Harold Lloyd three-reeler which finds him as a bellhop who's asked to double for an English lord during a high-society party. Its best moments involve the star's tall tales of his hunting prowess (catching several different types of animals, including wild beasts!) until he's reminded that the lord's particular specialty is supposed to be fox-hunting; one such event ensues, during which Harold not only doesn't catch the fox but actually loses his pants! A subplot involves the maid being in cahoots with one of the guests to take possession of the estate - which our hero naturally thwarts after falling for the daughter of his hosts (played by Mildred Davis). Also, it deals with the necessity for the nouveau riche to adapt themselves to a different type of lifestyle - something which the father (and, to a lesser extent, the daughter) has difficulty in accepting, much to the chagrin of the proud and sophisticated mother; still, it's clear where the film-makers' sympathies lie - the finale sees Harold sitting down alongside Davis' father to eat a plate of good old-fashioned ham and eggs!
15 Reviews
an excellent Lloyd "semi-short"
planktonrules11 May 2006
Warning: Spoilers
This movie isn't exactly a typical "short" because it lasts 35 minutes--a little longer than the typical short comedies of the day (which were about 20-25 minutes). I think the added time worked out quite well, as this is a very good and watchable Lloyd picture.
Harold is a working stiff who dreams of entering high society. A scum-bag rich guy invites Harold to a fancy weekend party provided he agrees to pretend to be some British gentlemen. That's because the lady throwing the party and their guests are all frightful snobs and bringing a Lord to the party will get this rich jerk in the good graces of the host. That's because he wants to marry the lady's sweet daughter (Mildred Davis--soon to become the real-life Mrs. Lloyd).
Harold is able to convince them he is this Lord and they ask him to regale them with stories of his hunting adventures. Harold's stories are silly and are shown as flashbacks. These are about the funniest moments of the film and are indeed very funny. Unfortunately, in reality he knows nothing about hunting or riding and makes a mess of the fox hunt the next day--by losing his horse as well as his pants! This isn't so bad, though, as by now the host's husband has become sick and tired of the snobbish friends and he throws everyone out of the house. Before he can do this to Harold, though, Harold tells him the truth--that he's just an ordinary guy. Daddy is thrilled by this and gives his blessing for Harold to date Mildred. Fade out.
The film, due to its slightly longer length, is definitely less gag-oriented and more plot driven. For most of Lloyd's work, this is a definite plus--resulting in richer textured and more fulfilling work.
Harold is a working stiff who dreams of entering high society. A scum-bag rich guy invites Harold to a fancy weekend party provided he agrees to pretend to be some British gentlemen. That's because the lady throwing the party and their guests are all frightful snobs and bringing a Lord to the party will get this rich jerk in the good graces of the host. That's because he wants to marry the lady's sweet daughter (Mildred Davis--soon to become the real-life Mrs. Lloyd).
Harold is able to convince them he is this Lord and they ask him to regale them with stories of his hunting adventures. Harold's stories are silly and are shown as flashbacks. These are about the funniest moments of the film and are indeed very funny. Unfortunately, in reality he knows nothing about hunting or riding and makes a mess of the fox hunt the next day--by losing his horse as well as his pants! This isn't so bad, though, as by now the host's husband has become sick and tired of the snobbish friends and he throws everyone out of the house. Before he can do this to Harold, though, Harold tells him the truth--that he's just an ordinary guy. Daddy is thrilled by this and gives his blessing for Harold to date Mildred. Fade out.
The film, due to its slightly longer length, is definitely less gag-oriented and more plot driven. For most of Lloyd's work, this is a definite plus--resulting in richer textured and more fulfilling work.
Decent Lloyd flick
barryriley-18 January 2012
Poor Neil Doyle who switched off after half the film; he missed the best part of the movie - Lloyd with no trousers. How society has changed since the days when a man with bare legs was enough to send women into a faint (I write as I sit on the beach in just a pair of trunks!).
The scene the lion also comic gold. Was it Woody who reprised this scene with an octopus?
Not one of Lloyd's best but still enough great moments to make it worthwhile (although it does come as a shock when Lloyd's character is given the name O'Reilly at the end!).
The scene the lion also comic gold. Was it Woody who reprised this scene with an octopus?
Not one of Lloyd's best but still enough great moments to make it worthwhile (although it does come as a shock when Lloyd's character is given the name O'Reilly at the end!).
Good Combination of Slapstick & Satire
Snow Leopard4 October 2005
This Harold Lloyd comedy has a good combination of slapstick and satire. It also features Lloyd experimenting with Chaplin-style material, as his character impersonates an English lord as part of a parody on the idle rich. On the production end, Fred C. Newmeyer, Hal Roach, and Sam Taylor put together a good story with plenty of laughs and a good pace.
