SPEEDY Cinema's Legacy

The great Harold Lloyd stars in the title role of this hilarious tale, the last of his silent films to be theatrically released. Lloyd plays Harold “Speedy” Swift, whose attempts to save the last horse-drawn streetcar in New York City result in hijinks aplenty. The film brilliantly contrasts the breakneck pace of progress with the more leisurely transport of the past — until everything collides together in the wonderfully hectic climax, where mechanized and horse-drawn streetcars alike race through the streets like something out of a Wild West showdown. Keep an eye out for Yankees legend Babe Ruth as a harried streetcar passenger. SPEEDY, shot partially on location in New York City, was one of the few films to be nominated for the Academy Award® for Best Director of a Comedy, for Ted Wilde in 1929. —Beth Hanna

Harold Lloyd (1893–1971) ranks alongside Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton as one of the most popular and influential comedians from the silent era of classic Hollywood. His stunt-filled films include THE FRESHMAN (1925), GIRL SHY (1924), THE KID BROTHER (1927) and SAFETY LAST! (1923). SPEEDY (1928), Lloyd’s final silent film to be released in theaters, garnered an Oscar® nomination for Best Director of a Comedy Picture for director Ted Wilde (1889–1929) at the first-ever Academy Awards.

Harold Lloyd Entertainment, Inc.

Details

Country: USA

Year: 1928

Director: Ted Wilde

Screenwriters: John Grey, Lex Neal, Howard Rogers, Jay Howe, Albert De Mond

Producer: Harold Lloyd

Director of Photography: Walter Lundin

Editor: Carl Himm

Music: Jesse Greer, Ray Klages

Cast/Featuring: Harold Lloyd, Ann Christy, Bert Woodruff, Babe Ruth, Brooks Benedict

Running Time (minutes): 85 min

Language: English

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