The earliest sounds films tend to be weak, awkward, and more interesting for historical reasons other than entertaining. This is a classic example. "Feet first" strikes me as quite weak, and Harold Lloyd is one of my all time favorites.
Here, our man is a shoe salesman who tries to move up in his business. The humor and gags drag like lead, and if you have this on DVD you will skip a number of scenes trying to get through it. There is one mildly amusing moment where HL practices public speaking pounding his fists and waving his hands with a ridiculously pompous pontification "If it weren't for shoes, we'd all be---BAREFOOT!" But things don't get really funny or interesting until the skyscraper-climbing scene reminiscent of SAFETY LAST. That's well done. As for Willie "Sleep & Eat" Best as the hapless janitor trying to help Harold during his predicament, his character was WAY too stupid (such as the "hose scene") and it is horrible to hear the beloved Lloyd refer to this African-American comic as "Charcoal," (especially when one considers that Lloyd is usually kind and polite to Black and other nonwhite characters in his films). Admittedly, the fact that Lloyd and Best become equally scared at the sight of the gorilla (as was the case with Lloyd, Sunshine Sammy Morrison, and the supposed ghosts in "Haunted Spooks") takes SOME of the edge off the stereotype.
In either case, this is only for hardcore Harold completists. Casual fans will want to stick to GRANDMA'S BOY, SAFETY LAST, WHY WORRY, etc.
Here, our man is a shoe salesman who tries to move up in his business. The humor and gags drag like lead, and if you have this on DVD you will skip a number of scenes trying to get through it. There is one mildly amusing moment where HL practices public speaking pounding his fists and waving his hands with a ridiculously pompous pontification "If it weren't for shoes, we'd all be---BAREFOOT!" But things don't get really funny or interesting until the skyscraper-climbing scene reminiscent of SAFETY LAST. That's well done. As for Willie "Sleep & Eat" Best as the hapless janitor trying to help Harold during his predicament, his character was WAY too stupid (such as the "hose scene") and it is horrible to hear the beloved Lloyd refer to this African-American comic as "Charcoal," (especially when one considers that Lloyd is usually kind and polite to Black and other nonwhite characters in his films). Admittedly, the fact that Lloyd and Best become equally scared at the sight of the gorilla (as was the case with Lloyd, Sunshine Sammy Morrison, and the supposed ghosts in "Haunted Spooks") takes SOME of the edge off the stereotype.
In either case, this is only for hardcore Harold completists. Casual fans will want to stick to GRANDMA'S BOY, SAFETY LAST, WHY WORRY, etc.