After the other main characters have been introduced, Lloyd's character makes a clever entrance. He plays the kind of eager-to-succeed young man that he later went on to portray in some of his finest full-length movies, and this character is brought into the world of a family run by an equally ambitious matriarch. There is nothing subtle about the characters, and the amusing title cards also add some extra sarcasm to the portrayal of the upper classes.
Although this is the kind of setup that Chaplin was particularly known for, Lloyd and company give it a different feel that works well. The story moves smoothly from one zany situation to the next, and there is a good combination of comedy material, with sight gags blended together with the slapstick and with Lloyd's occasional feats of athleticism. It makes for an enjoyable movie that gives Lloyd plenty of material to work with.
After the other main characters have been introduced, Lloyd's character makes a clever entrance. He plays the kind of eager-to-succeed young man that he later went on to portray in some of his finest full-length movies, and this character is brought into the world of a family run by an equally ambitious matriarch. There is nothing subtle about the characters, and the amusing title cards also add some extra sarcasm to the portrayal of the upper classes.
Although this is the kind of setup that Chaplin was particularly known for, Lloyd and company give it a different feel that works well. The story moves smoothly from one zany situation to the next, and there is a good combination of comedy material, with sight gags blended together with the slapstick and with Lloyd's occasional feats of athleticism. It makes for an enjoyable movie that gives Lloyd plenty of material to work with.
An Average Lloyd Short, Laughs-wise
ccthemovieman-13 November 2006
Harold Lloyd is a common bellhop at a ritzy Hotel, but he's good at impersonating the rich snobs who frequent the establishment. That talent gets him a chance to wear "glad rags" and mingle with the "swells," pretending to be a famous hunter. He's invited to this upper crust party and fox hunt. The real famous hunter didn't look suitable so a man who was assigned the job of asking the hunter to come to the party, invites Lloyd instead, telling him this is his chance to have some fun. Harold is okay with that. The invitee is really some "scumbag," as one reviewer here puts it, and is only interested in getting the daughter of the rich people to marry him so he can gain some money.
Anyway, after tasting the accidentally-spiked punch, gets hammered and tells a bunch of wild tales at the party. The more drinks he has, the better the stories. Some are pretty funny.
He's then asked to ride "Dynamite," the un-ridable horse, in the hunt. Slapstick then takes over for the rest of the movie as Harold attempts to ride the horse, then winds up being chased by a ram and a dog, loses his pants and tries to hide from everyone, on and on. Yes, a lot of these films didn't have much of a story, just a vehicle for the comedian to show us his talents. That's okay; that's what we like or we wouldn't watch these Lloyd or Buster Keaton and others' short films.
This film was so-so, to be honest. Nothing great, but not bad, either. The title cards in here were with cute drawings that were funny and a bit sarcastic were as good as the film.
Anyway, after tasting the accidentally-spiked punch, gets hammered and tells a bunch of wild tales at the party. The more drinks he has, the better the stories. Some are pretty funny.
He's then asked to ride "Dynamite," the un-ridable horse, in the hunt. Slapstick then takes over for the rest of the movie as Harold attempts to ride the horse, then winds up being chased by a ram and a dog, loses his pants and tries to hide from everyone, on and on. Yes, a lot of these films didn't have much of a story, just a vehicle for the comedian to show us his talents. That's okay; that's what we like or we wouldn't watch these Lloyd or Buster Keaton and others' short films.
This film was so-so, to be honest. Nothing great, but not bad, either. The title cards in here were with cute drawings that were funny and a bit sarcastic were as good as the film.
Harold Lloyd Among the High Brows
evanston_dad7 August 2017
Harold Lloyd pretends to be a hoity-toity Englishman among a bunch of aristocrats in this really funny short comedy.
Lloyd's comedies were always funny in direct proportion to the amount of physical slapstick he built into them, and this one has loads to spare. Most notable is an extended gag that finds Lloyd without pants, freaking out every proper English lady he comes across while trying to save his ass from being bitten off by a grumpy dog. All of this craziness is of course for a girl (what other reason could there possibly be?) and all ends happily enough.
Grade: A-
Lloyd's comedies were always funny in direct proportion to the amount of physical slapstick he built into them, and this one has loads to spare. Most notable is an extended gag that finds Lloyd without pants, freaking out every proper English lady he comes across while trying to save his ass from being bitten off by a grumpy dog. All of this craziness is of course for a girl (what other reason could there possibly be?) and all ends happily enough.
