedy bit. This might have been an Eight Star film if it had been a little slower in a couple of different ways--or maybe a little longer. The film ends with a couple of MAJOR plot elements unresolved--and they had intersected and were coming to a head as things fade to black. 

I don't think the version I've watched is incomplete, because the ending isn't abrupt and satisfying in the overall context of the film... but I would have loved to see the total chaos and possible brawling and chases that almost certainly descended upon the Lloyd household after. All it would have taken would be another minute or two or run-time (well, and a longer shooting schedule and a bigger budget and...)

I can't go into details about what those plot elements are without ruining some of the film's funniest moments, but I hope you will take a few minutes to check out this great little film. I'm not terribly fond of the music used in this version, but the image quality is fantastic!

And if you feel inclined, let me know if you agree with my view that this would have been an even better film if those severed plot threads and been run out completely.

Join Harold & Bebe and go 'Back to the Woods'

Back to the Woods (1919)
Starring: Harold Lloyd, Bebe Daniels, Harry Pollard, Bud Jamison, Marie Mosquini, T. Henderson Murray, and Arthur Housman
Director: Hal Roach
Rating: Eight of Ten Stars

A city slicker (Lloyd) and his man-servant (Pollard) head into the country where they run into lions, bears, a flirtatious Native American girl (Mosquini), and gun-toting hillbillies (Jamison and Daniels).

"Back to the Woods" is a great short film that delivers an even mix of situational comedy and slapstick and features Harold Lloyd and Bebe Daniels not only at their best and working with some excellent material.

Lloyd plays another one of those love-starved/sex-starved characters that seems to have been his bread-and-butter during the late 1910s. His character is less obnoxious than in, for example, "Ring Up the Curtain" and "Hey There". which is good because if he had been he probably would have gotten shot by Bebe Daniels' character. Their interaction throughout the picture is mostly as equals, as they rescue each other from bears and the psychotic backwoodsman played by Bud Jamison. It makes the film more palatable to the modern viewer, I think.

The characters played by Lloyd and Daniels in this film are also more appealing that the ones they portrayed in "Off the Trolley" where they were equals who were equally interested in getting laid but also equally unpleasant personality-wise. While "Back to the Woods" has characters who are an example of opposites attract, "Off the Trolley" is one of perfect mates).
Aside from the character interplay between Lloyd and Daniels, the most amusing parts of the film are scenes involves them interacting with bears... and it appears to be Lloyd in some of the scenes with an actual bear.




The version of "Back to the Woods" I've embedded below is not only the one I found online that's the clearest visually, but the music track is also better and more thoughtful than much of what is provided for many of these films. Check it out--it's well worth 10 minutes of your day!

'The Soilers' is almost buried by weak slapstick

The Soilers (1932)
Starring: ZaSu Pitts, Thelma Todd, James C. Morton, and Bud Jamison
Director: George Marshall
Rating: Six of Ten Stars

ZaSu and Thelma (Pitts and Todd) try to sell magazine subscriptions to the staff at City Hall and are mistaken for assassins by a judge who's been life has been threatened (Morton).

"The Soilers" is one of the weaker entries in the comedies teaming ZaSu Pitts and Thelma Todd. There's no much story to get in the way of the physical comedy bits, but at least there's more than in the similarly flawed "One Track Mind" (1933) and here enough thought was put into the script to bring the film to a satisfying conclusion. Still, compared to earlier Pitts/Todd teamings, this is disappointing.

I think the biggest flaw here is that the series started emphasizing slapstick and other physical comedy over the situational comedy that had dominated early entries in the series. In "Let's Do Things" (1932), for example, the physical comedy--Thelma Todd being tossed around like a rag doll, ZaSu Pitts being stupid drunk--accentuates the comedic situations the characters are in rather than being present for its own sake.

To make matters worse, the routines that "The Soilers" is packed with just isn't all that good, and several of them outstay their welcome. In the first ten minutes of the film there are four different physical comedy bits that are allowed to drag on to the point of being tedious, although the last of them is punctuated with an extremely impressive prat-fall by James Morton. (Two of the routines are just lame, and grow tedious because they are carried on for too long; but there's some business with characters stuck in a revolving door that ZaSu is too dim to figure out how to use, and a bit with a maintainence man and a ladder that culminates in James C. Morton doing an impressive head-over-heels prat-fall. (I am not joking; this was such an impressive little stunt that I literally exclaimed "Wow!" when it happend.)

