Distributor Wanted --- Inquire To Harold Lloyd

This Freshman Graduated Too Long Ago --- Part Two

September 1950 saw Lloyd still immersed in The Freshman as a reissue prospect. The Motion Picture Sales Corporation, having distributed Movie Crazy, would pass on further of his inventory, receipts from their single try not meeting expectation. A “sneak preview” (Variety) for The Freshman was hosted by the California Theatre in Huntington Park, an electric organ “hauled in” to furnish mood. Lloyd announced that he would add a musical score and narration prior to national release. Only problem: no distributors seemed willing to take it on, a release date “still undetermined” according to trades. Mad Wednesday, as finally sent out by Hughes/RKO, gave glimpse of The Freshman thanks to lengthy footage from the 1925 feature that comprised Wednesday’s opening reel. This belated re-edit of The Sin Of Harold Diddlebock took $550K in domestic rentals and $450K foreign, partial recovery of loss sustained by Lloyd’s comeback. There was even talk as of April 1951 that he would return in a comedy using “frozen coin overseas” by “an undisclosed US producer,” but nothing came of the venture. Lloyd again spoke of the score he’d add to The Freshman and plans to revive it for Fall 1951, again in tandem with the start of football season. Also tested for possible revival was early talker Welcome Danger, latter getting no farther than here-there screenings to gauge audience interest.

Harold Lloyd Guests on What's My Line (4/26/53)

Lloyd still had The Freshman on his mind in June 1952 when he promised its return to Variety (“no distribution deals as yet have been made”). There would also be a “documentary,” The Laugh Parade, which would include “15 scenes from Lloyd’s own pictures.” HL was often as not headed to, or coming from, Shriner events when such bulletins were issued. Lloyd made good copy whatever his sketchy plans, insiders ever-intrigued by the always engaged-and-enthused comic. There was follow-through on The Freshman by December 1952, its new score done, and a booking set for Gotham’s Paris Theatre, the run to follow Hans Christian Andersen. Boxoffice announced on 12/20/52 that Lippert would distribute The Freshman, referred to as Lloyd’s “second try at crashing the modern market” (when quizzed about previous Movie Crazy, HL said it was “handled the wrong way”). He was bullish for The Laugh Parade as announced earlier that year, “still in rough form,” but “previewed successfully on several occasions.” Motion Picture Daily reported Grandma’s Boy and Safety Last “under consideration” should The Freshman click. April 28, 1953 saw Hans Christian Andersen finally give way, after 22 weeks, to The Freshman, Lloyd making publicity rounds to pump attendance. His special Oscar, awarded on 3/19/53, went on display at the Paris, and a guest spot on What’s My Line was slated for 4/26/53, latter an opportunity for Harold to discuss The Freshman with the show’s host and panel, calling attention to the fact his revival would unspool at the Paris Theatre.

Initial response was rosy. The Paris, with 568 seats, took a “lively” $6,000 for its opener week, “unusually fine for an oldie, indicating that Harold Lloyd has developed an entirely new audience,” said Variety. Came slippage, however, for a second, and six-day, week, The Freshman having “dipped to (a) mild $3,500.” Nothing more was heard, or at least reported, by trades, let alone mention of further bookings. Lloyd, it seemed, was done with reissue attempts, at least for the present. Next reference to The Freshman (9/23/58) came when Lloyd cautioned Brit producer J. Arthur Rank not to use the title, of which he “claimed ownership.” Rank backed off, his feature going out instead as Bachelor of Hearts. Lloyd’s objection arose from his own plan to remake The Freshman, said Variety. The following year (1959) saw renewed effort to revive The Freshman, Lloyd again talking of a new score (this time by Walter Scharf), plus narration “to make it more amenable to modern conventions.” Lloyd noted several Chaplin features back in circulation (The Gold Rush, Modern Times), and felt the time may be ripe to put his own top earner in competition, a projected open, as before, in tandem with football season (“If he does not feel it is ready by that time, however, he will hold it off,” added Variety). The usual test screenings were arranged, with by now familiar caveat “No distribution deal to be discussed until after renovating is completed.” A European release to precede US dates was considered, “One reason for this is the generally greater acceptance by European audiences of film figures, such as Lloyd, considered timeless in their film work.” (Variety, 8/27/59)

