This is quite a good Harold Lloyd short, perhaps the best I've watched so far. During the first reel, the comedy centers somewhat uneasily around the lead character's poverty - but then it picks up with a lengthy chase involving the entire police district (actually anticipating Buster Keaton's more celebrated COPS [1922]); likewise, Lloyd's ineptitude as a burglar brings to mind Laurel & Hardy's later Talkie short NIGHT OWLS (1930). The subplot about an attempt to fleece heroine Mildred Davis out of an inheritance (by a shady lawyer with the revealing name of Leech) is also interesting; given a macabre spin, it would soon see service in many an 'old dark house' thriller. Apart from Davis, Lloyd is supported in this one by two other amiable characters - a little street girl and her brave injured dog.
18 Reviews
Down But Never Out
evanston_dad31 August 2006
In this enjoyable Harold Lloyd comedy, our boy Harold (playing a down-and-outer whose acquaintances include a scrappy little beggar girl and her lame dog) finds himself coming to the aid of a pretty heiress whose inheritance is in danger of being weasled away by a shyster lawyer in cahoots with a gang of thugs. Every Lloyd film has a rollicking climax full of visual stunts, and the one to this movie shows Harold verbally or physically assaulting every police officer in the city in an attempt to lead them to the gang's lair.
Everything comes right in the end, as Harold, heiress, beggar girl and dog get to sit down to a mighty dinner and we get to turn off the T.V. with a smile on our faces.
Everything comes right in the end, as Harold, heiress, beggar girl and dog get to sit down to a mighty dinner and we get to turn off the T.V. with a smile on our faces.
Endearing Harold Lloyd.
ofpsmith24 March 2016
Warning: Spoilers
In From Hand to Mouth, Harold Lloyd plays a broke drifter who constantly get's in trouble with the law over petty thefts. Meanwhile a young woman (Mildred Davis) is having trouble with her inheritance, and a corrupt lawyer (who's so corrupt he even hired a gang to kidnap Davis) isn't about to make that any easier. When a gang brings Lloyd in, and they rob Davis's house, Lloyd meets Davis and eventually helps her secure her inheritance. It's a good short film, and the story endears us. With all the typical Lloyd slapstick and run-on scenes, From Hand to Mouth is an example of Lloyd's talented comedy. If you're a fan of Lloyd, or silent comedies in general, I highly recommend From Hand to Mouth.
Enjoyable & Thoughtful
Snow Leopard28 September 2005
This Harold Lloyd comedy is both very enjoyable and very thoughtful, and it works especially well considering that it was made during a time in Lloyd's career when he was gradually making a transition in the way that he portrayed his characters on-screen. The story and the characters bear many resemblances to Charlie Chaplin's popular comedies of the same era, but Lloyd and director Alfred Goulding give it a style and tone of its own.
Lloyd plays a penniless drifter who befriends a very young street waif, played with charm by Peggy Courtwright, whose character is accompanied by an equally endearing dog. The three of them are rescued from a scrape with authorities by an heiress played by Mildred Davis, who turns out to have some worries of her own.
After a bit of a slow start, things pick up, and it works very well, combining the different story lines with plenty of slapstick and some very thoughtful moments as well. Most of the themes are familiar ones, but it does a good job with them, and Lloyd succeeds with some material that is rather different from that in most of his movies.
Lloyd plays a penniless drifter who befriends a very young street waif, played with charm by Peggy Courtwright, whose character is accompanied by an equally endearing dog. The three of them are rescued from a scrape with authorities by an heiress played by Mildred Davis, who turns out to have some worries of her own.
After a bit of a slow start, things pick up, and it works very well, combining the different story lines with plenty of slapstick and some very thoughtful moments as well. Most of the themes are familiar ones, but it does a good job with them, and Lloyd succeeds with some material that is rather different from that in most of his movies.
