Customer Reviews

Harold Lloyd - Magic in a Pair of Horn-Rimmed Glasses

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Praise for The latest book on Harold Lloyd by the author who knows him best. A lifelong devotion to the comic icon has yielded several books, essays and a website that has yet to be equalled. With each release of information, fans and novices of Harold Lloyd are invited to rediscover an individual who helped to landscape the language of film.

As with all her writings, Ms. Lloyd captures her enthusiasm for her subject and encites her readers to not only share in her joy but to evoke a similar kinship that can only lead to seeking out the recorded works of this legend of entertainment.

Filled with facts, photos, filmography and information never before published, this latest homage to one of Hollywood's motion picture pioneers stands along with the very best film biography texts of Brownlow, Birchard and Kerr.

Annette D'Agostino Lloyd has done herself proud with another outstanding book about one of the comedy geniuses of the twenties, Harold Lloyd, called "Harold Lloyd: Magic in a Pair of Horn-Rimmed Glasses". There have been many books about this famed comedy star, but Annette's overwhelming enthusiasm about her subject is evident throughout. In other lesser books about Mr. Lloyd, there lies an opinion that his later films, most notably "The Cat's Paw" were among his worst films because he was attempting to try something different. Annette (like myself) takes a positive stand by stating that the film is "Lloyd's premier talkie". The book is chock full of new facts that have never been published before and it is sprinkled with a wide assortment of great stills from Mr. Lloyd's private life as well as his films. All said, I recommend this book to everybody who loves silent comedy and for those who haven't discovered the genius of this comedy superstar, buy the book and "The Harold Lloyd DVD Collection." I couldn't think of a better way to pass the time...

It's no surprise that Annette D'Agostino, perhaps the foremost authority on Harold Lloyd and his films, would write a thorough, engaging, inspiring and informative book about the man behind the horn-rimmed glasses. What is surprising is her approach -- breaking down Harold's life into defining moments that, collectively, tell us more about Lloyd than a traditional biography might. An essay, for example, on one of Harold's lesser know films ("The Cat's Paw") not only asks us to re-examine a commonly overlooked film, but uses it to shed new light on its star and producer. Annette augments Harold's own words (turning the book into a semi-autobiography) with her own opinions that sometimes lionize her idol, but just as often take Lloyd off his pedestal. It's no mistake that the cover photo shows Lloyd without his glasses, for Annette truly lets us see beyond the comic mask, revealing a self-made man, flaws and all.

I just finished this wonderful book the other day--it took a little longer than I expected, but like a good Southern Fried Chicken dinner, it was something I needed to take my time with and savor--

This book was and is a must read for anyone who has even remotely heard of Harold Lloyd, or "HL" as Annette Lloyd refers to him. It is obvious that she knows more about HL than anyone in the universe, and she certainly demonstrates that in this interactive, fact and frivolusy filled joyride that leaps off the page!!

For me, the reason It took as long as it did because I would begin reading about one of the particular movies, ie, Kid Brother or whatever, and I would stop and go spend a couple days going back and actually watching the movies again- I read some, watched some...let me tell you --I don't know when I have enjoyed myself with a book as much--Annette made it all so interactive and pleasant-it was awesome--nobody knows HL like she does--I am very tempted to read it all over again--I cherish the experience--thanks to Annette Lloyd for making it so real and fun---just like Harold.

Just when you thought you knew everything on Harold Lloyd, Annette pulls a delightful surprise on us! Very readable, entertaining, affectionate yet unbiased, this is a must for any Lloyd fan. Terrific photos, as well!

Could not put the book down!
The author ignites such interest & intrigue into the life of Harold Lloyd that you can't help but turn the page to read what happens next. You don't have to know anything about the actor, his many films, or his place in Hollywood history to enjoy this book. But once you read it you will feel let into the world, life & time of Harold Lloyd.

I was very pleased to have discovered this piece of treasure; it has been my gateway to old Hollywood film. And the people behind it.

BRAVO!

Just finished the book and its a great read. Filled with interesting information, some I'd never read anywhere else, along with several fun facts. A definite must buy!

