Review of Speedy (1928) by Chris B — 31 Dec 2015

Speedy is another Harold Lloyd silent comedy recently restored in 4K by the folks at The Criterion Collection for their Blu-ray release. They have done a wonderful job here and Speedy makes for an excellent companion piece to their previous Lloyd output of Safety Last! (1923) and The Freshman (1925). For a film that is turning 88 years old tomorrow, Speedy is a beautifully restored piece and in wonderful condition considering its age, what a revelation to watch!

Lloyd delivers another top notch comedic adventure here as the title character 'Speedy', who has a real hard time keeping a job or doing anything resembling a good job. The film is once again filled with great gags, hilarious set pieces, and perfect timing on the part of Lloyd and his interactions with the environment around him. Like most silent comedies there is a basic story here and a love interest for the title character, as well as several secondary characters who support Lloyd's character throughout his crazy antics. There are a couple huge set pieces with dozens and dozens of actors in them and it really adds to the scope of the film and makes for a wonderfully exciting spectacle.

Overall, this was a wonderful feature length Harold Lloyd film and also his last silent film. There are many scenes that bring both smiles and laughs to the audience through the clever use of the setting and elements within it and his character's energy and persistence within this crazy series of events. Once again, like the first two feature length Lloyd films mentioned earlier, Speedy was a true feature length comedy from one of the masters of the silent era and truly a wonderfully fun watch even 88 years after its release. What a gift for film lovers and those who appreciate silent films and comedy in general.