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Back in 2022, I Kickstarted this project to watch 100 films spread out over 100 years from 1922-2022
This will be a cool experience to see how much the cinematic climate has changed over the century.
I chose a film that was one of the most influential and talked-about film for that year.
Starting in 1922, I could not make up my mind, so I ended up watching two movies instead.
The first was Nanook of The North (allegedly the first ever Documentary ever made) followed by the Harold Llyod Classic, Grandma's Boy, which I reviewed here.
Let's have a look at this stunning and hilarious picture and learn more about it.
Grandma’s Boy (1922)
Watched 20th July 2022
The Gist
This was one of the earliest comedies gracing silver screens across America.
In the early 20th Century, silent films dominated the movie business after the cinematic climate started to favour feature films. These films were shot on more than just a single reel of footage (which was the norm), giving way to free reign of expression.
A few household names emerged from this deluge of freedom they figured that comedy pictures were the best way to move forward. If anything, the universal body language of fear, laughter and anger can be understood without much dialogue or intertitles needed. (Side Trivia: The inaugural Academy Awards gave out a prize for ‘Best Writing- Title Cards’, which was axed after talkies became the mainstay).
One of these household names, which included Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton, was the incredibly goofy Harold Llyod. The quintessential dare-devil nerd/jock personality. With his kooky circular glasses and wimpy persona, Harold conquered bullies while spreading laughter across his adventures.
This 1922 feature set the tone and base for his trademark ‘glass’ character.
A little sumthin’ sumthin’
As with ‘Nanook of the North’, this knee-slapper was super influential and pioneered the modern concept of a comedy feature film. It was also immensely successful and kick-started Harold’s career as an icon.
The film opens with a shot of a baby Harold wearing glasses- ridiculous and pandering with great effect to Lloyd’s apparent nerdiness. This is repeated with increasingly hilarious gags throughout, proving it to be a master class in the essence of physical comedy.
Many of the funny men of today have laid their grubby little fingers on some of the great comedian’s techniques.
Rowan Atkinson for one; its hard to not see many similarities between Mr. Bean and Mr. Glasses. Things like being bullied and then fighting back, walking on tippy toes and the exaggerated emotions, and most obvious of all, in one scene Harold chokes on a mothball, and Rowan echoed it 68 years later (but on mints in a church instead).
Wes Anderson too might have adapted, like his technique of using the extreme close-ups of household items to convey their detail, a cinematographic feature so loved by the director that it is employed in all his films.
Grandma's Boy was shot when the Victorian Era was not a distant memory
As a result, some of the situations that presented themselves in the films were antiquated and rather strange.
A key example was when Harold wore his grandfather’s 1861 finery and still got mocked. Ironically, the rest of the cast was also decked out in a fashion style not seen since a hundred years ago. What a gag!
And also, which grandson(sonny?!) kisses their grandma on the lips like that today…
However, Grandma’s Boy is still a hoot.
The fact that these film geniuses worked with what little they had at their disposal, think grainy images, a lack of sound and a need to balance out excessive intertitles, and could still deliver a film that is as funny today as it was then, shows how marvellous they were at what they did.
But that's not to say Harold did not have free passes to get away with some technicalities like continuity issues. For instance, Mr Glasses was able to hit and knock everyone on the head around a roundtable without them noticing the assault.
A key advantage of masking continuity with muted sound. You can only see this happening in silent films.
Digestible and still relevant in bits and pieces, this gem is a must-watch for film lovers and will keep you entertained throughout. And you can see how the movie business evolved right in front of your eyes.
Now ain’t that a kick in the head?!
The Verdict
The Good |
The Bad |
The WTF |
- Many funny gags - Has some unique shots. Like the ending dolly shot of the big fight; very exciting. And the shot of the opponents in love fighting atop an elevated platform. Can see the experimentation in shooting from demanding angles -Only antiquated in some parts- generally digestible and holds attention. | -The lightning was not good. Too dark. In one scene you cannot decipher what is going on. - Little bit of a rushed ending
| - Whoever did the loafer’s makeup was impressive-because he looked quite disturbing - That scene where Harold was running around trying to find the loafer was atrocious. What in the 1922 is that?
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Final Rating-O-Leon: | A comfortable 76% |
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