LONESOME LUKE, MESSENGER is one of the few surviving films Harold Lloyd made under the Lonesome Luke character. According to Wikipedia, there were 67 of these made overall and only 14 survive. Today’s film is number 59 of 67 and released about a month before Harold’s first “glass character” short OVER THE FENCE. All of the Lonesome Luke shorts were one reel long and Harold’s character at this point was physically inspired by Chaplin in a reverse Chaplin way. What I mean is where Chaplin’s clothes would be too baggy, Harold’s would be too tight. The area on Chaplin’s lip where he had his mustache painted on Harold would have it painted in the surrounding area.
Comedy wise, this short is very much inspired by the knockabout Keystone style. By 1917, Chaplin was finishing up his Mutual contract while Arbuckle was starting his Paramount short series with Keaton, so the bigger stars of the time were making two reel shorts and slowing down the pace relative to what we have here, which feels like a 1914 Keystone.
Lloyd, was making these shorts about every week or two, so the pace he was working was quite prolific and things like plot were definitely put on the back burner compared to pace, gag and knock about comedy. The gags move so fast at times I think you can watch this short a few times and catch new things.
Highlights for me are the gag where a breakfast meal is being consumed on a tray held by someone else in the middle of traffic - Bud Jamison chasing Harold around the piano at a crazed pace - watching the living room where the painting and wall papering is happening get messy in nanoseconds - the various fireplace gags where people get pushed into multiple rooms back and forth - Harold’s flirtation with the girls and the childish level of voyeurism at the girl school - the high wire climb and telephone pole slapstick towards the end - just lots of random little things. The joy of this one is seeing Harold, Bud and Snub being so young and full of energy. I don’t know if watching multiple Lonesome Luke shorts in order gets tiring after a while due to the pace, but watching one of these things is quite exhilarating. Check this one out.