An American Comedy

by Harold Lloyd

An American Comedy by Harold Lloyd

Genres: Nonfiction, Film, Biography, Media Tie In

138 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 1972

About the author

Silent film star.

Reviews

[KariG · Rating 4 out of 5]

Harold Lloyd kertoo vuonna 1928 ilmestyneessä elämäkerrassaan elämästään. Yksittäisiä elokuvia ei käsitellä kuin satunnaisesti, pääpainon ollessa enemmänkin yleistasolla - keiden kanssa on tullut tehtyä mitäkin. Teksti on helppolukuista ja ymmärrettävissä vähän heikommallakin englannin kielellä, joten kirjaa voi suositella kaikille Harold Lloydin urasta kiinnostuneille.

Loppuun on liitetty haastattelupätkä vuodelta 1966. Kirjaa on elävöitetty myös varsin runsaalla kuvituksella, joka ei vedä kuitenkaan vertoja myöhemmille Lloydia käsitteleville kirjoille jo pelkästään kuvien pienen koon vuoksi.

[Sara · Rating 3 out of 5]

As a casual silent-film fan, this one was a fun peek into Harold Lloyd from his perspective at the height of his stardom. I found the stories of his growing up years particularly interesting. Later on, just on the cusp of really breaking through in his career, he had that terrible bomb-prop explosion of 1919. Significantly, Harold Lloyd focused on what the bomb did to his face and the concern doctors had over his eyes; he never once revealed the devastating consequence to his right hand. Harold Lloyd kept his autobiography light-hearted throughout, and refrained from deep introspection. I did keep wondering what happened to his mother. She just sort of disappeared. The book does lag a bit towards the end, like he wasn’t quite sure how to wrap it up. But this isn’t a book to take itself too seriously. Obviously, Lloyd intended it that way.

Favorite quote:

“Once I was too busy earning a living, then too busy building a reputation, and now I’m too busy holding a reputation, for Hollywood is no place to rest on one. Even the tortoises are fleet of foot out here, while the capacity of the public to forget a movie star is practically unlimited. Thus, having a reputation is not unlike having a bear by the tail. Any time I care to let go of the bear, I hear it suggested, I find any number of takers, but, alas, one grows fond of one’s bear.”

[Glenn Riley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Seems honest

I was never a fan of Harold Lloyd or silent films, but this seems an honest account of early Hollywood and a good read though occasionally obtuse through the use of dated idioms.

[Benedict Reid · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's good. But it's very much of it's time. Don't expect Lloyd to mention his own womanising, or seedy photograph hobby. Also none of the back room politics. But still a small insight into how Lloyd created and defended the silent movie character "Harold Lloyd" and how he relatively successfully transitioned the character into the talkies.

[Graceann]

David's book - get from him.