Review of Haunted Spooks (1920) by D M — 06 Jul 2013

An early horror-comedy with Harold Lloyd ("he wants to get married, he has no other faults"). Full of all the gags, antics, and twists in the writing you come to expect from his shorts (the suicide attempts were the best!).

An innocent young woman of 16 (who "never, well, maybe only once or twice"), played by the lovely Mildred Davis, stands to inherit the estate of her late uncle provided she and her husband remain in the house for one year.

But she has none, "ex or expected." The lawyer handling the estate happens upon the depressed Lloyd (as he has just "lost another of the only girls he's ever loved") and takes him to marry the young woman.

Another of family members will inherit the estate if the new couple do not remain in the home for a year, so the other group of family members attempt to give the appearance that house is haunted. Made at a time when frightened-Black-folk weren't controversial, they sure added their share of laughs! Maybe not the best of his works, but of course its still good.

And true to fashion, everything works out for the still shy couple.