Billy Blazes, Esq.

This very old western satire short has Harry Lloyd as a hero cowboy named Billy Blazes who has to take on a bad guy named Crooked Charlie. It's about what you would expect, just a bunch of silly physical gags and a spoof of old western movie tropes, but it's good for what it is even though it is obviously very dated.

A HAROLD LLOYD Comedy One-Reeler.

When the local outlaws in Peaceful Vale become too rambunctious, it's up to BILLY BLAZES, ESQ. to gallop into town and restore law & order.

Harold gets to spoof William S. Hart in this very short & funny film. The various ways in which he subdues the bad guys & makes his getaway is the focus of attention here. The very tall Chinese waiter is also quite humorous. Bebe Daniels plays the Girl in the tavern; Snub Pollard portrays the cowardly Sheriff.

Movie mavens will note that this short film was produced shortly before Harold lost half of his right hand in a freak studio accident.

Robert Israel has composed an excellent film score which perfectly complements Harold's antics on the screen.

Unusual for a Harold Lloyd movie in his July 1919's "Billy Blazes, Esq." The comedian doesn't make his appearance until five minutes into the film. Prior to his marvelous introduction where he adroitly hand wraps a cigarette in one palm in the windy plains, "Billy Blazes, Esq" first introduces the town's cast of characters, establishing the villains as well as the proverbial beauty in distress, Bebe Daniels.

Lloyd's initial roles in cinema when he first arrived in Hollywood was playing extras in Tom Mix westerns. His movements in "Billy Blazes Esq," both on the horse and handling his sidearms, are fluid and natural because of his experiences on the western sets. In Lloyd films, no one ever gets seriously injured or killed. Here, despite thousands of bullets flying and some hitting the keisters of the bad guys, the potentially fatal objects appear to cause a sting rather than a bleeding wound. That was the secret to Lloyd's oeuvre: physicality and danger are to be laughed at, and the greater the potential for injuries, the louder the laughs. And "Billy Blazes Esq." delivers that and more.

This one reel comedy is a pretty good parody of the westerns of its time. It's nothing fancy, but it takes a light, upbeat approach and has some funny gag ideas. Harold Lloyd and Bebe Daniels always seem to work together well, and Snub Pollard is also here, in a smaller role.

Lloyd plays the title character, who is a parody of the kinds of western heroes common both at the time and in many other eras. The character is probably based more than anything on the kinds of characters played by William S. Hart, but you wouldn't have to be familiar with Hart's movies to be able to enjoy most of "Billy Blazes".

The story squeezes quite an assortment of familiar western elements and themes into 13 minutes or so of film, and it does a good job with most of them. The big showdown between Billy and the villain is played strictly for laughs, and it features some clever turns.

Billy Blazes, Esq. (1919)

** (out of 4)

Billy Blazes (Harold Lloyd) rides into a rough Western town to take out the bad guys and escape with the girl. This 13-minute short remains interesting throughout but the strange thing is that it appears the director forgot to go for any laughs. It's not like there are gags on screen that don't work but instead there aren't any gags for some reason.

You can find this short in New Line's wonderful box set that features countless shorts, features and some very nice extras. All the films come with a new score and remastered video.