Hot Water (1924)
10/10
One Of Harold's Best, Should Be Better Known
29 May 2006
This was just great! Since this wasn't one of the Harold Lloyd silent films that I had heard much about, compared to others, it was a wonderful surprise. I think it's right up there with "The Freshman" and his other hit movies.

Except with the early "turkey" scene on the trolley which I think went on too long, the rest of the gags were hilarious and very entertaining. Of lot of that was due not just to Lloyd but Josephine Crowell, who played the mother-in-law. She reminded of the brutish Anne Ramsey in "Throw Mama Off The Train." Crowell plays the stereotypical mother-in-law: a big, gruff, mean-looking woman who makes life miserable for poor newly-wed Harold. She is joined by a no-good brother-in-law and a mean little kid. The three of them come over to visit Harold and "wifey."

The film really is three long comedy segments: the trolley scene, a ride in an automobile and Lloyd thinking he killed his wife's mom after chloroforming her.

After showing up at the newlyweds, the whole group all goes for a ride in Lloyd's brand new fancy car and by the time the trip's over, the automobile is demolished. When they get back home, Harold, a little peeved by now, chloroforms the mother-in-law and then thinks he overdid it and killed her. All kinds of haunted house-type sight gags occur which help convince him she is dead, and he is going to be arrested and charged with murder.Many of jokes in this "skit" are extremely funny.

This is one solid hour of laughs and entertainment.
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