With Halloween fast approaching, it seems like a good time to look at a great spooky themed comedy and when you want a silent comedy is there anyone better to go to than Harold Lloyd. While it may not be one of his best films, Haunted Spooks is still an excellent example of why Harold Lloyd remains one of the finest screen comedians.
The basic story is one that is very familiar. A young woman (Mildred Davis) is to inherit the estate of her dead rich grandfather. Unfortunately for her to get this inheritance she needs to live in the grandfather's mansion for one year with her husband. This is no easy feat as she is not married. Meanwhile a young man (Harold Lloyd) is distressed due to his love problems. He tries many times to commit suicide (each attempt only ending in slapstick mishaps). However our two heroes meet and fall in love. This may make it seem like getting the mansion would be a simple affair, but unfortunately for them the woman's uncle (Walter Howe) is set to inherit the estate should the woman fail to meet these requirements. The uncle will try to stop her niece from inheriting the estate by any means necessary, even if that means trying to make the couple believe that the mansion is haunted.
This film begins with Harold and a romantic rival racing to ask a woman's father for her hand. This story line was earlier used as the main story for the short Ask Father (1919). Failed comedic attempts at suicide would later be used by Harold in the short, Never Weaken (1921).
The supporting cast in this film includes some familiar faces to silent comedy fans. Mildred Davis will be familiar to even the most causal Harold Lloyd fan. She was Harold's second major leading lady (Bebe Daniels was the first and Jobyna Ralston was the third (afterwards Harold's leading ladies would differ from film to film)). When Bebe Daniels left the Lloyd films for more dramatic roles in 1919, both Harold and producer Hal Roach agreed that they should find another regular leading lady to play opposite Harold. They also equally agreed that this new leading lady should differ from Daniels. A new leading lady was found in eighteen year old Mildred Davis. While it took a while to find the correct characterization for Davis in these films, the chemistry between the two quickly shined. They had great chemistry off-screen as well as the two would become romantically involved (Harold and Daniels had been romantically involved as well) and would become husband and wife. Rare for Hollywood stars, the two would stay married until she passed away. While never in as big of roles as Mildred, Wallace Howe was also a regular staple of Harold Lloyd films often in uncredited bit roles. Howe first appeared in a Lloyd film in 1918 and continued appear in these films until The Milky Way (1936). He even at times played multiple roles within the same film (including the infamous Safety Last) Wallace Howe also served as Harold's make-up man through much of this time. One of the most familiar faces to silent comedy fans will be Ernie "Sunshine Sammy" Morrison. This was not the only Harold Lloyd short he appeared in (others included Get Out and Get Under (1920) and Number Please (1920). Born in 1912, in 1919 Ernie become the first black performer to sign a long term Hollywood contract. Ernie left quite an impression on Hal Roach who quickly took note of the young performer's great comic energy and timing. Hal decided to create a short subject series around the young actor. This resulted in the short, The Pickaninny (1921) which sadly did not create the ongoing series it planned to. Yet the idea to make a short subject series around him stayed with Roach and when Hal created the Our Gang series, Ernie Morrison became one of the stars of that series, appearing in 28 Our Gang shorts. Later in the talkie era Ernie became one of The East Side Kids (the group that would morph into the Bowery Boys).
Exhibitor's Herald, 1921
During the shooting of this film Harold Lloyd had an accident with what he believed was a prop bomb (it was a real bomb) and lost his thumb and forefinger on his right hand. Because of this accident shooting had to be put on hold while he recovered. Shooting at first took place August 9-23, 1919 and continued shooting January 5-25, 1920. Due to the accident he had to wear a prosthetic hand and if you pay close attention you can notice which scenes were shot during which period by looking at his hand. According to the audio commentary by Richard Correll, Suzanne Lloyd and Annette D'Agostino Lloyd the scene where Harold is driving with Mildred and feeding the birds in the back was the last thing shot before the accident. Interestingly the release schedule for the Harold Lloyd films was not interrupted by the accident, as they had made enough films yet to be released that the schedule was completely filled. For more information on the bomb accident click here.
The following are five exhibitors reviews from The Exhibitor's Herald.
"Haunted Spooks (Pathe), with Harold Lloyd - This is one of the very best comedies we have ever run. A valuable addition to a good feature program. It is safe to say that the great majority of our patrons came to see this excellent comedy rather than the feature. - H.V. Friedrich, Majestic Theatre, Sheboygan, Wis. - Downtown patronage."
"Haunted Spooks (Pathe), with Harold Lloyd - Absolutely a clean up. Chaplin and Arbuckle are not in a class with Lloyd. - R.J. Cooper, Opry House, Kirbyville, Tex. Neighborhood patronage."
"Haunted Spooks (Pathe), with Harold Lloyd.—This is the best comedy I have ever run. I thought the people would go wild. Harold makes you dust off the S.R.O. -R.K. Stonebrook, Wisner theatre, Eldora, Ia. - Neighborhood patronage."
"Haunted Spooks (Pathe), with Harold Lloyd - We played all Lloyds in the first series. Best and cleanest comedies on the screen. Have booked second series. Book 'em - John L. Naiman, Lyric theatre, Alexandria, Nebr. - Neighborhood patronage."
"Haunted Spooks (Pathe), with Harold Lloyd.—The kids went crazy over this and one old crab said it was the best comedy he ever saw.—Roy W. Adams, Pastime Theatre, Mason, Mich. - General Patronage."
The following is an article from a 1920 issue of Motion Picture News.
"Motion Picture critics of the leading metropolitan dailies, in passing judgement on Harold Lloyd's new $100,000 comedy, 'Haunted Spooks,' distributed by Pathe, which played at the Rivoli and Strand theatres, proclaimed it not only Lloyd's best effort but one of the finest comedies of the season. The opinion expressed by the New York Evening Sun representative reads as follows :
"'The most entertaining feature of the Strand bill this week is the Harold Lloyd picture, called 'Haunted Spooks.' The audience yesterday afternoon roared over its comicalities. It's the funniest motion picture of the season. Lloyd's attempts to commit suicide, and his adventures later with the very human spirits far exceed the ordinary fun limit of screen farces.
"Almost as positive that Lloyd's latest attraction is his most representative screen work, was the reporter of the New York Tribune who covered the Strand show.
"'The true feature of the bill is the Harold Lloyd comedy, 'Haunted Spooks.' There were moments when this picture drew laughter from every member of the big Sunday audience, and it made all of the people laugh some of the time. There is more than a semblance of a plot to the thing; the titles are amusing; and the business which produces the laughs is astonishingly fresh and diverting.'
"From the pen of the New York Sun and Herald scribe came the following praiseworthy comment:
"'A word of blessing must be said for 'Haunted Spooks.' Harold Lloyd's latest frolic, for it has something of a spirited plot some of the most diverting suicides ever attempted on screen, and altogether is hilarious enough to cause even a medium to cease, for the time being, to take ghosts seriously.'"
The following is from a 1920 article in Moving Picture World.
"'Haunted Spooks,' after its reception at the Strand Theatre, which led Managing Director Jack Eaton to call it 'the greatest comedy of the year,' has repeated this reception throughout the country. Critics in every key city where the latest Lloyd comedy has been shown were unanimous in their opinion Lloyd the leader in his field of comedy endeavor and that 'Haunted Spooks' represents the cleverest and cleanest mirthmaker ever on the screen."
This short can be viewed on YouTube.
It can also be watched with commentary.
-Michael J. Ruhland
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