Girl Shy (1924)

A shy, young man, who is completely incapable of talking to women, decides to write a book that details to other bachelors how to find a girlfriend.

Directors:

Fred C. Newmeyer (as Fred Newmeyer), Sam Taylor

Writers:

Sam Taylor (story), Ted Wilde (story)

Stars:

Harold Lloyd, Jobyna Ralston, Richard Daniels

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Harold Lloyd	...	Harold Meadows
Jobyna Ralston	...	Mary Buckingham
Richard Daniels	...	Jerry Meadows
Carlton Griffin	...	Ronald DeVore

Storyline

Harold Meadows (Lloyd) is a shy, stuttering bachelor working in a tailor shop, who is writing a guide book for other bashful young men, "The Secret of Making Love," chapters from which are portrayed as fantasy sequences. Fate has him meet rich girl, Mary (Ralston), and they fall in love. But she is about to wed an already married man, so our hero embarks upon a hair-raising daredevil ride to prevent the wedding.

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Plot Keywords:

stuttering | tailor | runaway streetcar | author | interrupted wedding | 

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Genres:

Comedy | Romance

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Did You Know?

Trivia

In addition to the fantasy scenes involving the Vamp and Flapper, a sequence showing Dorothy Dorr as a simple country girl being courted by The Boy (imagining himself dressed as a debonair country gentleman). The sequence was presumably excised during the preview process, before general release, and does not survive. Stills from the sequence exist.

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Goofs

Harold rips the publisher's envelope into small pieces (and indeed, he tears it into such tiny shreds that the check inside is torn into four narrow strips at one corner, so that the digits of the "3000" are separated into individual shards of paper), yet the cover letter stating, "Dear Sir, We have decided to publish your manuscript as a humorous work and have renamed it 'The Boob's Diary'. We think it's very funny. Enclosed is a check for $3000 in advance royalty payment" is mostly undamaged, with just a single straight tear across the middle of the sheet. If a sealed envelope is torn up into that many pieces, then the entire contents will be shredded, also --- one enclosure would not get torn up finely, and yet another paper be able to escape with just being torn in half.

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Quotes

Publisher Roger Thornsby's Assistant: ...so perhaps we're the boobs, not he. The whole office force laughed at that book, why shouldn't the whole world enjoy it?
Roger Thornsby: I'll do it! I'll publish it as 'The Boob's Diary'. It may be a sensation. Send him a check for $3,000 advance royalty - instead of a rejection slip.

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Alternate Versions

In addition to the 'My Vampire' and 'My Flapper' sequences, there was a third interlude involving the girl with the curls, where Harold finds her as a Mary Pickford-type milk maid. The scene does not survive (it was cut after a preview) but a photograph of the scene has appeared in several publications.

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Connections

References Flaming Youth (1923)

User Reviews

Terrific Movie Experience

I initially went to the Film Forum's presentation to experience what going to the movies might have been like 80 years ago. To have an experience like my grandmother had (she used to rave about Harold Loyd). I thought the film was going to be OK. I was astonished at the wit of the film, its emotional content and the joy it brought to the audience. The gags were plentiful and quite clever, the action kept everything moving and the audience enjoyed themselves immensely (obviously a self selected group). The entire experience was enhanced by a live piano player and I think by the communal experience of seeing this film at the movies.

I highly recommend the film.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

20 April 1924 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Girl Expert

Filming Locations:

Hollywood, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$400,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

The Harold Lloyd Corporation

Technical Specs

Runtime:

80 min (Turner library print) 87 min (1992)

Sound Mix:

Silent

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1