Harold Lloyd Magic in a Pair of Horn-Rimmed Glasses is as delightful to read as a Lloyd film is to watch. Using the turning points in the life of silent film star Harold Lloyd, Annette D'Agostino Lloyd`s new book follows his life story from Nebraska to Hollywood and his dazzling climb to success as a master comedic actor, the one true equal to Charles Chaplin. Throughout this book we see again and again a man with more than just a gift. He also was endowed with amazing content of character. The Lloyd films are important for more than just their comedic innovations and pure fun value. They are all-American in every way providing for all time a glimpse of life in the 1920s and 30s from a comedy perspective. The 20s films, in particular, are worth studying for they show us this country at its most optimistic, when upward mobility, going to college, having some of the luxuries of modern life were becoming reality for more and more Americans. The Lloyd films are also more sophisticated, stylish, and intelligent than today's "comedy" films.

The qualities of the man behind the glasses and the films he made in this important period of screen history are what Annette Lloyd focuses on with every turning point in his life, and this man had his turning points. The book is handsomely illustrated with photographs and several pages of "fun facts," some of which are at times actually serious topics such as the reactions by Chinese students seeing Welcome Danger for the first time in China. This is an excellent book for new fans of Harold Lloyd (his star is rising again!) and old fans as well. Even if you know some of these stories about Harold Lloyd, the writing here makes well-known turning points, such as the fateful bomb incident of Sunday, August 24, 1919, fresh and alive all over again.

There are new things to learn about Harold. One highlight is a "fun fact" involving a piece written by Harold for Playboy Magazine, but was never published. It turns out that Harold was a very clever, enterprising young boy. He sold popcorn at a train station in Nebraska, and he worked out a way to sell popcorn to passengers while a vendor who claimed exclusive rights to selling food to the passengers entered at an opposite end of the train. It's a good story and illustrates Harold's initiative and drive to succeed. It was a quality he had all his life, before, during and after his film career.

One particularly fascinating section is the chapter "Harold Lloyd releases The Freshman." Harold's fantastic college comedy, his great hit of 1925, actually came very close to being a lost classic. There was a law suit brought against Harold by a man who claimed that the story of The Freshman was taken from his 1915 story. On the surface, the summary of what this story is about does not sound at all like the Lloyd film. But a judgment against Harold's film company nearly led to the film being destroyed and never seen again. Thankfully, an appeals court overturned the earlier decision which is why Harold will forever be our beloved "Freshman." In 1990, The Freshman was added to National Film Registry, the first Lloyd film to be so honored.

When Harold's film career came to an end, he didn't stop. Actually, one could say he really took off in lots of new directions, for Harold Lloyd had about as many hobbies as his life had turning points. One notable hobby was photography, in particular, 3-D photography. He also excelled in nude shots of women. I have one of the recently published books of his female nudes. The photos are just as beautiful as the women. Harold, the director, the storyteller, is quite evident in these photos. Attention to lighting, framing, composition within the frame is immediately evident.

Another area of interest was microscopes. What a pleasure it is to learn that Harold Lloyd discovered a cure for the Black Widow Spider plague in the 1930s. He and his brother-in-law, Jack Davis, discovered a wasp from Texas that the Black Widow Spider was vulnerable to. Thanks to Harold, the Black Widow plague came to an end.

There are many more equally interesting stories to be found in the turning points in Harold Lloyd's life, and we are most thankful for Annette D'Agostino Lloyd's excellent new book for bringing them to the foreground, and for doing it in such a delightful way. The book has an excellent bibliography covering not only the books written on Harold and books with substantial mentions of Harold, but also articles by Harold Lloyd or about him. The book also includes the most up-to-date filmography of Harold Lloyd in print. Highly recommended.

Harold Clayton Lloyd was an amazing man !...and incredibly multi talented ! Annette D'Agostino Lloyd has brought his genius to life more than any other author of Lloyd. Her apparent admiration of him as a person, as an actor and as a producer, bring him to life. Annette has seamlessly interwoven Harold's own words, plus innumerable others in this her latest book....and I've read them all ! She has another important Lloyd book in her future which will open up an area of Harold's life which has not yet been documented in any Lloyd book. In my opinion, Annette is the definitive authority on Harold Lloyd's life, as she approaches each book with love and awe.

Annette Lloyd includes such thorough information on her favorite subject, and does it with such passion and flair, that one can easily imagine Harold Lloyd himself grinning broadly as he flips through the pages of this beautiful new book.