Ask Father is a short

Short subject

A short film is any film not long enough to be considered a feature film. No consensus exists as to where that boundary is drawn: the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences defines a short film as "an original motion picture that has a running time of 40 minutes or less, including all...

, 13-minute, slapstick-style comedy

Comedy film

Comedy film is a genre of film in which the main emphasis is on humour. They are designed to elicit laughter from the audience. Comedies are mostly light-hearted dramas and are made to amuse and entertain the audiences...

 made by Harold Lloyd

Harold Lloyd

Harold Clayton Lloyd, Sr. was an American film actor and producer, most famous for his silent comedies....

 in 1919

1919 in film

The year 1919 in film involved some significant events.-Events:*February 5 - Charlie Chaplin, Mary Pickford, Douglas Fairbanks and D.W. Griffith launch United Artists...

 before he got into his classic full-length feature films. Aside from Lloyd, it features Bebe Daniels

Bebe Daniels

Bebe Daniels was an American actress, singer, dancer, writer and producer. She began her career in Hollywood during the silent movie era as a child actress, became a star in musicals like 42nd Street, and later gained further fame on radio and television in Britain...

, a charming and spunky actress who appeared in dozens of films in the 1910s.

Plot

Lloyd is a serious young middle-class guy on the make, who wants to marry the boss’ daughter. The problem is getting in to see the boss so that he can ask for her hand in marriage; the office is guarded by a bunch of comic, clumsy flunkies who throw everyone out who tries to get in. When Lloyd gets into the boss’ office, the latter uses trap doors and conveyor belts to expel him; Lloyd then goes to the costume company next door, tries to get in wearing drag (no success), and then in medieval armor – that works, since he bangs everyone over the head with his club, but then he finds out that the daughter has eloped with another suitor. Lloyd decides to be sensible and he settles for the cute switchboard operator (Daniels) instead. The film includes a brief wall climbing sequence. Light-hearted, short, fast-paced.

Cast

• Harold Lloyd
  Harold Lloyd
  Harold Clayton Lloyd, Sr. was an American film actor and producer, most famous for his silent comedies....
  
   - The Boy
• Bebe Daniels
  Bebe Daniels
  Bebe Daniels was an American actress, singer, dancer, writer and producer. She began her career in Hollywood during the silent movie era as a child actress, became a star in musicals like 42nd Street, and later gained further fame on radio and television in Britain...
  
   - Switchboard operator
• Snub Pollard
  Snub Pollard
  Harry "Snub" Pollard was a silent film comedian, popular in the 1920s.-Career:Often mistaken as the brother of Australian actress Daphne Pollard, in fact the two were not related despite their shared surname. Harry Pollard was born as Harold Fraser and took the name Pollard as his stage name...
  
   - The Corn-Fed Secretary
• Wallace Howe - The Boss
• Bud Jamison
  Bud Jamison
  Bud Jamison was an American film actor. He appeared in 450 films between 1915 and 1944.-Career:...
  
   - Guardian at the door
• Noah Young
  Noah Young
  Noah Young Jr. was a former champion weightlifter who joined the Hal Roach studios as an actor, mainly playing comic villains. He appeared in several Laurel and Hardy comedies but was more notable as a foil for Harold Lloyd, whom he supported in over 50 films...
  
   - Large office worker
• Sammy Brooks
  Sammy Brooks
  Sammy Brooks was an American film actor. He appeared in 218 films between 1916 and 1938. He was born in New York and died in Los Angeles, California.-Selected filmography:* Berth Marks * Bromo and Juliet...
  
   - Short office worker
• Harry Burns
• Charley Chase - (unconfirmed) (as Charles Parrott)
• William Gillespie - Office worker
• Lew Harvey
  Lew Harvey
  Lew Harvey was an American film actor. He appeared in 145 films between 1918 and 1950.He was born in Wisconsin and died in Los Angeles, California.-Selected filmography:* The Oklahoma Kid...
  
  
• Margaret Joslin
  Margaret Joslin
  Margaret Joslin was an American film actress. She appeared in 166 films between 1910 and 1923.She was born Cleveland, Ohio and died in Glendale, California.-Selected filmography:* Three Jumps Ahead...
  
  
• Dorothea Wolbert
  Dorothea Wolbert
  Dorothea Wolbert was an American film actress. She appeared in 147 films between 1916 and 1957. She appeared on the television series "I Love Lucy" in episode #137- Ricky's European Booking .She was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and died in Hollywood, California.-Selected filmography:*...
  
  
• Charles Stevenson - The Cop (uncredited)