The middle section of the film is the strongest. Here, we see Thelma trying to sell magazine subscriptions by being seductive to a court clerk, followed by ZaSu trying to prove that she can also be sexy... and failing. Some of the strongest physical comedy takes place here, as the girls reduce a judges' chambers to shambles and cover both him and themsleves in ink, glue, court documents, and bits of office equipment. It's all very goofy and even a little funny. Bud Jamison also gets to portray what may be the most inept plain-clothes policeman to ever grace the screen during this section, and it's also quite funny. Eventually, the film returns to the uninspired material that opened the film, but thankfully we only get a small dose of it, and the film does close on a high note--a literal bang--and a cute moment between our heroines and the judge whose day they've been ruining.

Although definately one of the weaker entries in the series of Todd/Pitts comedies, it's still ends up being a lot of fun to watch. In fact, I think if a little more effort had been put into crafting a story instead of padding the running time with lame slap-stick material, it could have ended up as one of the better entiries. The cast was excellent, and when they had good material to work with, they were excellent.


"The Soilers" is contained on a two-disc set that contains all of the short films that Thelma Todd and ZaSu Pitts made together

The most complete version of 'Pinched'

As regular readers of Shades of Gray (all seven of you) have probably noticed, I've been trawling YouTube for things to review much more than I used to. This is because the place is a treasure trove of films I otherwise would never even have realized existed... and even if I had known, I wouldn't have seen them, because I am too cheap to buy DVD collections of silent films and cartoons from the 1920s and 1930s.

Every so often, I also come across someone who is using the YouTube platform to give a gift to all us film-lovers out here, at great effort. Most recently, I came across Dave Glass's restored version of "Pinched" (1917). He assembled it from three different sources, did some digital clean-up on some sections, and uploaded what, for now at least, is the closest we'll get to seeing what movie-goers saw when they settled into their seats 100 years ago.

Getting easy access to an effort like this is what makes the web so great... and it's makes it even greater because of the ease I can share it with all of you, right here, at the bottom of this post.


Pinched (1917)
Starring: Harold Lloyd, Bebe Daniels, Harry Pollard, and Bud Jamison
Directors: Harold Lloyd and Gilbert Pratt
Rating: Eight of Ten Stars

After being framed as his own mugger (Lloyd), a young man's attempts to avoid arrest lands in him jail for ANOTHER crime he didn't commit.

Like many slapstick comedies, "Pinched" is a loosely connected series of vinettes that each revolve around one or two set-piece gags. They are tied together in this one primarily by a checkered cap that blows off Harold's head while he is out driving with his girlfriend. It's a fun idea that makes the events of film seem a little more reasonable than they might otherwise have if the main character had just wandered from situation to situation and gotten into trouble completely randomly.

Check it out; it might be the most fun you'll have today!

'Ring Up the Curtain' has Harold Lloyd bringing down the house

Ring Up the Curtain (1919)
Starring: Harold Lloyd, Bebe Daniels, Harry Pollard, Bud Jamison, and William Blaisedell
Director: Alf Goulding
Rating: Seven of Ten Stars

An incompetent stage hand (Lloyd) gets the hots for a flirtatious leading lady (Daniels) and ruins a performance as a result.

"Ring Up the Curtain" is a fun little tale that demonstrates the importance of having a good backstage crew supporting the performers on stage... because all the complications in this picture arise from the bad choices made by a theatre owner (William Blaisdell) in hiring a bunch of drunks. He compounds his error by firing them all, except for one, as a troupe of vaudevillians are about to put on a performance. His catastrophic mistakes are to our benefit, however, as the chaos Harold the Useless Stagehand is hilarious to watch.

The film isn't perfect, though. After a strong start, featuring the sacking of the drunken stagehands, about a minute is wasted on the theatre owner abusing Harold and some shtick with a bowler hat that drags on for too long. Once Bebe Daniels and the rest of the acting troupe shows up, the film gets back on target.

The good outweighs the bad here, though. The scene were Harold out-and-out sexually harasses Bebe Daniels in the middle of the performance and ends up on stage fighting with her husband (played by Harry Pollard) is already comedy gold, but it's made even funnier by the way Harold forces an actor practicing his lines to hold the rigging ropes in the wing.

But don't just take my word for how fun this little movie is; I've made it easy for you to check it out by embedding it below, via YouTube.

'Don't Shove' should be seen

Don't Shove (1919)
Starring: Harold Lloyd, Bud Jamison, Bebe Daniels, Lee Lampton, Noah Young, and Fred Newmeyer
Director: Alf Goulding
Rating: Six of Ten Stars

While trying to impress an eligible young lady (Daniels) at her birthday party, a young man (Lloyd) ends up fighting with rivals for her attention (Jamison and Lampton) and causing chaos at a roller rink.

With "Don't Shove", I'm starting to understand why Lloyd is remembered as largely playing charming characters who are looking for happiness and romance but who find trouble instead. I've previously commented on how I was put off by the "hero" he portrayed in a number of shorts I'm probably not going to bother write about, but here, he is generally reacting to provocations or trouble started by other characters; in seems that once he came up with his Glasses character, he increasingly left behind the obnoxious trickster character he typically portrayed in earlier films.

