Speedy (1928) starring Harold Lloyd, Ann Christy, Bert Woodruff, Babe Ruth, Byron Douglas
Synopsis of Speedy
Harold “Speedy” Swift, a fan of Babe Ruth and the New York Yankees, saves from extinction the city’s last horse-drawn trolley, operated by his girlfriend’s grandfather.
Review of Speedy
Speedy is a funny, enjoyable silent film by Harold Lloyd. It’s effectively a collection of four short films, edited to make one longer story:
- Harold the soda jerk. Where he gets fired – again. He can’t seem to keep a job.
- Harold and Jane at Coney Island. Jane (Ann Christy) is Harold’s girlfriend, who loves him, but worries that he can’t keep a job, or be serious. In addition, her grandfather is in danger of losing his livelihood.
- Harold the taxi driver. A segment that combines Harold’s love of baseball with an insane driving scene! Babe Ruth, playing himself, hires Harold for a taxi driver. Harold drives like a madman, but that doesn’t stop him from driving his idol to the baseball stadium. It’s a zany drive, one of the best parts of the film.
- Harold saves Pop’s trolley. Pop (Bert Woodruff) is Christy’s grandfather, and runs the last horse-drawn carriage in New York City. A wealthy man named Wilton (Byron Douglas) wants to buy him out in order to set up a streetcar monopoly. Harold “helps” by raising Pop’s price from $10,000 to $70,000 – and scuttling the deal. So, Wilton decides to use force to keep Pop from running for a day by stealing the streetcar. With the aid of his dog, Harold steals it back, and runs it in a madcap race, keeping Pop’s license. And, ending with Wilton paying Pop $100,000, Harold proposing, and a happy ending all around.
Editorial review of Speedy courtesy of Amazon.com
Speedy was the last silent feature to star Harold Lloyd (Safety Last!)—and one of his very best. The slapstick legend reprises his “Glasses Character,” this time as a good-natured but scatterbrained New Yorker who can’t keep a job. He finally finds his true calling when he becomes determined to help save the city’s last horse-drawn trolley, which is operated by his sweetheart’s crusty grandfather. From its joyous visit to Coney Island to its incredible Babe Ruth cameo to its hair-raising climactic stunts on the city’s streets, Speedy is an out-of-control love letter to New York that will have you grinning from ear to ear.
Cast of characters
- Harold Lloyd (Safety Last!; The Cats-Paw) … Harold ‘Speedy’ Swift
- Ann Christy … Jane Dillon
- Bert Woodruff … Pop Dillon – Jane’s Grand-daddy
- Babe Ruth (Pride of the Yankees) … Babe Ruth
- Byron Douglas … W.S. Wilton
- Brooks Benedict … Steve Carter
- King Tut the Dog … The Dog