Touching and sometimes funny
Horst_In_Translation27 August 2016
Warning: Spoilers
"From Hand to Mouth" is an American 22-minute short film from 1919, so three more years and it will have its 100th anniversary. The people who made this are Alfred J. Goulding, H.M. Walker and Hal Roach and these films certainly tell film lovers that this is a black-and-white silent film. The cast also includes some very known names, most of all lead actor Harold Lloyd of course and the ones starring next to him are Mildred Davis and Snub Pollar, people who regularly worked with Lloyd. The premise here is similar to many other silent films. we have a(n unconventional) hero, his love interest that he meets during the film and a main antagonist. But the best about the movie were the scenes with Lloyd and child actress Peggy Cartwright and it was pretty touching to watch them suffering from hunger early on. This is also a relevant films in terms of the time when it was made. It was briefly after World War I and starvation was certainly a problem for many. Back to this film. I remember enjoying it more when I watched it for the first time, but I still think it was a good watch this time too. Sadly, I did not end up caring a whole lot for everything involving Mildred's character. But Lloyd's talent makes up for it on many occasions. Thumbs up for me, I recommend the watch.
Harold Rescues The Girl To Claim Inheritance
CitizenCaine29 September 2008
Warning: Spoilers
This is another one of Harold's thrill comedies; where upon, the pace of the film picks up and a frantic chase results in wrapping up the plot. Harold is living hand to mouth and befriends a young girl and her dog. The dog finds some money and Harold quickly uses it to buy food for himself, the girl, and her dog. Only to his dismay, Harold discovers the money is counterfeit and is rescued by an heiress (Mildred Davis) before he gets carted away by the police. The heiress is about to finalize an inheritance before she's kidnapped by Snub Pollard and his gang. Harold finds out the plot and is left with trying to get help. The police, oddly enough, aren't interested in hearing from Harold, and he has to become antagonistic before the police respond. Soon Harold has the whole force chasing after him, and he leads them straight to the gang's hideout where he escapes with Mildred Davis while the police are busy with the gang. Harold and Mildred race against time to the lawyer's office to collect the inheritance before time runs out at midnight of course. The funny thing is it was broad daylight when he rescued Mildred. This is a typical frantic Harold Lloyd comedy. This marked the first film Harold made with the future Mrs. Lloyd: Mildred Davis. **1/2 of 4 stars.
"Will it will, or will it won't?"
classicsoncall20 April 2016
Warning: Spoilers
The only other Harold Lloyd work I've seen is 1923's "Why Worry?" which at sixty three minutes wasn't a film short, so I have no others to judge this one by. As it is, this was an entertaining story with some notable touches, like the name of 'Leech' on a dishonest lawyer's door - no surprise there. The young 'waif' (Peggy Courtwright) was a cutie and her scenes with Lloyd and her pup were well staged, the timing involved in their frantic run-around was done to perfection.
The main story involves a young woman (Mildred Davis) who will inherit a fortune if she can prove her identity by midnight. This leads to her kidnapping and eventual save by 'The Boy' (Lloyd) following a Keystone Cop-like chase sequence, but unless the picture was filmed at one of the Poles where it's daylight for six months at a time, there's no explanation for why it's light outside at the stroke of midnight. My guess is that audiences of the era weren't too fussy about little details like that.
One observation apart from the story itself - ever since I noticed how often one sees Coca-Cola product placement in movies I've kept a watchful eye for it's appearance, and I believe this one sets my all time earliest record to date. There's a large billboard or fence on which the latter half of 'Cola' is visible in the distinctive font style for Coke. For 1919, this beats my previous 'first Coke appearance' by seven years, recently seen in the 1926 Laurel and Hardy short, "Thundering Fleas".
The main story involves a young woman (Mildred Davis) who will inherit a fortune if she can prove her identity by midnight. This leads to her kidnapping and eventual save by 'The Boy' (Lloyd) following a Keystone Cop-like chase sequence, but unless the picture was filmed at one of the Poles where it's daylight for six months at a time, there's no explanation for why it's light outside at the stroke of midnight. My guess is that audiences of the era weren't too fussy about little details like that.
One observation apart from the story itself - ever since I noticed how often one sees Coca-Cola product placement in movies I've kept a watchful eye for it's appearance, and I believe this one sets my all time earliest record to date. There's a large billboard or fence on which the latter half of 'Cola' is visible in the distinctive font style for Coke. For 1919, this beats my previous 'first Coke appearance' by seven years, recently seen in the 1926 Laurel and Hardy short, "Thundering Fleas".
