Billy Blazes, Esq. (1919)

Director:

Hal Roach

Release Date:

6 July 1919 (USA)

Genre:

Short | Comedy | Western

Plot:

Billy Blazes confronts Crooked Charley, who has been ruling the town of Peaceful Vale through fear and violence.

Plot Keywords:

Tavern | Daughter | Sheriff | Gambler | Mining Town

Cast

  (Credited cast)

Harold Lloyd	...	Billy Blazes
Bebe Daniels	...	Nell
'Snub' Pollard	...	Sheriff 'Gun Shy' Gallagher (as Harry Pollard)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Sammy Brooks
Billy Fay

Runtime:

USA:13 min (Turner library print)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Silent

Company:

Rolin Films

Goofs:

Continuity: Billy first points his pistol below the bad guy's waistband, but it is then above the waistband in the next shot.

Movie Connections:

Edited into "American Masters: Harold Lloyd: The Third Genius" (1989)

Pretty Good Parody Feature

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.