“Why Worry?” starring Harold Lloyd / Z-View

Why Worry? (1923)

Director: Fred Newmeyer, Sam Taylor

Screenplay: Sam Taylor (story), H.M. Walker (titles)

Stars: Harold Lloyd, Jobyna Ralston, John Aasen, Wally Howe.

Tagline: Come and See the Enormous Giant, 8ft. 9in. high, who helps Harold Quell a Revolution in Six reels of the cleverest and funniest humor imaginable.

The Plot…

Harold Van Pelham (Lloyd) is a wealthy hypochondriac.  Pelham decides to go to the South American island of Paradiso for his health.  There Pelham finds himself in the middle of a revolution… winds up rooming with men who are to be shot at dawn… befriends a giant… takes on an army… and finds true love!

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)

Why Worry really takes off when Lloyd befriends the giant with a toothache.  Repeated attempts to remove the giant’s tooth bring laughs.

The funniest scene has Lloyd repeatedly jumping on a commandant and hitting him until the soldiers he was leading (from the rear) realize what is happening.  Lloyd then runs off with the soldiers after him and the Captain again leading from behind.  Lloyd then knocks the Captain down and starts beating him again.  This happens several times with Lloyd using some inventive means to get his licks in.

It’s hard to believe Why Worry premiered 100 years ago.

Why Worry? (1923) rates 3 of 5 stars.