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By Doug Oswald

A French soldier and spy is sent on a mission to discover the location of a secret German U-Boat base in “Assignment in Brittany,” released on DVD as part of the Warner Archive Collection. Jean-Pierre Aumont plays Captain Pierre Metard, a member of the Free French army serving in Great Britain. He has an uncanny resemblance to a French farmer and soldier, Corporal Bertrand Corlay, a man with Nazi ties who ends up in a British hospital. The British devise a scheme where Pierre impersonates Bertrand and returns home to search out the U-Boat base. He spends weeks studying and memorizing everything known about Bertrand before being flown to and dropped by parachute in to Brittany and makes his way on foot to Bertrand’s family farm.

He runs in to two British soldiers who escaped from a...

Stars: Harold Lloyd, Ann Christy, Bert Woodruff, Brooks Benedict, Babe Ruth | Written by John Grey, Lex Neal & Howard Emmett Rogers | Directed by Ted Wilde

One of the three giants of silent cinema in Hollywood (the others were Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton), Harold Lloyd is well-known for his impressive stunt work (albeit overshadowed somewhat by Keaton’s own feats). There aren’t so many feats of physical daring in Speedy, Lloyd’s final silent picture, but there are plenty of opportunities to witness the actor’s not insignificant acting abilities. In a medium and genre known and often derided for its mugging, ostentatious performances, Lloyd’s face could convey nuanced shifts in tone. This is perfect for a low-stakes comedy like Speedy, during which a good chunk of screentime is dedicated to a day out at Coney Island, as it’s the little things that stand out.

Which isn’t...

Silent comedy rules!  Harold Lloyd epitomizes 'twenties optimism while serving up the fun. Even better, he filmed this on the streets of New York, so we feel as if we stepped into a time machine. The great disc extras include input from New Yorker extraordinaire Bruce Goldstein. It's a great show for holiday viewing -- unless your family hates New York. Speedy Blu-ray The Criterion Collection 788 1928 / Color / 1:33 silent aperture / 86 min. / available through The Criterion Collection / Street Date December 8, 2015 / 39.95 Starring Harold Lloyd, Ann Christy, Bert Woodruff, Babe Ruth, Byron Douglas, Brooks Benedict. Cinematography Walter Lundin Film Editor Carl Himm Original Music Carl Davis Written by John Grey, Lex Neal, Howard Rogers, Jay Howe Produced by Harold Lloyd Directed by Ted Wilde

Reviewed by Glenn Erickson

Criterion's Blu-ray of Harold Lloyd's 1928 comedy Speedy is a double pleasure. First, it reminds us that Harold Lloyd is a flat-out delight, as funny...