Series: Harold Lloyd Director: Hal Mohr, Gilbert W. Pratt Producer: Hal Roach Titles: H.M. Walker Photography: Walter Lundin Editor: Stars: Harold Lloyd, Bebe Daniels, Snub Pollard Company: Pathé Exchange Released: 20 January 1918 Length: 1 reel Production No.: L-12 Filming dates: October 2-9, 1917 Rating: 6/10

The Big Idea

The girl (Bebe Daniels) comes out of a building and is immediately greeted by both Harold and Snub, who tussle with one another over who gets to walk with her. Harold wins and walks her to the antiques shop where she works. When Snub follows them he is escorted from the premises by the pawnbroker after a brief set-to with Harold. With business being so bad, the pawnbroker tells Bebe to go home, whilst Harold waters a plant he sees in a painting. Harold comes up with the idea to make some money for the store by sending a fake telegram out before marking several items in the store with two X's. Harold finds a telegram messeger and switches clothes with him so he can give the fake telegram to a rich woman who has just pulled up at a store in a limousine. Harold contiues to 'spread the word' by dropping the fake telegram on the ground for three gentlemen to find. The man from the food stand comes to the shop and buys a statue marked with the two X's. Shortly after, the three gentlemen follow and each buy an item with large amounts of cash. The rich woman buys a chest and the pawnbroker rejoices in all the money he has suddenly made. An elderly woman comes into the store but Harold pushes her on to a chair marked with the two X's. When she gets up, the marks are on her skirt - which is seen by the next customer who attempts to buy her! Before long the entire store is empty from customers who have purchased everything. The owner rewards Bebe with $100 to "buy a husband and spend the other 99 chasing him"! It's all just about over when Snub reappears and shows Bebe the telegram. They go back into the store and find the one last remaining item - a large vase. Harold protests and Snub smashes it on the ground, spilling out a sack with $10,000 in it. The jezebel Bebe then leaves with Snub, and Harold collapses in a heap.

Favourite bit In an unusual twist of good fortune for Snub, he wins the girl as Harold's plan backfires.

Trivia • Copyrighted June 1st, 1918. • Reissued February 19th, 1922. • The antiques shop is at 804 Lemon Street. • There is a scene where Harold begins marking all the antiques with 2 X's, until he comes to a bust of a woman with her breasts exposed. He contemplates marking them but thinks better of it. • When Harold types the telegram he uses block capital letters but when he slips the bit of paper under the nose of the guy at the food wagon the writing is all in small case. • Snub Pollard would once again star in another film of the same name six years later. My opinion • Half decent comedy from Harold Lloyd. Surprise ending made it a bit more watchable.

	Harold Lloyd Harold
	Bebe Daniels The girl
	Snub Pollard Snub
	William Gillespie Man at food stand/Customer
	Max Hamburger Telegram messenger
	Gus Leonard Pawnbroker
	Chris Lynton Pedestrian/Customer
	Molly Thompson Woman in chauffeured car
	Dorothea Wolbert Old maid with XX skirt
	Billy Fay Drunk/Customer
	William Blaisdell Pedestrian/Customer
	M.J. McCarty Pedestrian/Customer
	Evelyn Paige Pedestrian
	Sandy Roth Policeman
	J. Darcie Lloyd [?]
	Maynard Laswell [?]
	Oscar Larson [?]
	Fred C. Newmeyer [?]
	William Strohbach [?]
	Belle Mitchell [?]
	Hazel Powell [?]
	Sammy Brooks [?]
	Norman Napier [?]
	Lige Conley [?]
	Charles Stevenson [?]
	James Parrott [?]
	Harold Moore [?]
	Harold Moore [?]
	Della Mullady [?]
	UNIDENTIFIED Man in manhole

CREDITS (click image to enlarge)	INTERTITLES (click image to enlarge)

SHOT ON LOCATION (click any image to enlarge)

Acknowledgements: The Harold Lloyd Encyclopedia by Annette D'Agostino Lloyd (book) Steve Massa (identification of Chris Lynton, William Blaisdell, Billy Fay) Jesse Brisson (identification of M.J. McCarty, Evelyn Paige, Sandy Roth) This page was last updated on: 03 April 2023