LLOYD 100
100 years ago, in 1915, stepped on screen in a leading role for the first time and a glittering film career flickered into life. Released on April 19 (his birthday is April 20), is Lloyd's oldest surviving film from the period and the only remaining example of his earliest screen persona, Willie Work.
Just Nuts is a one reel blitz of slapstick romance and Willie is the "poor misguided nut" at the centre of it all: chasing an unattainable girl, meeting stiff competition from other suitors and encountering trouble at every turn. Appearing in an overcoat and old top hat, and sporting a pencil-line moustache, Lloyd's first comic creation owed a clear debt to Chaplin - but this performance is now remembered as the moment when a new legend of silent comedy emerged.
The playfully named character posed a question and a challenge - will he work or won't he? 100 years later, the answer is clear: Just Nuts was the beginning of a prolific and popular career that made Harold Lloyd one of the biggest film stars of the era and secured his place in the medium's history.
Join us in 2015 for a celebration of all things Harold Lloyd. With his 1923 classic Safety Last! available on DCP, and a number of other titles suitable for family screenings, live accompaniments and more - get in touch to book your centenary retrospective now.
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