I love Harold Lloyd films...and yet I am NOT recommending you watch "Harold Lloyd's World of Comedy". This sounds contradictory, doesn't it? Well, let me explain why I love his films and why I quickly lost interest in this picture.
Harold Lloyd, of all the major comedy stars of the 1920s, relied more on stories and his sweet character. Sure, he did a few films, such as "Safety Last", which were very physical. But far more often he made sweet plot-driven films like "The Kid Brother", "Grandma's Boy" and "The Freshman"...movies that didn't rely on pratfalls or stunts but lovable characters and more subtle comedy. Because of this, although you could see clips from some of these wonderful films, without the context all the sweetness and great characters are lost. And so it was as I saw this compendium--the context was missing and most of the clips, on their own, just weren't that funny.
I think that non-fans would also be disappointed. They would see the clips and likely think "wow...he's really not that funny" and simply dismiss Harold Lloyd and his genius. Instead, see his films in their entirety and skis this poorly slapped together pile of clips and occasionally annoying narration.
Harold Lloyd, of all the major comedy stars of the 1920s, relied more on stories and his sweet character. Sure, he did a few films, such as "Safety Last", which were very physical. But far more often he made sweet plot-driven films like "The Kid Brother", "Grandma's Boy" and "The Freshman"...movies that didn't rely on pratfalls or stunts but lovable characters and more subtle comedy. Because of this, although you could see clips from some of these wonderful films, without the context all the sweetness and great characters are lost. And so it was as I saw this compendium--the context was missing and most of the clips, on their own, just weren't that funny.
I think that non-fans would also be disappointed. They would see the clips and likely think "wow...he's really not that funny" and simply dismiss Harold Lloyd and his genius. Instead, see his films in their entirety and skis this poorly slapped together pile of clips and occasionally annoying narration.