The Harold Lloyd Comedy Collection Vols. 1-3 (1923)

I'd give this collection more stars if I could

I'm new to Harold Lloyd.One day about a month ago I watched this movie that was included in a set of old classic (50 movies for $20.00)films,it was called "The Milky Way",I fell in love with Harold Lloyd right then and there.I ordered this box set,and I'm now going through it,as my love for Harold grows and grows.Yep,he's just that good!He's a genius on par with Chaplin and Buster Keaton. May 12, 2008

One of my favorite silent comedy collections

I own quite a few DVD sets of the great silent comedians, including the large Buster Keaton set from Kino. This set ties that one in my enjoyment and its ability to lift my mood if I'm feeling down. Everyone else has talked about what is in this set, let me say a few words about what isn't here that you might expect to see. Lloyd's first talking picture, 1929's "Welcome Danger" is missing. It wasn't his best work, and he does play one of the most annoying characters he ever portrayed, but I feel it should have been included for its historical significance. The other missing film is 1938's "Professor Beware", which was his last film before he took a nine year hiatus from moviemaking. That one is actually quite funny, and I'm surprised it's missing from this collection. Neither one of these films is currently available on DVD from any other source.

Lloyd was definitely a comic genius that mirrored the optimism of pre-Depression America. His can-do spirit and desire to work within the system in order to succeed - with a few shortcuts - were perfect for the 1920's. His career, like that of many silent era stars, had problems after sound came in. His films were still funny, and fortunately Lloyd sounds exactly how you would have expected him to, yet there seems something forced about his talking picture efforts that just flows effortlessly in his silent films. Many have said loss of creative control is what sank Buster Keaton, and that perhaps if he had possessed Lloyd's complete control over his work his career would have continued to soar, but Lloyd's own struggle with sound films seems to say that might not have been the case.

Oddly enough, Lloyd's complete control over his work is what kept his films unavailable to the public until recently, with the advent of home video. Because Buster Keaton's work has remained under the control of people who were not Keaton, his silent works have been shown since interest in silent film reemerged back in the 1950's. Lloyd's great wealth and his complete ownership of his films conspired to keep him unknown to a mass modern audience. Lloyd simply didn't HAVE to work after he tired of trying to come up with formulas that worked in the 1930's, and his great silent works remained hidden away in his own personal vault.

Treat yourself and buy this great three volume set. If you're new to Lloyd, start with "Safety Last", which shows how Harold's character could think on his feet and how he never gave up, despite the odds. Then watch "The Freshman", which showcases the combination of humor, shyness, and even social awkwardness that Lloyd's main character displayed that could be quite endearing. Harold's optimism and sweetness never go out of style, and the commentaries and extra features are outstanding. I highly recommend this product. March 6, 2008

Harold Lloyd Collection vols 1- 3

Harold Lloyd is very funny & brings a smile to your face. His films are very funny & well done. They bring back what life was back then in the 20's. I have since all his films from this collection & I will tell you one thing Lloyd makes me smile & laugh all at the same time. I hope more of his films comes out soon next year or this year. He's up there with all the others like Chaplin,Marxs Brothers,Harry Langdon to name a few. February 29, 2008

This Collection Passes Inspection: A+++

I probably don't need to tell you much about Harold Lloyd or his films. They are a National Treasure, one of life's great treats. My nephews- ages seven and ten- love him as "the guy with the glasses" or "the guy who climbed the building". Some of the greatest silent comedies are here in beautiful prints, including features "Safety Last" (home of the clock scene), "The Freshman" (with the iconic "Speedy" dance), "Why Worry?", "Speedy", and "The Kid Brother"; a bunch of great shorts, including "An Eastern Westerner" and "Ask Father" (which made my nephews howl, along with their dad and me); and most of Lloyd's sound features. It doesn't get any better.

Now, about the presentation: once again, it doesn't get any better. The selections, as noted, are pretty much perfect; the scores, by the likes of Carl Davis and Robert Israel, are as good as films of this caliber deserve (meaning they're the best imaginable: inspired, fun, true to period, and in perfect taste), and the extra features- commentary tracks, alternate scores, stills, featurettes, home movies, and other archival material- are exactly the right note.

This is very comparable to the royal treatment afforded to Charlie Chaplin's features in the Chaplin Collection series, and to Roscoe Arbuckle in Laughsmith's excellent set. It's what Buster Keaton's films deserve.

This is one of the finest DVD offerings on Amazon or anywhere; buy it now and cast your economic vote for another volume. Mow lawns, sell the cat, give blood, or commit sleazy white-collar crimes if you have to: better to watch this in prison than endure freedom without it. And don't even talk to me- don't call, don't write, and don't drop by- 'till you own this.

January 30, 2008

Funny and respectful to the most part :-)

My favorite line "I might I have joined the Navy".

A collection of movies that incorporates eclectic themes with caricature of every-day events bound to bring laughs at each viewing by including :
- Daring manoeuvers
- Intertitles filled with wit
- Great music December 7, 2007

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