Lots Of Good Stuff In This Harold Lloyd Silent Short
ccthemovieman-16 December 2007
This Harold Lloyd silent film is fun because it has fast-moving story, plenty of chase scenes and sight gags, good camera-work and some great expressions on the actors' faces. It also has a couple of endearing people such as a poor little girl and her lame dog, and a good-hearted woman.
Of course, being a "silent," I expect exaggerated facial expressions, but some in here are ones that made me laugh out loud. You see all kinds, from shady winks to eyebrow raising to evil-looking smiles. Hey, it's a story about a crooked lawyer and a bunch of thugs (almost the same). One of the lawyers is named "Leech."
The little girl, called "The Waif," is played by cute Peggy Courtwright. "Waif" is a common term in these silent films, which Charlie Chaplin and others featured a lot: homeless, extremely poor creatures, male, female, children and dogs.
"The Girl" as she is called, is played by Mildred Davis. It was her first appearance in a Lloyd film. Four years later, she and Harold were married.
Another interesting feature in this film was the sudden switch to a blue tint in the second half. It would be shown for a couple of short scenes.
The ending, of course, was the best. You will have a smile on your face at the very last scene in the diner. These wild endings are the norm for silent comedies and are great fun to watch.. I loved how Harold rounded up the cops.
Of course, being a "silent," I expect exaggerated facial expressions, but some in here are ones that made me laugh out loud. You see all kinds, from shady winks to eyebrow raising to evil-looking smiles. Hey, it's a story about a crooked lawyer and a bunch of thugs (almost the same). One of the lawyers is named "Leech."
The little girl, called "The Waif," is played by cute Peggy Courtwright. "Waif" is a common term in these silent films, which Charlie Chaplin and others featured a lot: homeless, extremely poor creatures, male, female, children and dogs.
"The Girl" as she is called, is played by Mildred Davis. It was her first appearance in a Lloyd film. Four years later, she and Harold were married.
Another interesting feature in this film was the sudden switch to a blue tint in the second half. It would be shown for a couple of short scenes.
The ending, of course, was the best. You will have a smile on your face at the very last scene in the diner. These wild endings are the norm for silent comedies and are great fun to watch.. I loved how Harold rounded up the cops.
An Average Lloyd
gavin694220 June 2013
A penniless young man (Harold Lloyd) tries to save an heiress (Mildred Davis) from kidnappers and help her secure her inheritance.
This film has the distinction of being the first Lloyd-Davis pairing, and before the two had been married. They made an excellent screen couple, as can be told from this and future films.
Of Lloyd's work, this is not his strongest, and is not helped by its age. The prints available are grainy and in a variety of colors, and this is not likely to change. I hate to judge a film by its age, but with better Lloyd films out there and in better condition, I would not make this a top priority.
This film has the distinction of being the first Lloyd-Davis pairing, and before the two had been married. They made an excellent screen couple, as can be told from this and future films.
Of Lloyd's work, this is not his strongest, and is not helped by its age. The prints available are grainy and in a variety of colors, and this is not likely to change. I hate to judge a film by its age, but with better Lloyd films out there and in better condition, I would not make this a top priority.
On The Lam With Mr. Lloyd
Ron Oliver20 August 2003
A Hal Roach HAROLD LLOYD Comedy Short Subject.
Poor Harold is living FROM HAND TO MOUTH until he meets a very pretty rich heiress who's the target for kidnappers.
There is much to enjoy in this little film which boasts excellent production values, some top notch chase sequences and a typically first rate performance from Harold. His future wife Mildred Davis plays the rich young lady, Snub Pollard is the comically wicked kidnapper & little Peggy Cartwright exudes winsome charm as the spunky waif. Fans will notice that Harold's right hand is intact; this film was made shortly before his famous accident which left him with only half a hand.
Robert Israel has composed an excellent film score which perfectly complements Harold's antics on the screen.
Poor Harold is living FROM HAND TO MOUTH until he meets a very pretty rich heiress who's the target for kidnappers.
