Grandma's Boy (1922)

Always the mama's boy, or in this case a grandma's boy, Sonny joins a posse after a tramp accused of robbery and murder. He is unable to conquer his cowardice until Grandma tells him of his... See full summary »

Director:

Fred C. Newmeyer

Writers:

Hal Roach (story), Sam Taylor (story),

Stars:

Harold Lloyd, Mildred Davis, Anna Townsend

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Harold Lloyd	...	Grandma's Boy
Mildred Davis	...	His Girl
Anna Townsend	...	His Grandma
Charles Stevenson	...	His Rival
Dick Sutherland	...	The Rolling Stone
Noah Young	...	Sheriff of Dabney County

Storyline

Always the mama's boy, or in this case a grandma's boy, Sonny joins a posse after a tramp accused of robbery and murder. He is unable to conquer his cowardice until Grandma tells him of his grandfather, also a coward, who overcame his fears with the help of a magic amulet. With new courage (and the charm), Sonny captures the fugitive and becomes the hero of the day.

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Plot Keywords:

bully | murder | fugitive | tramp | cowardice | 

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Taglines:

Where Laughter Reigns and Joy Pours!

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Genres:

Comedy | Family

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Certificate:

Passed

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

3 September 1922 (USA)

Also Known As:

El mimado de la abuelita

Filming Locations:

General Service Studios - 1040 N. Las Palmas, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$100,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Hal Roach Studios

Technical Specs

Runtime:

60 min 60 min 56 min (2002 release)

Sound Mix:

Silent

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Originally intended as a serious movie, this film was altered by Harold Lloyd into a comedy by adding the gag scenes later on.

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Goofs

Grandma's boy puts six mothballs in the chocolate box. His girl gives him one from the box, but when his rival later picks up two, there are seven mothballs in the box instead of five.

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Connections

Featured in Silent Clowns: Harold Lloyd (2006)

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Soundtracks

"You Are the Ideal of My Dreams"
(1910) (uncredited)
Music and Lyrics by Herbert Ingraham
Sheet music shown before The Girl plays it on piano

User Reviews

GRANDMA'S BOY (Fred Newmeyer, 1922) ***

Harold Lloyd's first great feature pits him in his ideal homespun setting with a simple and archetypal plot in which the mild-mannered Boy gradually learns to overcome his cowardice - with the help of his loving grandmother - to become the toast of the town; in this respect, it predates the star's more celebrated THE FRESHMAN (1925) in being, above all, character-driven (with a dash of sentimentality). That said, perhaps the film's most hilarious scene is a typical one in which both Lloyd and his rival for the affections of leading lady Mildred Davis unwittingly mistake moth-balls from Lloyd's ancient costume (which had belonged to his grandfather) for sweets.

It's climaxed, however, by three lengthy and impressive set-pieces: the Civil War feat of the hero's grandfather (also played by Lloyd and remarkably anticipating Keaton's THE GENERAL [1927]); the chase leading up to the capture of the town bully by the newly-brave Lloyd (brought about by the presence of a Zuni doll - more than 50 years before such an artifact would achieve immortality via the classic made-for-TV compendium TRILOGY OF TERROR [1975]!); and our hero's settling of accounts with his mean-spirited rival, which features some rather physical tussling for this kind of film. As ever with Lloyd, apart from providing the requisite attention to gag structure and the creation of atmosphere, the film results in being quite technically proficient.