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Post by Stan Butler on Jun 16, 2006 10:24:05 GMT
'A pair of glasses and a smile'  Thought I'd start this today, seeing as there was a programme on about him last night on BBC4 'Paul Merton's Silent Clowns' . Not seen much Harold Lloyd for years. I remember enjoying him as a kid, around the same time as I got into Laurel & Hardy. Classic moment...  TAKEN JUST BEFORE MARTY MC FLY DRIVES PAST IN THE DeLOREAN! |
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Post by The Collector on Jun 17, 2006 9:52:39 GMT
Not watched it yet - was it any good?
Hoo-Ray for Harold Lloyd1
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Post by Stan Butler on Jun 20, 2006 17:41:53 GMT
I'd love to see some Harold Lloyd classics again. Might invest in the DVD set if and when it comes on on region 2 (for the right price!)
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Post by bluebottle on Jun 25, 2006 18:13:15 GMT
This may sound really strange but I don't think I have ever seen a Harold Lloyd film.
I have seen the famous shots of him hanging from the Clock Face and the building falling around him.
But have never seen a film he made I will have to watch one next time they are on the Telly.....
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Post by Stan Butler on Jun 26, 2006 15:56:56 GMT
This may sound really strange but I don't think I have ever seen a Harold Lloyd film. I have seen the famous shots of him hanging from the Clock Face and the building falling around him. But have never seen a film he made I will have to watch one next time they are on the Telly..... Sadly they never seem to show Harold Lloyd anymore. Have a word with fellow member 'Gruntfuttock', he's got the box set on VD! I'm sure he could recommend some good films. |
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Post by Snorkmaiden on Sept 19, 2006 23:18:33 GMT
The only Harold Lloyd film i ever saw was "Hot Water" it was shown on Tv a few years ago and I don't think I've laughed so much in all my life. Anyone see this? the one with the sleepwalking mother-in-law?
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Post by Stan Butler on Sept 20, 2006 9:35:44 GMT
The only Harold Lloyd film i ever saw was "Hot Water" it was shown on Tv a few years ago and I don't think I've laughed so much in all my life. Anyone see this? the one with the sleepwalking mother-in-law? It rings a vague bell, but it's so long since I saw any of Harold Lloyd's films it's hard to remember. I was probably about 7 or 8 at the time. |
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Post by daveinfl on Sept 27, 2006 12:59:49 GMT
Harold Lloyd was absolute class. I liked him better than Laurel & Hardy and if I remember correctly I think he did all his own stunts, well, not like they had stunt doubles really back then anyway. I used to watch his 30 minute shows when I was a kid and loved 'em. Not seen him for ages and ages  Can't say that I've ever seen him over here, nor for that matter Laurel and Hardy They do show the 3 Stoogies ever now and again but I'm not a big fan of them. |
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Post by Stan Butler on Sept 27, 2006 13:52:27 GMT
Harold Lloyd was absolute class. I liked him better than Laurel & Hardy and if I remember correctly I think he did all his own stunts, well, not like they had stunt doubles really back then anyway. I used to watch his 30 minute shows when I was a kid and loved 'em. Not seen him for ages and ages Can't say that I've ever seen him over here, nor for that matter Laurel and Hardy They do show the 3 Stoogies ever now and again but I'm not a big fan of them. The thing I've found with a lot of early silent stuff that I enjoyed as a kid, it doesn't stand the test of time. When your a kid, it's funny to see someone fall over or get chased at double speed by some baddie with a thick false moustache, but when your older, that stuff doesn't seem as funny. I used to love Chaplin as kid, but can't stand him now! Laurel & Hardy stand the test of time, particularly in their sound films. Although they made lots of silent films, it wasn't until sound was introduced they became the proper Stan & Ollie characters. It was sound that killed off the likes of Lloyd, Chaplin, Keaton & others, because they didn't suit the changeover. |
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Post by daveinfl on Sept 27, 2006 14:04:43 GMT
That's true Speilberg, although I remember my old man laughing his rocks off at Harold Lloyd so it must appeal to some older people. I'm sure that I'd like it if I saw it again, he was very good.