Further time passed. July 1960 saw Lloyd at the Berlin Film Festival where he “got an ovation” after screening The Freshman. “Consensus was that, although made 35 years back, it had more entertainment value than many of the in-competition entries.” With joy unbound at every run he attended, how come Lloyd sank at mainstream venues? “Response was so favorable that Lloyd may put it (The Freshman) into release in the near future,” said Variety, but this was tired refrain to trade observers. Needed cheer came with completion of Harold Lloyd’s World Of Comedy, an HL response to success of Robert Youngson excavations of silent laughter. World Of Comedy was polished work, had bright accompany by Walter Scharf, and stood insiders on their ear at a Director’s Guild fete for Lloyd augmented by “hefty press turnout … HL beaming as the house rocked with laffs.” Again he promised The Freshman to follow, and maybe The Kid Brother now that his library was “finding two new film generations worldwide.” In fact, Harold Lloyd’s World Of Comedy got wider play than any revival the star had yet tried, the Youngson audience figuring this guy might be as funny as Laurel-Hardy, the Keystone Kops, and others of distant past.

Columbia One-Sheet For Overseas Release

The Freshman finally made its way into a second compilation called Harold Lloyd’s Funny Side of Life, trade-mentioned first in Army Archerd’s 6/4/63 column for Variety. Lloyd had sneaked the show to what he called “my lost audience --- the teenagers,” and was encouraged by their response. Funny Side Of Life had an on-camera intro by Lloyd done several years before for an archive run, bulk of footage devoted to The Freshman, which was intact but for twelve or so minutes HL shaved. Initial reels were short highlights from Speedy, Girl Shy, others, before Funny Side balance was given over to The Freshman. Lloyd told Archerd that Columbia would distribute the feature in Europe, “mebbe here too,” the columnist back two years later (5/19/65) with an update, over which time Funny Side of Life did not get a US release. Lloyd was “currently searching (for) a distributor … who understands the audience of young adults.” He still wanted to get The Freshman in front of patrons for the coming football season, but it wasn’t to be. The deal Lloyd finally made was with Janus Films in October 1966. They would spot Funny Side of Life at the Chicago Film Festival on November 5, then follow at whatever university theatres might place the film. An “American Premiere” was set for the Bexley and World art houses, these being sister sites located near Ohio State University in Columbus. Harold Lloyd made the Chicago date and was toasted at a reception following the show. Janus arranged for 1920’s style ads with “pop art cartoon illustrations” to make Funny Side of Life relevant for college-age viewership.

A Remarkably Crude Ad For The Ohio Premiere of Harold Lloyd's Funny Side Of Life 

Lloyd Introduces The Funny Side Of Life

General release dates were announced, but I found no evidence of Funny Side getting playdates beyond what Janus arranged. Columbia did one-sheets, but do not appear to have circulated Funny Side among US theatres, their distribution limited to Euro sites as indicated by the Archerd column. Harold Lloyd’s World Of Comedy had been a qualified success in 1962, but Funny Side of Life came, then departed, with the Janus deal. Beyond their handling of the film, it would not appear that Funny Side was available for the remainder of Lloyd’s lifetime. Neither would he again float possibility of The Freshman as a reissue. The feature went through several iterations after his death, including TV via Time/Life, sale on 8mm through Blackhawk Films in the late 70’s, then as a video cassette once technology made these viable. In no instance was The Freshman offered complete. DVD and finally Blu-Ray got that done, UCLA’s recent clean-up a best the film has so far looked. Perhaps what we needed all along was for restoration techniques to catch up with timing and polish Harold Lloyd applied to this jewel among his comedic output. Criterion’s release, loaded with extras and pristine as to quality, is truly a Freshman for the ages.