Grade: A-
fine Harold Lloyd short
SnoopyStyle20 April 2018
Mrs. O'Brien is desperate to have great European hunter Lord Abernathy for her high society party and a fox hunt. Her husband and her daughter are more interested in the simple life. The Society Pilot hires coat check boy O'Reilly (Harold Lloyd) to play the part of Abernathy.
This doesn't have the big stunt comedy of Lloyd's later full length hits. It's a short at around 35 minutes. He has some fun regaling in his imaginary exploits. There are some good slapstick. It's short which doesn't wear out its welcome. It's not terribly deep. Lloyd is honing his comedic skills. It's perfectly fine for a silent era comedy.
This doesn't have the big stunt comedy of Lloyd's later full length hits. It's a short at around 35 minutes. He has some fun regaling in his imaginary exploits. There are some good slapstick. It's short which doesn't wear out its welcome. It's not terribly deep. Lloyd is honing his comedic skills. It's perfectly fine for a silent era comedy.
A depantsed Lloyd hides from society ladies and a mean dog and goat.
weezeralfalfa28 September 2018
Warning: Spoilers
As a few reviewers have revealed, the first half of this 35 min. Harold Lloyd short has little of interest, which is unfortunate , as much of the second half contains good humor.........Daughter Mildred and father have a basic personality conflict with the wife and mother. The wife is a social climber, determined to be seen as among the elite of the town. In contrast, father and daughter like the simple pleasures of life. The wife has organized a fox hunt and breakfast. She wants to invite Lord Abernathy: renowned horseman and hunter. He's in town, staying at the Ritz/Waldorf. She and her crowd have never seen the Lord. The wife is not aware that her pilot(steward) and her male accomplice are planning to fleece the family, with the accomplice marrying Mildred...... Lloyd is a mere hat check man , with aspirations of joining the aristocracy. The accomplice suggests to Lloyd that he masquerade as Lord Abernathy, since the real one declined to take part in the hunt. Lloyd is given a suitable wardrobe, and announces himself. The wife suggests that he thrill the audience with tales of his hunting exploits. Here is where it starts getting interesting. He tells about crawling into a hollow log after a fox. A bear simultaneously crawled in the other end. After the log rumbles a bit, Lloyd emerges with a fox pelt and a muzzled bear on a leash. Then, he had an encounter with a lioness, while hunting fox, around another log. He wrestled with that lioness, before subduing it. Now, it washes the dishes and drives the car.(right!!). Then, it's suggested that Lloyd ride Dynamite: the meanest horse in the stable. Well, Lloyd talks brave, but I don't think he's ever ridden a horse. He takes a running start, and jumps clean over the horse. Then, he tries the back end, with an assisted leap, and finally makes it. After trying to shoot a pigeon off his head with a borrowed rifle, Dynamite dumps him over a fence, with a sudden stop, then laughs at him, and runs off. Lloyd runs from a snake, jumping over a fence, landing on a cow, providing a ride around the pasture. He runs from the cow, over a fence, but the fence catches his pants and pulls it off , without him realizing it!(sounds mighty contrived!). He runs into some fox hunters, who run away from him. A Billie goat butts him through a fence., then a mean dog chases him. He gets under a cloak and hops like a frog. Then, he gets under a garbage can, and crawls along, with the dog nipping around the edges........Lloyd sees the accomplice pawing Mildred near the barn. He finds a gunny sack with holes in the bottom, and uses it as a substitute pants. He takes a hanging hook and attaches it to the back of the accomplice's shirt, then pulls on the rope that raises the hook, so that the accomplice is hanging well off the ground. ......Meanwhile, the wife berates the husband for eating such common breakfast foods as ham and eggs. Then, the hunters come in for a fancy breakfast. The husband berates them as being useless, and tells them to get out. Then, Lloyd and Mildred arrive, Lloyd still in his gunnysack.. The husband berates Lloyd for being an aristocrat, despite his 'pants'. Lloyd then admits he's a fraud as Lord Abernathy, his real name being O'Rielly. The father then warmly greets him and asks him to have some breakfast. Dreaming of Mildred, Lloyd sits down and absentmindedly begins eating some flowers of the potted plant.
