Review of Speedy (1928) by Cindy I — 10 Jul 2010

Another 86 minutes of wild antics with Harold Lloyd.

There is a loose story about Harold's -- called Harold "Speedy" Swift here -- fiancee's grandfather's milk delivery wagon and a plot by an unscrupulous railroad tycoon to put him out of business. But none of that really matters. Any Harold Lloyd film's main appeal is the action, and this one is no exception. There are sight gags, car chases, a street fight, comic misunderstandings during a trip to Coney Island, and a hilarious bit in which Babe Ruth -- yep, THAT Babe Ruth -- is riding in cabdriver/baseball fanatic Speedy's cab. Speedy is so excited that the Babe is in his cab that he turns around in his seat to gawk and talk, oblivious in his excitement to the chaos his inattention and erratic driving is causing on the streets of New York City. Much of the outdoor action was filmed on location, and there is some wonderful footage of NYC as it looked in the 1920s.

As always, everything works out happily in the end for Harold and company. This is a fun movie with some heart suitable for the whole family....except -- am I the only one who's noticed that Speedy flips himself the bird in a funhouse mirror at Coney Island? I had to run the film back 4 times to review the scene and to make sure I saw what I thought I saw!