I must admit that I completely underestimated this film. Though I had enjoyed the Harold Lloyd features that I'd seen previously, somehow I expected 'Girl Shy (1924)' to be a rather tame slapstick comedy. Never would I have anticipated a film of such staggering comedic brilliance, a romantic tale with enough emotional pangs to please Chaplin, and yet an astonishing climactic action sequence that would make Keaton proud. Harold Lloyd, the oddly-neglected genius of 1920s comedy, here justifies his incredible popularity with silent cinema audiences {in fact, he enjoyed more commercial success than both of his famous contemporaries}. The film was the first to be produced under Lloyd's newly-founded production company, The Harold Lloyd Corporation, but both Fred C. Newmeyer and Sam Taylor {who had previously collaborated to direct the legendary 'Safety Last! (1923)'} returned to helm this latest production. 'Girl Shy' is what Lloyd liked to call a "character story," as opposed to a "gag film," though the plot does an exceptional job of retaining room for significant elements of both.
'Girl Shy' tells the story of Harold Meadows, a bespectacled young apprentice at a tailor shop who stutters uncontrollably at the sight of a beautiful woman, and yet, ironically, fancies himself experienced enough to write a best-selling instructional manual on how to "make love" with the opposite sex. When Harold unexpectedly meets the girl of his dreams, a modest beauty from a wealthy family, his views on woman suddenly do a somersault, and it's going to take every ounce of his energy to prevent his newfound sweetheart from marrying a coarse and arrogant bigamist. The first half of 'Girl Shy' plays out like a typical silent romantic comedy, with the Harold boarding a train at his hometown of Little Bend to present his completed book to a city publisher. A pretty girl, Mary (Jobyna Ralston), despairs at not being allowed to bring her pet dog aboard, but Harold selflessly aids her in concealing the pooch, even barking frantically and devouring dog biscuits in order to maintain the deception.
After the publishers laugh at the ineptitude of his work, Harold dejectedly decides that he's not worthy of such a lovely woman, and, in the film's most heartbreaking sequence, pretends that their entire romance had been nothing but a callous experiment. Mary reluctantly agrees to marry her long-time suitor (Carlton Griffin), a rich and conceited already-married man, and so Harold, upon hearing the announcement, frantically attempts to prevent the wedding. It is then that the film truly kicks into full stride, temporarily forgetting any notions of romance and embarking on a frenetic cross-country excursion that is, without a doubt, one of the most exhilarating sequences of the silent era. Hijacking every known means of locomotion a car, a horse, a tram, a motorcycle, a horse-and-carriage Harold storms towards the wedding ceremony with all his might, confronted by every misfortune imaginable and then defeating it with his incredible resourcefulness and quick-thinking. Storming into the wedding like Benjamin Braddock in 'The Graduate (1967),' Harold lifts the bride over his shoulder and escorts her towards a lifetime of happiness. He's certainly earned it.
'Girl Shy' tells the story of Harold Meadows, a bespectacled young apprentice at a tailor shop who stutters uncontrollably at the sight of a beautiful woman, and yet, ironically, fancies himself experienced enough to write a best-selling instructional manual on how to "make love" with the opposite sex. When Harold unexpectedly meets the girl of his dreams, a modest beauty from a wealthy family, his views on woman suddenly do a somersault, and it's going to take every ounce of his energy to prevent his newfound sweetheart from marrying a coarse and arrogant bigamist. The first half of 'Girl Shy' plays out like a typical silent romantic comedy, with the Harold boarding a train at his hometown of Little Bend to present his completed book to a city publisher. A pretty girl, Mary (Jobyna Ralston), despairs at not being allowed to bring her pet dog aboard, but Harold selflessly aids her in concealing the pooch, even barking frantically and devouring dog biscuits in order to maintain the deception.
After the publishers laugh at the ineptitude of his work, Harold dejectedly decides that he's not worthy of such a lovely woman, and, in the film's most heartbreaking sequence, pretends that their entire romance had been nothing but a callous experiment. Mary reluctantly agrees to marry her long-time suitor (Carlton Griffin), a rich and conceited already-married man, and so Harold, upon hearing the announcement, frantically attempts to prevent the wedding. It is then that the film truly kicks into full stride, temporarily forgetting any notions of romance and embarking on a frenetic cross-country excursion that is, without a doubt, one of the most exhilarating sequences of the silent era. Hijacking every known means of locomotion a car, a horse, a tram, a motorcycle, a horse-and-carriage Harold storms towards the wedding ceremony with all his might, confronted by every misfortune imaginable and then defeating it with his incredible resourcefulness and quick-thinking. Storming into the wedding like Benjamin Braddock in 'The Graduate (1967),' Harold lifts the bride over his shoulder and escorts her towards a lifetime of happiness. He's certainly earned it.