Harold Lloyd plays a foolish young man masquerading as nobility in this amusing but hardly revelatory Hal Roach comedy. Armed with a card that identifies him as Count Busva, Harold crashes a party being held by an extremely crotchety old man, who has just beaten the living snot out of three bachelors attempting to woo daughter Bebe Daniels. Only a royal will do for Dad, and Harold seems to fit the bill--at first, at least. Though nearly complete, the surviving print of Bliss is in really awful shape, with significant portions displaying severe damage that is distracting at best. Oddly, the film's opening credits announce that Harry Pollard plays a character named 'Snub', but when Pollard actually appears he is clearly identified as Jeeves the Butler.
6 Reviews
"He finds his situation decidedly awkward"
ackstasis18 December 2010
I must have watched an abridged version of 'The Bliss (1917).' My viewing of the film lasted just under 5 minutes, and was something like a cinematic sprint: each scene runs no longer than it has to to further the plot. The comedic timing is nonexistent, as though Harold Lloyd (generally a very funny comedian, as evidenced by 'Safety Last! (1923)' and 'Girl Shy (1924)') is being hurried through each sequence. The plot, as I saw it, involves Harold making the acquaintance of a pretty girl (Bebe Daniels), and being invited to her home, where her father is auditioning prospective husbands. Apparently, Harold is mistaken for a Count, though you wouldn't have guessed it from my version of the film. 'The Bliss' is a likable enough comedy, but there's nothing of any particular interest to the casual viewer. That said, I would be very much interested in tracking down a more complete print of the film, if indeed there is one.
just like in "Crazy Rich Asians", scions of wealthy families are expected to marry only within their class
lee_eisenberg6 June 2019
I should admit that "Bliss" is the first Harold Lloyd movie that I've ever seen. He plays a guy posing as an aristocrat and wooing an heiress. All sorts of gags ensue.
The main thing that I took from this is what I took from "Crazy Rich Asians": people from wealthy families are expected to only get married to other wealthy people. The more things change, the more they stay the same.
Anyway, an OK short.
The main thing that I took from this is what I took from "Crazy Rich Asians": people from wealthy families are expected to only get married to other wealthy people. The more things change, the more they stay the same.
Anyway, an OK short.
Early Harold Lloyd--long before he perfected his likable persona
planktonrules7 November 2008
Warning: Spoilers
In the late 1910s, Harold Lloyd was tired of his "Lonesome Luke" persona and wanted to create a character with more depth (in other words, one who didn't elicit laughs by bonking people on the head). So he came up with the familiar bespectacled chap who would go on to enormous success in the 1920s. However, in the few years between Luke and the big success of the 20s, the character looked much like the later one but still didn't have the likable style of vintage Lloyd. This film is one of those transitional films--likable but certainly not much like his later and much better films.
Harold plays a poor guy who's infatuated with a girl whose father insists she marry a rich and titled man. Well, fortunately for Harold, when he rents a tux to go see her, there's a card inside the pocket from some Count and the father assumes that Harold is the Count. So unlike all the other suitors (who the dad severely beat up), Harold is allowed to woo the fair damsel (Bebe Daniels).
The film is reasonably good for 1917 but not great. In particular, though it's fun seeing the unhinged father snap and attack the suitors, when he picks them up and tosses them about, it's so obvious that he's only tossing dummies. So obvious, in fact, that the scene is pretty sappy. Otherwise, there's not a lot to distinguish this film.
Harold plays a poor guy who's infatuated with a girl whose father insists she marry a rich and titled man. Well, fortunately for Harold, when he rents a tux to go see her, there's a card inside the pocket from some Count and the father assumes that Harold is the Count. So unlike all the other suitors (who the dad severely beat up), Harold is allowed to woo the fair damsel (Bebe Daniels).
The film is reasonably good for 1917 but not great. In particular, though it's fun seeing the unhinged father snap and attack the suitors, when he picks them up and tosses them about, it's so obvious that he's only tossing dummies. So obvious, in fact, that the scene is pretty sappy. Otherwise, there's not a lot to distinguish this film.
Bliss was an amusing enough early Harold Lloyd short
tavm27 January 2019
I just watched this early Harold Lloyd short on the "American Slapstick 2" DVD set. In this one, Harold meets a girl whose father is only interested in having his daughter meet royal, or someone close to one, for her hand in marriage. The print I saw had splotches throughout and I was confused by some of the plot. One funny scene I remembered was one where Harold was giving some delivery person a coin in his pocket but because that pocket had a hole in it, Harold was always able to get his coin back! This short was amusing enough.
Released October 14th 1917
Single-Black-Male3 November 2003
The count is a charlatan in this film and so is the 24 year old Harold Lloyd.
I think because Chaplin wrote his own films and made less of them compared with Lloyd, he had time to bring something of himself to the story. I know nothing of Lloyd from his Lonesome Luke projects.
I think because Chaplin wrote his own films and made less of them compared with Lloyd, he had time to bring something of himself to the story. I know nothing of Lloyd from his Lonesome Luke projects.
See also
Awards | FAQ | User Ratings | External Reviews | Metacritic Reviews