There is much to enjoy in this little film which boasts excellent production values, some top notch chase sequences and a typically first rate performance from Harold. His future wife Mildred Davis plays the rich young lady, Snub Pollard is the comically wicked kidnapper & little Peggy Cartwright exudes winsome charm as the spunky waif. Fans will notice that Harold's right hand is intact; this film was made shortly before his famous accident which left him with only half a hand.
Robert Israel has composed an excellent film score which perfectly complements Harold's antics on the screen.
standard Lloyd short
planktonrules26 April 2006
Warning: Spoilers
This is a solid Harold Lloyd short, though it is not particularly outstanding one way or the other. The pacing is good and the film is fun to watch--very typical of a Lloyd film.
The film begins with a lady going to a lawyer to find out about her grandfather's will. She is the heir, but the lawyer is dishonest (wow--I didn't see THAT coming) and plans on swindling her out of the money. Just to make sure, he hires a group of goons to go kidnap her. Well, being a comedy, Harold stumbles into the group and they think he, too, is a crook. We follows along until he discovers their evil scheme. This leads to the weakest element of the film. When he repeatedly tries to get policemen to help free the girl they ALL ignore him! Now, I know that some police departments are worse than others, but usually telling even the worst police that someone has been kidnapped garners SOME attention. Well, not in this film. So, Harold decides to begin attacking and menacing cop after cop after cop and leading them on a chase to the bad guys' hideout. It works and the day is saved. Huzzah!
The film begins with a lady going to a lawyer to find out about her grandfather's will. She is the heir, but the lawyer is dishonest (wow--I didn't see THAT coming) and plans on swindling her out of the money. Just to make sure, he hires a group of goons to go kidnap her. Well, being a comedy, Harold stumbles into the group and they think he, too, is a crook. We follows along until he discovers their evil scheme. This leads to the weakest element of the film. When he repeatedly tries to get policemen to help free the girl they ALL ignore him! Now, I know that some police departments are worse than others, but usually telling even the worst police that someone has been kidnapped garners SOME attention. Well, not in this film. So, Harold decides to begin attacking and menacing cop after cop after cop and leading them on a chase to the bad guys' hideout. It works and the day is saved. Huzzah!
Harold Lloyd short of cash
Petey-1015 January 2009
Two people and one dog share the same problem: they have nothing to eat.The penniless man is joined by a waif and her dog.There is a dishonest lawyer working with a gang of criminals trying to swindle an innocent young heiress out of her inheritance.Then this lovely lady rescues Harold and the waif from the hands of the authorities.Maybe Harold could help the girl with the problem she's having.This silent comedy short, From Hand to Mouth (1919), has two directors, Alfred J. Goulding and Hal Roach.Harold Lloyd is truly great as this poor man.Mildred Davis is really amazing as his love interest.Peggy Cartwright is a magnificent child actress.And you gotta love the dog! There's also the great 'Snub' Pollard playing The Kidnapper.What fine moments this movie offers!
From Hand to Mouth review
JoeytheBrit28 June 2020
Lively comedy from Harold Lloyd that no doubt provided Buster Keaton with the 'inspiration' for Cops in 1922. He's an impoverished young man who redeems himself after being suckered into burgling the house of the heiress who earlier saved him from arrest. The heiress is played by his future wife Mildred Davis. Nothing groundbreaking, but enjoyable enough.
Harold Lloyd in transition
F Gwynplaine MacIntyre31 August 2002
"From Hand to Mouth" marks a transition in Harold Lloyd's career, as he was phasing out the Chaplin imitations of his early days and began developing the bespectacled "glass character" that would bring him stardom. This is also Lloyd's first film with Mildred Davis, who became his long-term leading lady and (offscreen) his life-long wife. Snub Pollard and Noah Young, both of whom did excellent support work in many of Lloyd's best films, have good roles here. The film's climax, featuring a race against time, is a prototype for Lloyd's later "thrill" comedies.
