wes-connors Littleton, Kansas resident Harold Lloyd (as Harold Hall) is "Movie Crazy", much to the dismay of his parents. He writes to a film studio after reading, in a movie magazine, that "Hollywood is looking for new faces." Mr. Lloyd mistakenly sends the wrong face to "Planet Film Company"; and, they invite the handsome hunk to Hollywood, for a screen test. In tinsel town, Lloyd falls for not only the cameras, but also starlet Constance Cummings (Mary Sears).Lloyd sounds great, in a worthy talkie… at last. It's not the best (or most original) story around, but "Movie Crazy" has some terrific moments. Lloyd's early adventures on the set, and losing a shoe in the rain are very nicely done. Ms. Cummings is a cunning attraction, delightful in almost a dual role; she and Lloyd make a good couple. An even better partner helps lighten the film considerably, when Lloyd makes "magic" with dancing partner Louise Closser Hale (as Mrs. Kitterman). Rats! ******* Movie Crazy (8/12/32) Clyde Bruckman, Harold Lloyd ~ Harold Lloyd, Constance Cummings, Kenneth Thomson

Cyke 065: Movie Crazy (1932) - released 8/12/1932; viewed 6/12/06.DOUG: Harold Lloyd's third sound film, and probably his best. The good news is that Harold Lloyd did pretty well for himself in the sound era. This one is ALMOST as good as any of his silents, although the transition to sound doesn't always quite gel. According to the trivia, this film was shot silent, and the sound was added later so as to re-create Lloyd's silent technique. If only Buster Keaton had been so lucky. The film would have benefited greatly from a musical score. When Harold is fighting the bad guy, and it's just sound and no music, it just doesn't feel the same. I thought that Mary, played by Constance Cummings, came off as extremely cold and manipulative. She's spending so much energy pretending to get mad at Harold for lying to her, while she's being the biggest liar of all. Somehow Harold's character manages to be even dumber than usual. The best scene is midway through when Harold accidentally dons a magician's coat and has all manner of tricks popping out of it while he's on the dance floor. Pure Lloyd.KEVIN: Harold Lloyd did surprisingly well enough through the sound era, considering Keaton's career died when he became a studio player and Chaplin just refused to do sound film at all. The story is familiar: Lloyd plays Harold Hall, an accident prone young man who really wants to be in pictures even though he's a lousy actor. While running afoul of the studio heads, he falls for budding actress Mary (Constance Cummings). As always, Lloyd has no pity on his character, putting him through endless mishaps, many of which are not related to his innate clumsiness. As in Lloyd's previous work, most of the comedic beats have nothing to do with the main love story, such as when Harold goes to a party and accidentally picks up a magician's jacket. One problem with the story is that Harold and Mary aren't likable enough. My biggest problem is this: when Mary realizes that she loves Harold, and tells him so in that moment, why then does she continue to play games with him? Why doesn't she just cast aside her lying ways and hold on to this guy? Last film: Horse Feathers (1932). Next film: Love Me Tonight (1932).

MARIO GAUCI This is surely Harold Lloyd's most satisfactory Sound film and, while it's hardly ever discussed in this context, one of the best comedies to emerge in the early Talkie era. As a matter of fact, ill-fated director Clyde Bruckman was a master handler of comedy (before booze got the better of him!) who guided the likes of Buster Keaton, W.C. Fields and Lloyd himself through some of their finest vehicles.Anyway, the film finds the star at perhaps his most accident-prone - while the enchanting Constance Cummings is easily the strongest (and most talented) leading lady Lloyd ever had! As the title suggests, it provides a rare behind-the-scenes look at a Hollywood studio during its Golden Age and features a running-gag with Harold falling foul of a pompous studio executive. However, the film also involves typical situations for him such as mistaken identities (Lloyd unwittingly sends out to Hollywood the photo of a handsome guy, Cummings 'doubles' as a Spanish diva who ensnares our hero), romantic complications (the couple's frequent break-ups occurring as much through the intrusion of a rival as by the stars' individual character flaws) and disillusionment (Harold believes his disastrous screen-test was a triumph).Amazingly, according to the IMDb, the film was shot with a Silent-movie camera to re-create the trademark Lloyd technique - with the the dialogue and sound effects added in post-production: sure enough, the energetic fistfight which caps the picture is highly reminiscent of the extended climactic bout in THE KID BROTHER (1927); similarly, the havoc caused by a magician's coat mistakenly worn by Harold during the uproarious party sequence recalls the suit-ripping gag from THE FRESHMAN (1925) - this scene, then, features very brief bits by amiable character actors Grady Sutton (as an overtly effeminate guest scared by a roaming mouse) and Arthur Housman (as, you've guessed it, a drunkard).By the way, I wasn't aware that the PAL VHS released by the British Film Institute I previously owned (and which is how I had watched it) was actually the 80-minute re-issue version - though I couldn't quite tell what constituted the 'new' material!

www-vitaphone-org This is one of my all time favorite comedies. Harold Lloyd was open-minded and progressive and was eager to make sound films (unlike conservatives such as Chaplin and Keaton who were stuck in the past and whose careers quickly went down the drain). Lloyd was eager to make his first talkie in 1929 and it was a huge success. (On the other hand Keaton was practically forced to make his first talkie and Chaplin refused to make one - showing that he lived in a fantasy world of the past by releasing a silent in 1931!) This is by far the best of Harold Lloyd Comedies - This is one of those films you can watch over and over again and still be entertained. Constance Cummings is perfect as the woman Harold Lloyd falls in love with and it's a shame this was to be the only film she and Lloyd would make together. Harold Lloyd's other leading ladies were for the most part forgetable. If your going to watch a Harold Lloyd film make sure you watch this one! :)