byufan-05531

Lewis Milestone tightly directed this picture packing the film with plenty of gags and jokes without piling it with extra fluff. It breezed by fast and everything included in the film was either funny or helped moved the plot along. Mary Astor's character only looked Arab when she covered her face but we have Hollywood whitewashing to blame even though it was a fine performance. William Boyd and Louis Wolheim had amazing chemistry that ran throughout the whole film and was showcased in the opening sequence as Boyd's character starts a fight with his Sergeant. It was interesting, fun, and a bit different to see a good silent comedy whose humor wasn't derived mainly from slapstick but a variety of plot points and excellent direction. Definitely one not to miss!

Maybe it was because I had heard about how every silent film star failed to make quality sound films but I was caught by surprise that I actually enjoyed this Lloyd vehicle. While definitely not as innovative or captivating as his silent work, The Cat's-Paw proves to be a delight to watch.

Harold Lloyd's character is a good fit for his acting skills and does not seem very far off from the up and coming and somewhat hopeful and naive characters he played in the silent era. I loved the oddity of his character and thought that the running joke of him quoting Ling Po was highly enjoyable, probably because it reminded me of how people always misquote Confucius. The political message is a bit alarming to modern viewers but does not completely overshadow the finale's bizarre yet amusing ending and makes more sense when taken into the context of the times. While not a groundbreaking piece of film, it is still an enjoyable snapshot into Lloyd's career after the advent of sound and the political climate of mid-1930's America.

The storyline is a bit familiar to modern-day audiences. After having fallen in love with a girl despite his extreme shyness towards them, Harold finds that he cannot make her happy and decides to break things off. Once he finds out that she is getting married to a total jerk who is already married, he goes to break it up at the altar before it is too late. While a very common story still seen throughout romantic comedies today, Harold Lloyd's sophisticated storytelling style and frequent use of gags makes the film anything but familiar.

While the chase scene is most remembered from this film, Lloyd is able to weave this masterful chase scene into a well structured narrative. His portrayal of a shy young man is realistic, comedic, and evokes sympathy from the audience. His romance with the rich girl is not overdramatic but natural and even cute. We really believe that these two people are in love even after a short two hour train ride. This movie's strength is in its ability to avoid cliche tropes and overly dramatize the romance instead leaving the out of this worldness to the gags and end chase scene instead of the characters. Girl Shy is Harold Lloyd building on his previous work to combine a well constructed story with his unique style of stunts that make us as the audience buy the reality of these impossible stunts while still respecting the title character as an everyday man just like us.