FROM HAND TO MOUTH is the third two reeler Lloyd made as the glasses character - but not overall. I just learned very recently, meaning within the last week, a lot of the later Lonesome Luke shorts were two reelers and I just watched one on a Silent Comedy Watch Party episode. There you go, I’m always learning something new. But yeah, these glasses character two reelers are showing a level of maturity not quite present in Lonesome Luke and FROM HAND TO MOUTH is the best one yet. What impresses me most about this one is that there is a legitimate story involved and there are a lot of gags - yet the two never get in the way of each other. Each situation seamlessly flows into the next. For example, Lloyd is running away from the cops as he’s caught stealing a wallet. During the chase, he jumps up on a driving vehicle to escape. The vehicle itself just happens to be full of a bunch of crooks who are planning to rob the house of the girl Harold had an encounter with earlier - so everything ties in together brilliantly.
Speaking of the girl, exit Bebe Daniels, enter Mildred Davis. Ms. Davis would be Harold’s leading lady up to and including SAFETY LAST. After that she would get a promotion to be Mrs. Lloyd for the rest of her life. Look wise, I’d say she was a more innocent looking version of Edna Purviance and played similar, straighter roles, as she does here in FROM HAND TO MOUTH. I always liked her best when she played the innocent girl with curls, so saccharine it is obviously a parody played for comic effect.
Thematically, the idea of being homeless, hungry and breaking into a girl’s house you recognize, registering regret is taken from Charlie Chaplin’s POLICE. Being homeless with a dog like A DOG’S LIFE and the business with Peggy Cartwright briefly predating THE KID. Pretty unusual and interesting to see Lloyd go into Chaplin territory, something he doesn’t do very often.
As far as chases go, there are not one, not two, but THREE different chases here, and like I hinted at in the first paragraph, they all make sense in the context of the story and are completely logical and witty. I never fail to be in awe of Lloyd at his best with how one situation just piles on top of the other. I really like the simple set up of the chase with Peggy Cartwright. A hungry Harold steals two doughnuts out of a man’s bag, giving the first one to Peggy. As Harold is taking the second, he doesn’t notice Peggy giving her doughnut to the dog. Naturally, Peggy takes the second doughnut from Harold as she didn’t get the first. This leads to a misunderstanding and all the excuse we need for a brilliantly executed chase to begin. Vegetable stands get smashed over. Hidden doorways and stairwells, a clever jump by Harold where he finally catches up with her, it works very well.
A very good short overall. A perfect mix of story and comedy and light entertainment. Exactly what I want from Harold. It bears worth repeating, these Lloyd shorts look beautiful. We’re so lucky to have them in this condition.