In this movie, Lloyd plays a vaguely Chaplinesque drifter who mooches his way along with a little-girl waif (Peggy Cartwright, not very good). When a dog digs up a bankroll and gives it to the penniless Lloyd, he and Peggy rush off to a general store to buy some groceries. Lloyd hands over some cash, and takes possession of the food just as the grocer discovers that the dollars are counterfeit. This surprises Lloyd so much, he drops the food ... which is now ruined, and he has no money to pay for it.
Just as the grocer is threatening to arrest Lloyd, along comes an expensive car with a beautiful woman in it (Mildred Davis), who pays for the groceries. She's an heiress who (conveniently) is just about to claim her inheritance, but only if she can obtain certain documents (the McGuffin papers?) by midnight tonight. Naturally, a rival heir wants to stop her.
Snub Pollard is the leader of a gang of thugs who kidnap Davis, intending to detain her until the midnight deadline passes. Lloyd trails the goons to their hideout, and then tries to enlist the aid of a policeman. But the cop takes one look at Lloyd (who plays a shabby drifter in this film) and ignores him. Lloyd smacks the cop, who draws his nightstick and gives chase. With the cop in pursuit, Lloyd keeps running until he finds another cop ... then smacks him too, and now he's got two cops chasing him while he looks for a third. Lloyd keeps smacking the constables, until finally he's got a whole platoon of policemen chasing him. (This scene is clearly the prototype for the climax of Lloyd's sound film "Professor Beware".) When Lloyd has enough cops chasing him, he leads them back to Snub's hideout for a slam-bang finish. Will midnight strike before Lloyd can rescue Mildred and help her claim her inheritance?
This is not one of Lloyd's best films, but it's an interesting effort and it shows the gestation of his "glass character". The final scenes in the film are supposed to take place just before midnight, but the footage was clearly shot day-for-night and it isn't very convincing. I'll rate this film 4 out of 10.
In this movie, Lloyd plays a vaguely Chaplinesque drifter who mooches his way along with a little-girl waif (Peggy Cartwright, not very good). When a dog digs up a bankroll and gives it to the penniless Lloyd, he and Peggy rush off to a general store to buy some groceries. Lloyd hands over some cash, and takes possession of the food just as the grocer discovers that the dollars are counterfeit. This surprises Lloyd so much, he drops the food ... which is now ruined, and he has no money to pay for it.
Just as the grocer is threatening to arrest Lloyd, along comes an expensive car with a beautiful woman in it (Mildred Davis), who pays for the groceries. She's an heiress who (conveniently) is just about to claim her inheritance, but only if she can obtain certain documents (the McGuffin papers?) by midnight tonight. Naturally, a rival heir wants to stop her.
Snub Pollard is the leader of a gang of thugs who kidnap Davis, intending to detain her until the midnight deadline passes. Lloyd trails the goons to their hideout, and then tries to enlist the aid of a policeman. But the cop takes one look at Lloyd (who plays a shabby drifter in this film) and ignores him. Lloyd smacks the cop, who draws his nightstick and gives chase. With the cop in pursuit, Lloyd keeps running until he finds another cop ... then smacks him too, and now he's got two cops chasing him while he looks for a third. Lloyd keeps smacking the constables, until finally he's got a whole platoon of policemen chasing him. (This scene is clearly the prototype for the climax of Lloyd's sound film "Professor Beware".) When Lloyd has enough cops chasing him, he leads them back to Snub's hideout for a slam-bang finish. Will midnight strike before Lloyd can rescue Mildred and help her claim her inheritance?
This is not one of Lloyd's best films, but it's an interesting effort and it shows the gestation of his "glass character". The final scenes in the film are supposed to take place just before midnight, but the footage was clearly shot day-for-night and it isn't very convincing. I'll rate this film 4 out of 10.
Harold and Mildred
SnoopyStyle11 July 2022
The Boy (Harold Lloyd) has no money for food. Neither does The Waif and her little dog. The Girl (Mildred Davis) is an innocent heiress being robbed of her inheritance without her knowledge. The Boy gets tricked into leading her kidnappers. All he really wants is the food. When she get kidnapped, he sets off to rescue her.
It's the first pairing of Harold Lloyd and his future wife Mildred Davis. The story is simple. Lloyd has plenty of good humor and a few minor stunts. Leading the cops is the comedic highlight. It's a good solid 22 minutes.
