Speedy (1928)

(On Cable TV, January 2022) Travel back to another time and place with Speedy—a Harold Lloyd production featuring his “Glasses” character as a well-meaning young man trying to save the last horse-pulled transit car in Manhattan from being put out of service by an unscrupulous tycoon. (He’s not doing this out of a simple good heart: there’s a girl involved.)  Lloyd’s last theatrical silent film shows the filmmaker with a competent ability to put together a fast-paced silent comedy. A number of highlights pepper the film, whether it’s the opening sequences demonstrating how much of a baseball nut the protagonist can be (all the way to rearranging a pastry display to update a game score for his co-workers), a trip to Luna Park, a pair of thrilling high-speed vehicle chases, and a big street brawl—Speedy isn’t always as well-regarded as other Lloyd films, but it still packs a few laughs or two: a Babe Ruth cameo, a cute turn from Ann Christy as the love interest, and perhaps, best of all, an incredible depiction of late 1920 Manhattan. As a silent film send-off to the memorable Lloyd and his bespectacled character, it’s a lot more fun than I expected and it ranks high on the list of silent movies that still pack some entertainment value today.