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Post by Stan Butler on Sept 27, 2006 15:51:26 GMT
I'm intrigued to see some of Lloyd again. I've just had a little look on t'internet. This is the only half decent-ish clip I could find for now. CLICK THISIt's a similar scene to a film L&H did, 'Liberty'  |
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Post by The Collector on Sept 27, 2006 17:01:02 GMT
Harold Lloyd was absolute class. I liked him better than Laurel & Hardy and if I remember correctly I think he did all his own stunts, well, not like they had stunt doubles really back then anyway. I used to watch his 30 minute shows when I was a kid and loved 'em. Not seen him for ages and ages Can't say that I've ever seen him over here, nor for that matter Laurel and Hardy They do show the 3 Stoogies ever now and again but I'm not a big fan of them. The thing I've found with a lot of early silent stuff that I enjoyed as a kid, it doesn't stand the test of time. When your a kid, it's funny to see someone fall over or get chased at double speed by some baddie with a thick false moustache, but when your older, that stuff doesn't seem as funny. I used to love Chaplin as kid, but can't stand him now! Laurel & Hardy stand the test of time, particularly in their sound films. Although they made lots of silent films, it wasn't until sound was introduced they became the proper Stan & Ollie characters. It was sound that killed off the likes of Lloyd, Chaplin, Keaton & others, because they didn't suit the changeover. A Serious post on Planet Comedy?....Get it Framed Laidles and gentiles |
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Post by Stan Butler on Sept 27, 2006 17:10:51 GMT
It's a serious post about comedy!
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Post by larffalot on Jan 16, 2007 4:02:55 GMT
Harold Lloyd was absolute class. I liked him better than Laurel & Hardy and if I remember correctly I think he did all his own stunts, well, not like they had stunt doubles really back then anyway. I used to watch his 30 minute shows when I was a kid and loved 'em. Not seen him for ages and ages Can't say that I've ever seen him over here, nor for that matter Laurel and Hardy They do show the 3 Stoogies ever now and again but I'm not a big fan of them. Agreed on the class. Sorry, no stunts. Except for his first few films at Hal Roach, Lloyd was the biggest screen star in the world. He was the highest-paid man in the States and no-one could afford him, so he started his own studios (and built a huge mansion on Italian lines, with two golf courses and five swimming pools originally.) The insurance companies would not touch him without a "no stunts" clause, as even a half-hour rest after a minor injury would cost them fortunes in lost production claims. Lloyd's two principal stunt men were Harvey Parry, who did the "high and dizzy" scenes and Bil Struthers, who did the climbing scenes, as his own act was called The Human Fly. In addition, there were dozens of look-alikes, to stand in traffic, near water, or any place Lloyd might get even slightly hurt. The "does his own stunts" claim came from the publicity offices, which were not known for being truthful, and it helped ticket sales, but it was never true. |
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Post by larffalot on Jan 16, 2007 4:31:57 GMT
Quote:
Laurel & Hardy stand the test of time, particularly in their sound films. Although they made lots of silent films, it wasn't until sound was introduced they became the proper Stan & Ollie characters.
Unquote.
A huge amount of Laurel and Hardy fans will beg to differ. They will tell you that their characters were defined by silent film, as pantomime artistes, and sound was just another accessory for them to use. In poll after poll, "Big Business" (silent) is voted their funniest film, and others like "Two Tars", "From Soup to Nuts", "Battle of the Century" and "You're Darn Tootin'" always run close. Sound gave the writers (who included Stan) an extra dimension for humour, but the characters were totally established during the 31-title silent era. Their talkies often had very little dialogue e.g. "Me and My Pal" and only the big productions from classics - "The Bohemian Girl", "Fra Diavolo" and "Babes in Toyland" had any real scripts. That's until they went with MGM and Fox, where it was a very different matter, with very indifferent films.
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