I recently received a copy of the DVD "Edward Everett Horton: 8 Silent Comedies" as I helped contribute to the fund supporting the restoration of Horton's short films. I noticed pretty quickly that these shorts were NOT like many comedies of the day. Instead of relying on pratfalls and slapstick, these shorts seem much more character-driven...which makes sense as the films were made by Harold Lloyd's production company. By the 20s, Lloyd's style changed from rough and tumble movies designed just for laughs to films where the character is important....more than cheap laughs. As a result, these films seem more polished and more timeless because they offer a very appealing character....not some guy who just punches and kicks people for no apparent reason (which is classic slapstick).
As far as the shorts go, they are in gorgeous condition, though a few tiny portions of "No Publicity" is still degraded...perhaps too much for current technology to completely restore.
In "No Publicity", Horton plays a photographer for some newspaper. His boss sends him to a fancy society event in order to get a photograph of a young lady, Miss Lawrence. Sally Lawrence is amenable to getting her publicity photo made but her fun-despising guardian, it's a definite NO. So, Horton spends much of the film trying to secretly get a photo.
He even dresses up as a woman, but in the process he's mistaken for some woman who has come to lecture about temperance and living a 'proper' life. What's next? See this cute film.
In so many ways, I could imagine Lloyd starring in this film with similar results. However, by the mid-1920s, Lloyd had given up shorts and was strictly making full-length pictures...which is likely why Horton was chosen for this and other pictures with Paramount. Very enjoyable, very polished and a film I strongly recommend.
By the way, if you see the film and are confused when you hear the guardian talk about 'St. Vitus' Dance', she is referring to epilepsy and that's an old fashion term for it.
