Pay Your Dues (1919)

User Rating:

7.3/10   

Directors:

Vincent Bryan
Hal Roach

Writer:

H.M. Walker (titles)

Release Date:

12 October 1919 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Short

Plot:

While blindfolded and playing pin the tail on the donkey with some lady friends, our hero is mistaken...

Plot Keywords:

One Reeler

Cast

Harold Lloyd
'Snub' Pollard		(as Harry Pollard)
Bebe Daniels
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Sammy Brooks
Lige Conley		(as Lige Cromley)
Frank Daniels
William Gillespie
Charles Inslee
Mark Jones
Dee Lampton
Gus Leonard
Earl Mohan
Marie Mosquini
Fred C. Newmeyer		(as Fred C. Newmeyer)
H.L. O'Connor
Robert Emmett O'Connor
Charles Stevenson		(as Charles E. Stevenson)
Chase Thorne
Noah Young

Directed by
Vincent Bryan
Hal Roach

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
H.M. Walker		titles

Produced by
Hal Roach	....	producer

Cinematography by
Walter Lundin

Production Companies

• Rolin Films

Distributors

• Pathé Exchange (1919) (USA) (theatrical)
• Grapevine Video (video)

Runtime:

12 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Silent

Company:

Rolin Films

Pay Your Dues was one short more in keeping with Harold Lloyd's character

After seeing the not-so-appealing Lonesome Luke comedy short on the "American Slapstick" DVD, disc 3, the next Harold Lloyd one had his more familiar "glasses" character though he was just in development when Pay Your Dues was being made. In this one, he gets mixed in some lodge initiation when the previous contestant bails out. Since both are wearing handkerchiefs on their faces, the lodge members don't know which is which. There's also a woman who goes after Lloyd when she notices her "Pin the Tail on the Donkey" player disappears. Lots of funny sight gags abound here (including several that anticipate Lloyd's penchant for doing thrills) and there's a every-thing's-gonna-be-all right feel after the whole thing's over. So on that note, I highly recommend Pay Your Dues.