Professor Beware (1938)

User Rating:

7.2/10   

Director:

Elliott Nugent

Writers:

Clyde Bruckman (writer)
Francis M. Cockrell (story)

Release Date:

29 July 1938 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy

Tagline:

He's Back ! In A Merry Riot Of Fun!

Plot:

Egyptologist, Dean Lambert (Lloyd), accused of car-theft, skips bail and begins a cross-country trek to join a group in New York headed for Egypt...

Plot Keywords:

Reincarnation

Cast

Harold Lloyd	...	Prof. Dean Lambert
Phyllis Welch	...	Jane Van Buren
Raymond Walburn	...	Judge James G. Parkhouse Marshall
Lionel Stander	...	Jerry
William Frawley	...	Snoop Donlan
Thurston Hall	...	J.J. Van Buren
Cora Witherspoon	...	Mrs. Ophelia Pitts
Sterling Holloway	...	Rupert (the groom)
Mary Lou Lender	...	The bride
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Arthur Aylesworth	...	Gas station attendant in desert
Irving Bacon	...	Painter

Runtime:

95 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Mirrophonic Recording)

Certification:

USA:Approved | Finland:K-16

Filming Locations:

Kernville, California, USA

Company:

The Harold Lloyd Corporation

Trivia:

On 9 January 1940 in U.S. Federal Court in Los Angeles, William J. Rapp and Lowell Brenatano filed a suit for $75,000 against Harold Lloyd and the Harold Lloyd Corporation, for alleged plagiarism by the film "Professor Beware" of the plaintiff's play "Greek To You".

Movie Connections:

Featured in Funny Side of Life (1963)

A Nice, Forgettable Little Comedy

I recall that for many years this was the only one of Harold Lloyd's movies that occasionally turned up on screen in New York City. It is a passably funny film about an archaeologist who falls for the daughter of a tycoon and finds himself fighting the forces of Wall Street and fate itself to get the young lady. Lloyd's character is trying to fight an apparent curse from the tomb that he opened. The film literally goes to it's conclusion before the viewers learn if the curse will or will not work. Lloyd is ably supported in the film by Raymond Walburn, William Frawley, Lionel Stander, and Thurston Hall. Phyllis Welch was the young woman Lloyd pursues. She did nicely in the role, but not spectacularly. Her career soon faded from sight.

Of the sound films made by Lloyd, "Professor Beware" usually is near the bottom. It is better (in my opinion) than "Welcome Danger" or "Feet First", but it falls below the other four sound films. The problem with it is that it lacks any relationship to the type of film identified with Lloyd at his peak. It's situation comedy plot could have been done by most other comedians or leading men of the day. But it is not a total failure, and is worth watching.