"Don't Shove" is a brief film, but it's jammed with action, gags, AND story from its opening moments. Highlights of the film include Bud Jamison angrily stalking Harold after he's gotten him ejected from a party they were both attending, and pretty much everything that follows after Harold exaggerates his rollerskating ability in a desire to impress  Bebe Daniels. And, this is another film where it's fun just to watch Bebe Daniels act--she'd been in front of movie cameras for more than a decade at this point and her experience shows.

I've embedded "Don't Shove" via YouTube below. Why don't you take a break, watch it, and spend a few minutes laughing?

'Over the Fence' is silent near-perfection!

Over the Fence (1917)
Starring: Harold Lloyd, Bebe Daniels, Harry Pollard, and Bud Jamison
Directors: Harold Lloyd and J. Farrell MacDonald
Rating: Nine of Ten Stars

When his coworker (Pollard) sneakily grabs both his tickets and date (Daniels) to the ballgame, Harold (Lloyd) ends up on the field and playing for the home team after he is mistaken for a late-arriving star player.

"Over the Fence" absolutely hilarious, both as a romantic comedy and a sports comedy. It is perfectly paced--there is literally not a second wasted in the film--and every joke and gag lands solidly. With this film, I think I finally see why Harold Lloyd has gained the reputation of portraying an Everyman sort of character in his films, as he doesn't go out of his way to be jerk, and I think everyone who's been on a date that goes sideways can relate to some of the goin-ons here. (I've seen a couple references that imply the version I watched is a shortened one. I don't know how accurate those comments are, but if I did view an edited version of the film, I want to praise the editor as strongly as the creators and actors in the original film.)

Harold Lloyd, Bebe Daniels, and Harry Pollard are all great in the film, with Lloyd and Daniels giving especially good performances. Daniels, once again, impressed me with her range of acting ability. She seems to have been able to play any type of female character the script called for, unlike her male co-stars which mostly seemed to have a type that they stuck to.

That last statement above isn't entirely fair to Harold Lloyd. I have mentioned previously that there are a number of these Lloyd/Daniels/Pollard shorts that I haven't bothered writing about, because I so disliked the main character as portrayed by Lloyd. Reportedly, with this film, Lloyd reinvented his screen persona, leaving behind the rotten troublemaker that has so annoyed me and moving toward a more sympathetic figure. Looking back, I can see the change--the films I couldn't stand tend to be ones where he hasn't worn glasses but instead slightly exaggerated make-up and odd clothes, while the ones that I like he is wearing glasses. That was Lloyd's signal to himself and his audience that his screen character was not different.

The only, minor complaint I have with "Over the Fence" is that Harry Pollard is in exaggerated, clownish make-up. I realize that this film marks a transition from the earlier films, but it seems an odd choice that Pollard was the only character in the film with such clownish make-up on. It could also be that in the century that has passed since this film was released has made a significance to Pollard's exaggerated make-up fade to the point where I just don't understand it.

"Over the Fence" is just five minutes long, and I strongly encourage you to take the time to check it out; it could just be the most entertaining minutes of your day. I have even made it easy for you, by embedding it below--via YouTube and the Christopher Bird Collection.

'Off the Trolley' is a perfect title

Off the Trolley (1919)
Starring: Harold Lloyd, Bebe Daniels, Harry "Snub" Pollard, Sammy Brooks, and Bud Jamison
Director: Alf Goulding
Rating: Seven of Ten Stars

Unpleasant characters (Lloyd and Daniels) ride a streetcar with the world's most inept driver (Pollard).

Since it's a 100-year-old silent film, some are prone to dismiss "Off the Trolley" as not worth their time. Those people would be missing out on seven minutes of nearly non-stop amazement and laughter... because this one packs in more madness into its brief running time than many feature-length comedies do at ten times the length.

Harold Lloyd plays one of those trickster characters that are lots of fun in comedies and comic strips but you know would be in prison (or dead) if they existed in the real world... and he's in fine form in this picture. From his initial encounter with hotty ticket taker Bebe Daniels on their way to work, through his slapstick escape from an ever-growing crowd of cops, his conflicts with other passengers on the streetcar, and his dealing with would-be robbers, are all incredibly funny and spectacular examples of well-timed physical comedy.

Bebe Daniels is also lots of fun in this film. I'm usually annoyed by insta-romances, but here it seems clear that all she's looking for from Lloyd's character is a "bit of fun"... which is for the best, because even if she had something more in mind, it would end as soon as she discovered what he gets up to and does to her behind her back. (Although, frankly, based on their first interaction, part of me thinks the Daniels and Lloyd characters probably deserve each other.)

