Product Details

• Actors: Harold Lloyd
• Format: Box set, Black & White, NTSC
• Language: English
• Region: All Regions
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 5
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Studio: Passport
• DVD Release Date: February 13, 2007
• Run Time: 600 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B000KGH0DO
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #43,245 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

Harold Lloyd may not be as well-known as Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton, but he was wildly popular in the 1910s and 1920s and his comedies remain fresh after more than 80 years.

Best known for his irrepressible smile and daredevil stunts, Lloyd combined an appealing down-to-earth persona with an incredibly athletic (and in some cases literally death-defying) physicality.

Here is Harold in 23 films, ranging from his early one-reelers with lovely Bebe Daniels; through the silent shorts opposite his future wife, Mildred Davis; and on to some genuinely worthwhile talkies. No fan of classic comedy should miss out!

Disc One

All Aboard (1917) – Harold plays a stowaway to Bermuda in this rare, very early glasses-character short, the highlight of which is a heart-stopping sequence on a streetcar. 9 mins.

Are Crooks Dishonest? (1918) – Harold plays a con artist who tries to outwit a phony psychic, played by Bebe Daniels (42nd Street), but she turns the tables on him. 13 mins.

The City Slicker (1918) – Harold gets a job at a country inn and tries to modernize it with all sorts of newfangled gizmos and gadgets. 7 mins.

The Non-Stop Kid (1918) – Harold masquerades as Professor M.T. Noodle (get it?) so he can win impress the father of the fair Bebe Daniels. 12 mins.

Two-Gun Gussie (1918) – Harold plays a mild-mannered piano player in a western saloon who is mistaken by the sheriff for a ruthless killer. 10 mins.

A Sammy in Siberia (1919) – Very rare Lloyd short in which Harold plays an American doughboy (called a "Sammy" after Uncle Sam) in Russia who protects a family against some renegade Bolsheviks. 9 mins.

Ask Father (1919) – Bebe Daniels insists Harold ask her father for her hand in marriage, but every time he tries to see him, Harold is thrown out of the father’s office! Contains a pre-Safety Last scene with Harold climbing a building. 13 mins.

Billy Blazes, Esq. (1919) – Another western-themed Lloyd short with Harold riding to the rescue of a town that’s being held at the mercy of a crooked villain. 12 mins.

Bumping into Broadway (1919) – In a theatrical boardinghouse, Harold is a struggling playwright who sacrifices all for a struggling actress (Bebe Daniels). 21 mins.

Don’t Shove (1919) – Harold’s answer to Chaplin’s The Rink, with Lloyd vying for the attention of Bebe Daniels at her birthday party and a skating rink. 10 mins.

Captain Kidd’s Kids (1919) – A groom-to-be (Harold) passes out after his bachelor party and dreams he’s on board a ship and being held hostage – by female pirates! 22 mins.

Disc Two

Just Neighbors (1919) – Madness turns to mayhem when Harold and wife Bebe Daniels try to build a garden shed and get mixed up with laundry and chickens. 9 mins.

From Hand to Mouth (1919) – Harold is a penniless drifter who crosses paths with a wealthy heiress (Mildred Davis, in her first film with Lloyd, who later became her real-life husband). 18 mins.

His Royal Slyness (1920) – Harold’s answer to The Prisoner of Zenda, with Lloyd as an American who travels to an obscure European country to impersonate the Prince. 20 mins.

An Eastern Westerner (1920) – Harold is a city slicker who is sent west to become more macho. Lloyd’s first film after losing half of his right hand when a "prop" bomb exploded. Note the glove, which he’ll use for the rest of his career. 23 mins.

High and Dizzy (1920) – In another foreshadowing of films to come, Harold plays a doctor who gets drunk and winds up on the ledge of a hotel, high above the traffic. 26 mins.

Number, Please? (1920) – At a seaside resort, Harold tries to win back his ex (Mildred Davis) and encounters mean dogs, a mischievous goat, skeptical cops, and a mirror-filled funhouse along the way. 23 mins.

Disc Three

Now or Never (1921) – Mary (Mildred Davis) is babysitting little Dolly (Anna Mae Bilson, who appeared in the very first Our Gang short). After they board a train to go meet Harold, all hell breaks loose, with Harold winding up having to mind the little girl all by himself! 35 mins.

Among Those Present (1921) – Harold is a penniless hat-check attendant who pretends he’s an English nobleman in order to impress a rich girl (Mildred Davis) – who is unimpressed by wealth! 38 mins.

Grandma’s Boy (1922) – Harold’s first feature-length film finds him playing a coward who is afraid to go after the bully that stole his girl, so Grandma gives him a magical charm. 61 mins.

Disc Four

Dogs of War (1923) – A vintage Our Gang short in which the gang disrupts a movie set where Harold Lloyd (played rather convincingly by Harold Lloyd) is filming Why Worry?. 21 mins.

The Milky Way (1936) – Probably Harold’s best sound film, due to the sure-handed direction of Leo McCarey (Duck Soup, The Awful Truth). Harold is a timid milkman who is duped into becoming a prize fighter. Costars Adolphe Menjou and Lionel Stander appeared in A Star is Born the following year. 87 mins.