Harold Joins The Uppercrust
CitizenCaine29 September 2008
Warning: Spoilers
Harold is a bell boy in this film, who quickly seizes an opportunity to mingle with the upper-crust one weekend. He goes to a stately mansion full of rich people where he impersonates a count of the highest pretentiousness and proceeds to awe the guests with his ridiculous stories of his imagined exploits. Meanwhile, the maid cavorts with a guest to plot against the young well-heeled daughter of the rich couple. Harold's stories of his hunting prowess are absolutely hilarious, and the entire structure of the film is reminiscent of Chaplin and the many films he made with similar plots. The film is filled with many sight gags, slapstick, and lots of Harold's athleticism. Highlights include scenes of bagging excessive amounts of game, fighting a lion, riding a horse named Dynamite (that no one else wants to ride), losing his pants and trying to hide that fact in several situations, and keeping a vicious dog at bay. It's always amazing to see how many gags Harold packs into his films, and this one is no exception. In the end, Harold befriends the daughter's father, as they're both tired of the silly pretensions they've been living. *** of 4 stars.
Inventive, amusing
rmax3048232 September 2003
Harold Loyd is pretty funny, and a good physical comic. Among Those Present deals with the contrast between high society and the rest of us. It seems to have been a more popular theme during the 1920s than it is now. (Cf., The Great Gatsby.) Not that we don't have our share of contemporary explorations of the same issue, as in Trading Places, but now the contrast seems to be more about wealth and less about "class" in the old fashioned sense.
The first half of Among Those Present has Loyd imitating a British aristocrat, telling ridiculous stories about "the hunt" to an assembly of awed guests at a tony party, and trying to ride a horse that others refer to as a "brute." (The subsequent ride is more imaginative than the similar one in Auntie Mame.) In the second half, Loyd has lost his trousers escaping from a bull through a barbed wire fence but doesn't realize it. This is the most outlandishly amusing part of the film. No matter how Loyd tries to cover up the fact that he is pantsless, the attempt fails. It's like Laurel and Hardy trying to change trousers after their escape from prison. Probably the single funniest moment in the movie is when Loyd, still in his skivvies, finds himself hopping froglike past a couple of dignified ladies on a bench. (I won't explain what led up to this.)
I laughed out loud a few times even though I wasn't in a particularly good mood while watching it. I mean, my brain hadn't been chemically altered or anything. It's quite amusing.
The first half of Among Those Present has Loyd imitating a British aristocrat, telling ridiculous stories about "the hunt" to an assembly of awed guests at a tony party, and trying to ride a horse that others refer to as a "brute." (The subsequent ride is more imaginative than the similar one in Auntie Mame.) In the second half, Loyd has lost his trousers escaping from a bull through a barbed wire fence but doesn't realize it. This is the most outlandishly amusing part of the film. No matter how Loyd tries to cover up the fact that he is pantsless, the attempt fails. It's like Laurel and Hardy trying to change trousers after their escape from prison. Probably the single funniest moment in the movie is when Loyd, still in his skivvies, finds himself hopping froglike past a couple of dignified ladies on a bench. (I won't explain what led up to this.)
I laughed out loud a few times even though I wasn't in a particularly good mood while watching it. I mean, my brain hadn't been chemically altered or anything. It's quite amusing.
Harold Lloyd hits the society
Petey-1016 June 2010
Coat-room checker O'Reilly becomes part of high society.That's because Mrs. O'Brien wants to be a member of the society and she hosts a fox hunt.She wants to invite Lord Abernathy and she mentions this to the society pilot.But this woman and her confederate have a scheme in mind so they turn this young man into the lord.Among Those Present (1921) is a Harold Lloyd three-reeler.It's directed by Fred C. Newmeyer and the writers are Hal Roach and Sam Taylor.Lloyd is as funny as always in the lead.The lovely Mildred Davis plays Miss O'Brien.James T. Kelley is her father while Aggie Herring portrays the mother.Vera White plays Society Pilot and William Gillespie is Hard-Boiled Party.There are plenty of hilarious moments in this short.One funny sequence is when Harold lies about his hunting experiences.Or when he rides Dynamite.That's a bad-tempered horse.And it's a riot when Harold loses his pants.Lloyd has done it again!
From Bellboy to Playboy
JoeytheBrit21 January 2010
This isn't one of Harold Lloyd's better films, it has to be said. He was at his best when delivering physical thrills and humour at breakneck speed, but there's precious little of it here. That's not to say Lloyd's humour couldn't be as effective when it was delivered at a more low-key level, but he needed to mix it up a little with his more dangerous stunts in order to get the cocktail right. Here he plays a bell boy who dreams of being a playboy, and gets the opportunity when he's offered the chance to pose as a wealthy aristocrat at a swanky social gathering. Unknown to Harold, the guy and his girlfriend who invited him are planning to scam the hostess out of her millions. The woman just happens to be the mother of Mildred Davis – an ever-present fixture in Lloyd's movies in those days – so naturally everything turns out alright in the end.