Since you're here already, why don't you take a view minutes to check out this great little film, embedded below via YouTube?

'Contented Calves' makes contented viewers

Contented Calves (1934)
Starring: Carol Tevis, Grady Sutton, June Brewster, Charles Dow Clarke, Sam McDaniel, and Bud Jamison
Director: Sam White
Rating: Eight of Ten Stars

While trying to scam a free lunch, June and Carol (Brewster and Tevis) become the legs and faces of a new ad campaign for Fool Proof Hosiery silk stockings. When Carol discovers the ad makes her look unattractive and refers to her as a "dumb-bell", she gets her lawyer boyfriend (Sutton) to file defamation suits against anyone and everyone involved with the manufacture, sale, and promotion of Fool Proof Hosiery.

"Contented Calves" is one of the best films in RKO's "The Blonde and the Redhead" series of short films. Although the plot is a little weak--the film consists of four comedy sketches that could stand equally well on their own, even if two of them are tightly connected--the characters are all sharply drawn through clever dialogue and there isn't a joke or gag that doesn't go off perfectly. The only scene that could have used a little more work is a slapstick routine about halfway through the film; it's funny, but i's not as good as what you might see elsewhere, including other entries in this series.

Series stars June Brewster, Grady Sutton, and Carol Tevis are back as their familiar characters--Brewster as the schemer, Tevis as the ditz, and Sutton as the dorky boyfriend, and they do their usual excellent jobs. In this outing, Sutton is a recent law school graduate who is struggling in his own private practice, and Tevis is his girlfriend. Brewster plays a supporting role in outing, sniping at the other characters from the sideline with jibes and petty insults while Tevis's dimwitted blonde takes center stage with Grady Sutton. Esquire, in the attempt to avenge Tevis' slighted honor. This is Sutton and Tevis's picture (a reversal of the previous installment in the series where Tevis played a supporting role.)

"Contented Calves" is one of four short films included on "Blondes and Redheads, Volume 2" and although it runs 21 minutes, it feels like half that because of the non-stop gags. This film is a high point of the collection, as well as the entire "The Blonde and the Redhead" series.

'A Slip at the Switch' is lots of fun

A Slip at the Switch (1932)
Starring: Charles 'Chic' Sale, Bud Jamison, George 'Gabby' Hayes, Charlie Hall, Monte Collins, and Phil Dunham
Director: Mark Sandrich
Rating: Seven of Ten Stars

A small-town rail crossing and switch operator (Sale) must fight off a couple of robbers (Hall and Jamison) and stop two trains from colliding on the track.

"A Slip at the Switch" is an early action-comedy featuring a cast who got their start appearing in silent movies. It's a fast-paced little film where gags and slapstick action are flying fast and furiously from the very beginning of the first scene to the final moment.

It's easy to see why Charles Sale was a pop culture sensation during the late 1920s until his untimely death in 1937. He is hilarious as the tenacious and brave, but dimwitted, railway worker, playing the part with perfect comedic timing and lots of energy. Sale also has a screen presence that almost overwhelms that of Bud Jamison who plays a surprisingly intimidating bad guy.

"A Slip at the Switch" is one of six short films included on "Ultra-Rare Pre-Code Comedies Vol 3" from Alpha Video. The footage from which the transfer was made was in decent shape which will make it even more enjoyable for you to take some 13-wellspent minutes to watch this one.

Having fun with the creative set

How Comedies are Born (1931)
Starring: Harry Sweet,  Harry Gribbon, Tom Kennedy, Doris McMahon, Jill Dennett, and Bud Jamison
Director: Harry Sweet
Rating: Six of Ten Stars

Writers and actors get together for a brainstorming session, hoping to hatch the next hit movie.

"How Comedies are Born" is a fun little spoof of creative brainstorming sessions. Having been part of a number of these back when I was a full-time writer, I can attest to the fact that there's a lot of Truth here, even if its exaggerated for laughs. What there's also a lot of is gags, slapstick, and jokes revolving around beer--and beer-based slapstick routines--and snappy dialogue full of playful and not so playful insults. Some of the jokes were probably old even when this film was first released, but I think that was the point  of including them, so it's excusable. It all adds up to some very fun 18 minutes.

Unfortunately, in order to enjoy this film, you'll have to look past the awful quality of the print used for this DVD. It was plainly taken from a well-worn third- or four-generation (at least) videotaped copy--complete with the blurry image and static lines that come with that--and little or no effort was put into cleaning it up. I understand that distributor Alpha Video offers low-cost DVDs of old movies, so one can't except a lot of effort, but I still think it's a shame the picture quality isn't better.

"How Comedies are Born" is one of six short films included on "Ultra-Rare Pre-Code Comedies Vol. 4."