Disc Five

The Sin of Harold Diddlebock (1947) – The combined talents of Harold Lloyd, Preston Sturges – and Howard Hughes – went into this whimsical farce with Lloyd as a down-on-his-luck clerk who becomes inebriated and winds up getting involved with a horse, Margaret Hamilton (The Wizard of Oz), and thirty-seven lions! 85 mins.

BONUS:

Character Studies (1927) – A rare silent curiosity in which Harold Lloyd appears as himself, along with Buster Keaton, Fatty Arbuckle, Rudolph Valentino, Douglas Fairbanks, and Jackie Coogan also appearing as themselves. 6 mins.

Total: Approx. 600 mins./10 hrs.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Harold Lloyd: A Lost Star Continues to Shine Once More, March 10, 2007

By 

Thom Taylor (New York, NY United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Smiles & Spectacles - The Harold Lloyd Treasury (DVD)

Since 2005, the films of Harold Lloyd have been available on DVD. This new release offers five titles not available on any prior DVD release. They are ALL ABOARD (1917), A SAMMY IN SIBERIA (1919), DON'T SHOVE (1919), DOG'S OF WAR (1923), and CHARACTER STUDIES (1927). The print quality here is good. The only quibble is the constant use of the same music of an anonymous source throughout all five discs. The comedy, joy, and heart of these films, as well as the craftsmanship of the filmmaking easily overcomes the weakness of the score. The chance to see Harold in the five features mentioned above is the best reason to add this to any Harold Lloyd collection. Watching the previously released films,along with these new ones, is still a joyous experience. I would love to find out if Harold is the inspiration for classic animation like the Roadrunner cartoon character. Watch his entrance in NOW OR NEVER and you may see what I mean. And his pounding heart in the same film reminds me of an early Mickey Mouse cartoon. This set increases my interest and admiration for this long lost master of comedy. The range of comedic situations and the range of characters he finds to play in his horn-rimmed glasses is dazzling. I look forward to more releases of his early films nnd DVD releases of WELCOME DANGER, PROFESSOR BEWARE, and a hopefully restored THE SIN OF HAROLD DIDDLEBOCK. I hope the spotlight returns to shine on Harold with more releases and much more scholarly appreciation of the work of a very original and gifted actor.

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Harold Lloyd: World-Class Comic and World-Class Athlete, August 7, 2007

By 

Mark R. Garner (New Orleans, LA USA) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Smiles & Spectacles - The Harold Lloyd Treasury (DVD)

Those who are unfamiliar with the prodigious physical talents of Harold Lloyd are heartily advised to buy this low-priced treasure trove of genuinely hilarious slapstick comedy. I won't duplicate the efforts of others who have reviewed this set by listing the contents, I'll just give you my feel on things.

Harold Lloyd's characters are always likable, gentlemanly and physically quite durable. Perhaps he was the prototype for the nerdy guy who gets the girl but almost gets maimed or crippled in the process (actually Harold is probably the only guy who could pull off such a character and not look ridiculous.)

Now, having said that... This anthology is terrific. The selection of films includes many shorts not available on the recently released Harold Lloyd Comedy collections and these films will leave you dumbfounded (How did the man who did all these stunts live make it to old age?!)

Fans of Mr. Lloyd already know that he blew off his right thumb and index finger in a photo-shoot mishap in 1919, which was before his career "took off". I am still amazed at all Harold accomplished with such a handicap. One of the early shorts shows him at odds with a typewriter while another has him playing a piano; later he would use "doubles" for hand scenes. Since Harold wore a flesh-coloured glove afterwards to hide his injury, I had never seen him with two whole hands until purchasing this 5 DVD set.

I bought this set 'new' on Amazon for under $14 so it is an inexpensive introduction to superlative slapstick comedy. I laughed out loud at some of the gags which were likely already old in 1919 but, THEY ARE STILL FUNNY TODAY.

Trust me; I'm not a politician.

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A nice surpise for a great price!, March 5, 2007

By 

Scott Henderson (Demorestville, Ontario Canada) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Smiles & Spectacles - The Harold Lloyd Treasury (DVD)

I couldn't wait to get this set. I think Harold Lloyd is a true genius and this set provides you with the chance to view some rare & early Harold Lloyd films. Some great stuff with Bebe Daniels and Snub Pollard and later with Mildred Harris. My favorite so far is: Are Crooks Dishonest? (1918).

If you're looking for an inexpensive way to view some early shorts, this is it. Passport has some nice quality prints here but my one minor complaint is a persistent logo in the bottom right hand corner of the screen saying "Smiles & Spectacles - The Harold Lloyd Treasury". It's a very faded/pale logo and is really only noticeable when the screen shows black or dark areas. A small price to pay for viewing some great early HL shorts. I would definitely recommend this set as a supplement to the 2 Kino Harold Lloyd DVDs and the Harold Lloyd Comedy Collection.

Worth the price!