I found the beginning of this Harold Lloyd vehicle a bit weak (the first person to watch the tape, not a silent film regular, later told me he had given up after ten minutes, and I can understand why), and compared to later films it seems very heavy on the intertitles. However, things perk up considerably with the entry into the story of the lovely and talented Jobyna Ralston and the transformation of a two-dimensional situational farce into a character-driven romantic comedy. I particularly enjoyed the scenes in the publisher's office, and of course all the scenes between Harold and Jobyna! (There is also a very ingeniously-worked little sequence in the park, in which a passing encounter with a complete stranger turns out to provide the subsequent denouement to the lovers' interview.)
Given that a second, bigamous marriage would in any case have been invalid, though, I'm not sure that Harold needed to put quite so much effort into reaching the altar in time: whether the ceremony had been completed or not, the girl would still have been free to marry her real lover half an hour or so afterwards...
Definitely better than "Safety Last", although perhaps more uneven: danger stunts in themselves leave me fairly cold, but there is some enjoyable character work in this picture.
Given that a second, bigamous marriage would in any case have been invalid, though, I'm not sure that Harold needed to put quite so much effort into reaching the altar in time: whether the ceremony had been completed or not, the girl would still have been free to marry her real lover half an hour or so afterwards...
Definitely better than "Safety Last", although perhaps more uneven: danger stunts in themselves leave me fairly cold, but there is some enjoyable character work in this picture.