It's the first pairing of Harold Lloyd and his future wife Mildred Davis. The story is simple. Lloyd has plenty of good humor and a few minor stunts. Leading the cops is the comedic highlight. It's a good solid 22 minutes.
Lloyd's First Movie With His Future Wife
springfieldrental27 September 2021
Once Bebe Daniels gave her notice, Harold Lloyd began seeking a female replacement. His producer, Hal Roach, discovered Mildred Davis, whose previous resume consisted of small parts in several movies. Lloyd felt she would be perfect for his next film, December 1919's "From Hand To Mouth." This became the first of 15 films she would appear alongside him. The comedian became totally smitten with the new-found actress, and the two married for a lifetime of total bliss in 1923.
"From Hand To Mouth" deals with a trio of lawyers who are looking to swipe the inheritance of Davis if she doesn't sign the legal papers by midnight. An attempted kidnapping by their hired thugs is intended to prevent her from laying down her John Hancock onto those papers. All that is in the way from their plans from obtaining a successful cache of dough is, of all people, Harold Lloyd, her future husband in real life.
"From Hand To Mouth" deals with a trio of lawyers who are looking to swipe the inheritance of Davis if she doesn't sign the legal papers by midnight. An attempted kidnapping by their hired thugs is intended to prevent her from laying down her John Hancock onto those papers. All that is in the way from their plans from obtaining a successful cache of dough is, of all people, Harold Lloyd, her future husband in real life.
From him to us, with love
jamesjustice-923 May 2022
"From hand to mouth" is more than a hundred years old. This was the first movie Harold and Mildred Davis collaborated on and you can literally see their chemistry in both movies that ended up in their marriage in 1923 which lasted for over 46 years until Mildred's death in 1969.
"From hand to mouth" has more of a Chaplin vibe to it with a storyline including the girl needed to be rescued but Lloyd brings a new approach to it by adding extensive chase sequences and non-stop action that he perfects in his later movies and which would inevitably become his trademark. The movie is a feel-good comedy that you can help enjoying every second of its 21-minute runtime; everything in the movie is filled with humor, sarcasm and sharp metaphors, even the title cards.
Harold Lloyd was and still is a great talent as an actor, a stunt man and as a comedian and his movies are timeless, one of a kind, joyous and hilariously funny. This one, along with so many other short feature pictures, is only the beginning of an outstanding phenomenon who left the important legacy that should never be forgotten.
"From hand to mouth" has more of a Chaplin vibe to it with a storyline including the girl needed to be rescued but Lloyd brings a new approach to it by adding extensive chase sequences and non-stop action that he perfects in his later movies and which would inevitably become his trademark. The movie is a feel-good comedy that you can help enjoying every second of its 21-minute runtime; everything in the movie is filled with humor, sarcasm and sharp metaphors, even the title cards.
Harold Lloyd was and still is a great talent as an actor, a stunt man and as a comedian and his movies are timeless, one of a kind, joyous and hilariously funny. This one, along with so many other short feature pictures, is only the beginning of an outstanding phenomenon who left the important legacy that should never be forgotten.
Lesser Lloyd
Michael_Elliott13 March 2008
From Hand to Mouth (1920)
** (out of 4)
A tramp (Harold Lloyd) meets a young homeless girl and her dog and the three try to get some food. I'm sure this was meant to be a sweet little film but it doesn't come off that way and the lack of laughs make it rather uninteresting.
Eastern Westerner, An (1920)
** (out of 4)
A party boy (Harold Lloyd) is sent out west by his parents but once there he encounters a group of masked bandits. I really didn't find this short very entertaining. Not many laughs to be found here.
** (out of 4)
A tramp (Harold Lloyd) meets a young homeless girl and her dog and the three try to get some food. I'm sure this was meant to be a sweet little film but it doesn't come off that way and the lack of laughs make it rather uninteresting.
Eastern Westerner, An (1920)
** (out of 4)
A party boy (Harold Lloyd) is sent out west by his parents but once there he encounters a group of masked bandits. I really didn't find this short very entertaining. Not many laughs to be found here.
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