The second half of the film sees Harold losing his pants as he encounters a small zoo-load of animals: Skunks, snakes, bulls, goats, geese and dogs all try to take a bite out of our hero, and it's this part of the film that delivers the bulk of the laughs and prevents the film from being a complete flop.
The second half of the film sees Harold losing his pants as he encounters a small zoo-load of animals: Skunks, snakes, bulls, goats, geese and dogs all try to take a bite out of our hero, and it's this part of the film that delivers the bulk of the laughs and prevents the film from being a complete flop.
Puttin' On The Ritz
Ron Oliver2 September 2003
A Hal Roach HAROLD LLOYD 3-Reeler.
AMONG THOSE PRESENT at a lavish country house weekend is a penniless young hat check attendant impersonating a British aristocrat.
Harold has some very funny moments in this highly enjoyable film. Whether regaling the snobs with imaginary fox hunting exploits, attempting to ride the killer horse Dynamite, or madly scrambling about the estate in search of his missing pants, Harold is never anything less than hilarious.
Aggie Herring & James Kelly are lots of fun as a grand society dame and her down-to-earth Irish husband. Lovely Mildred Davis plays their daughter, a sweet Girl unimpressed by her parents' wealth.
Robert Israel has composed an excellent film score which perfectly complements Harold's antics on the screen.
AMONG THOSE PRESENT at a lavish country house weekend is a penniless young hat check attendant impersonating a British aristocrat.
Harold has some very funny moments in this highly enjoyable film. Whether regaling the snobs with imaginary fox hunting exploits, attempting to ride the killer horse Dynamite, or madly scrambling about the estate in search of his missing pants, Harold is never anything less than hilarious.
Aggie Herring & James Kelly are lots of fun as a grand society dame and her down-to-earth Irish husband. Lovely Mildred Davis plays their daughter, a sweet Girl unimpressed by her parents' wealth.
Robert Israel has composed an excellent film score which perfectly complements Harold's antics on the screen.
Harold Lloyd comedy with so-so results...
Doylenf29 September 2008
I have to admit that halfway through this comedy short, I had to stop viewing it, losing interest in the one-note plot.
Whatever interest there was may have improved as the film went on, but I never watched the fox hunt sequence after the first boring half that has Lloyd making various attempts to imitate an aristocrat when in reality he's a coat-check boy with high society aspirations. It's the sort of thing that has been done since by other comedians with much funnier results.
The joke wears thin after the first fifteen or twenty minutes and none of the humor was sufficiently amusing to make it reasonable to watch the whole thing. I'll have to give this one another chance next time it airs. It became too tiresome to stay tuned for the fox hunt which at least must have added some zip and pace to the slim story if it's as humorous as other commentators have indicated.
Other Lloyd silents were much better at sustaining interest throughout. This one gets off to a slow start and seems to stay there for too long a time.
Whatever interest there was may have improved as the film went on, but I never watched the fox hunt sequence after the first boring half that has Lloyd making various attempts to imitate an aristocrat when in reality he's a coat-check boy with high society aspirations. It's the sort of thing that has been done since by other comedians with much funnier results.
The joke wears thin after the first fifteen or twenty minutes and none of the humor was sufficiently amusing to make it reasonable to watch the whole thing. I'll have to give this one another chance next time it airs. It became too tiresome to stay tuned for the fox hunt which at least must have added some zip and pace to the slim story if it's as humorous as other commentators have indicated.
Other Lloyd silents were much better at sustaining interest throughout. This one gets off to a slow start and seems to stay there for too long a time.
Nowhere near Lloyd's best
Horst_In_Translation27 August 2016
Warning: Spoilers
"Among Those Present" is an American 35-minute black-and-white film from 1921, so 5 more years until this one has its 100th anniversary. I will not go into detail about the makers or the cast in particular, but it needs to be said that this is a Harold Lloyd comedy and with this information you already know what to expect and if you like him should decide whether to watch this film or go for Chaplin/Keaton/Griffith/... instead if you are in the mood for a silent (short) film. At over half an hour, this one is actually not that short compared to many other films from the big silent film stars. This one takes us into the world of the rich occasionally, even if Lloyd's character is (of course) not one of them. It's a case of Lloyd's character being a bit of a likable fool and as almost always, we also have a love interest for him in here, and criminals who pose as the main antagonist. This film suffers from 2 common problems for silent film: The first would be overacting and sadly this also affects Lloyd here who I usually like more. And the second is that there are simply not enough subtitles to understand basic plot developments. That's why I have to give this one a thumbs-down. Not recommended.
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