MOVIE CRAZY (1932) isn't one of Harold Lloyd's greatest comedies, or even, in this reviewer's opinion, his best talkie. It's a cliché story: small-town boy comes to Hollywood for stardom and falls flat on his face. Nincompoop wreaks havoc on movie studio. It's been done countless times, from Buster Keaton in FREE AND EASY (1930) to Red Skelton in MERTON OF THE MOVIES (1947).Harold Lloyd plays the part of the fool, who ruins everything he comes in contact with. This type of character (similar to the talkie roles MGM would write for Buster Keaton) is sometimes hard to watch. Hopelessly naïve and pathetic. Viewed as a freak and played for a sucker. Always knocking over stacked objects or falling in puddles.The gags are old and predictable (at least nowadays) and there are no groundbreaking stunts or anything. How many times have we seen the "oops, we must've switched hats" routine? And what do you think happens when Lloyd offers to help a woman unfold the top to her convertible? Or open an umbrella? Does that trick magician's jacket look just like Harold's, hanging in the restroom? (You bet it does.) This comedy just isn't all that funny, lacking some of the magic evident in Lloyd's silent classics.The best thing in this movie is the beautiful Constance Cummings, who gives a rather impressive naturalistic performance as a Hollywood starlet whose path is crossed by Lloyd's accident-waiting-to-happen character. Cummings grows fond of Lloyd (whom she nicknames "Trouble") and her character manages to bring a cute romantic element to the film.The first half-hour or so is pretty dull, but there's a fun little twist where Lloyd cannot recognize Cummings in her exotic on-set make-up and falls in love with the same woman twice. Cummings realizes this and plays around with Lloyd's heart. But does she actually love him, or is it all part of some game? This interesting "love triangle" is the strongest part of the script, and Cummings manages the dual role beautifully.MOVIE CRAZY isn't all bad, but it is something of a letdown. Most of the "comedy" is tiresome, although certain bits work better than others. Interestingly, this talkie lacks some of the wit of Harold Lloyd's silent films. The story is nothing special, but Constance Cummings shines in her role and anchors the sweetness that makes the film's second half worth watching.

Monday May 14, 7:00pm, The Paramount TheaterA bumbling oaf goes to Hollywood in search of stardom. Wreaking havoc along the way, he falls in love with a beautiful starlet and ass-backwards into a contract. The sound films of Harold Lloyd are of interest when viewed in the context of his entire career. They are of little importance by themselves, and well illustrate the deconstruction of visual narrative by the introduction of sound. What succeeds in Movie Crazy (1932) has little dependence on sound. Lloyd's character is introduced with two entirely visual gags, typical of his earlier work. He appears to be riding in an open car, which pulls away to reveal he is actually peddling a bicycle. As he turns up his driveway, he rescues a duckling he hears down a hole, using water from a garden hose. Sound of the trapped duckling would have worked perfectly as an intertitle. A running gag with a straw boater and an ornery producer is purely visual. Another running gag is the accidental destruction of numerous glass office doors, straight out of Buster Keaton's The Cameraman (1928). The exuberant youth living with his parents had become a stretch for an older Lloyd. This was only magnified by the spoken word. Add to the mix a profusion of bad, and now very dated, dialog (light years from H. M. "Beany" Walker's clever intertitles), the limitations of early sound technology and the distracting, self-conscious camera work it caused, and the magic was more or less gone.

Came upon this movie which I had never heard of while channel surfing during an episode of insomnia. This was one of the most fun & funny movies I have ever seen! You will be constantly riveted as the scenes move fast and the comedy is clever and extremely well done! The cast is excellent and I found myself laughing out loud over and over again! Was disappointed when it was over as it went way too fast! Sort of like going on a great ride at an amusement park and wanting to go on it again! I would highly recommend this movie to anyone as it is refreshing to see such good acting and fun comedy! I can't wait to see it again!

Harold Hall is a man who desperately wants to be an actor.Soon he is off to Hollywood.They are expecting somebody who doesn't look anything like Harold, because he accidentally sent a wrong photo.In Hollywood Harold causes lots of trouble and falls in love to an actress named Mary Sears.Movie Crazy is a hilarious comedy from 1932.Harold Lloyd shows that he wasn't the master of silent movies only, he could handle talkies too.He runs from a funny situation to another.Constance Cummings is brilliant as Mary.She does her job just as good as Harold does.This movie made me laugh many times.If a comedy movie does that, then that's a good comedy.