Speedy (1928)

User Rating:

7.8/10   

Director:

Ted Wilde

Writers:

Albert DeMond (titles)
John Grey (screenplay)

Release Date:

7 April 1928 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Comedy | Family

Tagline:

LLOYD'S LATEST (original print ad - all caps)

Plot:

"Speedy" loses his job as a soda-jerk, then spends the day with his girl at Coney Island. He then becomes...

Plot Keywords:

Soda Jerk | Grandfather | Railroad | Trolley | Yankee Stadium

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar.

Cast

Harold Lloyd	...	Harold "Speedy" Swift
Ann Christy	...	Jane Dillon
Bert Woodruff	...	Pop Dillon, Her Grand-daddy
Babe Ruth	...	Himself
Bryon Douglas	...	W.S. Wilton
Brooks Benedict	...	Steve Carter

Runtime:

86 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Silent

Certification:

Australia:G

Filming Locations:

Coney Island, Brooklyn, New York City, New York, USA

Company:

The Harold Lloyd Corporation

Trivia:

Harold Lloyd was such a popular star at the time, the Coney Island scenes had to be filmed secretly, with the camera often hidden from view, to avoid attracting mobs of adoring fans.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: In the scene at Coney Island where Speedy thinks the shadows from a spotted umbrella are marks on his suit, the umbrella spots don't line up with the spots on the suit, which are obviously from a filter above and to the left of Harold Lloyd. And when he pushes the umbrella out of the light, the motion of the spots again doesn't match.

Quotes:

Harold "Speedy" Swift: It smells like rain.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Funny Side of Life (1963)

Soundtrack:

Speedy Boy

Great Silent Movie, and Still Hilarious!

I really wasn't that familiar with Harold Lloyd until I saw this silent. I wasn't going to watch it at first, but I got immersed in it almost immediately! What glorious and successful use of slapstick! I'm not even into slapstick that much, but this one had me "rolling in the aisles," or should I say my living room chair.

Mr. Lloyd had a knack of making fun of himself, which to me is the essence of anything comical. I guess that's why I don't watch anything too recent, since so much comedy these days is either at somebody else's expense, or just plain stupid. Here we have the hero, Lloyd, trying to do something nice for someone else, while having absolute perseverance throughout impossible trials and tribulations. That makes it even better. No violence, thank goodness!

Mr. Lloyd was a genius, and he ranks with Buster Keaton in bringing timeless laughs.