Hot Water (1924 film)
Encyclopedia
Hot Water is a 1924 silent comedy film
starring Harold Lloyd
.
Directed by Fred Newmeyer and Sam Taylor
, it features three episodes in the life of Hubby (Lloyd) as he struggles with domestic life with Wifey (Jobyna Ralston
) and his in-laws.
and taking it home on a crowded streetcar
, much to the chagrin of the other passengers. The second features Hubby grudgingly taking the family en masse out on his brand new Butterfly Six automobile, and the third is an escapade with his sleepwalking mother-in-law.
, and Hot Water was the response. Its storyline was also interesting as a unique departure from most of Lloyd’s 1920s features, because his character was married with a family, and was not striving for success, recognition, or romance. It was popular at the box office and grossed almost $2,000,000, an excellent return for a film of the period. The fictional "Butterfly Six" was in reality a 1923 Chevrolet Superior Sedan
.
produced by Harold Lloyd himself entitled Harold Lloyd's World of Comedy http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0194553. The film premiered at the Cannes Film Festival
and created a renewal of interest in the comedian by introducing him to a whole new generation.
Silent film
A silent film is a film with no synchronized recorded sound, especially with no spoken dialogue. In silent films for entertainment the dialogue is transmitted through muted gestures, pantomime and title cards...
starring Harold Lloyd
Harold Lloyd
Harold Clayton Lloyd, Sr. was an American film actor and producer, most famous for his silent comedies....
.
Directed by Fred Newmeyer and Sam Taylor
Sam Taylor (director)
Sam Taylor was a film director, screenwriter, and producer, most active in silent film era. Taylor is best known for his comedic directorial work with Harold Lloyd and Mary Pickford....
, it features three episodes in the life of Hubby (Lloyd) as he struggles with domestic life with Wifey (Jobyna Ralston
Jobyna Ralston
Jobyna Ralston was an American stage and film actress.-Early life and career:Born Jobyna Lancaster Raulston in South Pittsburg, Tennessee in 1899 to parents who named her after famed entertainer of the time, Jobyna Howland...
) and his in-laws.
Synopsis
Episodic in nature (effectively three short films merged into one), the first episode features Hubby winning a live turkey in a raffleRaffle
A raffle is a competition in which people obtain numbered tickets, each ticket having the chance of winning a prize. At a set time, the winners are drawn from a container holding a copy of every number...
and taking it home on a crowded streetcar
Tram
A tram is a passenger rail vehicle which runs on tracks along public urban streets and also sometimes on separate rights of way. It may also run between cities and/or towns , and/or partially grade separated even in the cities...
, much to the chagrin of the other passengers. The second features Hubby grudgingly taking the family en masse out on his brand new Butterfly Six automobile, and the third is an escapade with his sleepwalking mother-in-law.
Production
Hot Water was a light comedy with minimal character development, and followed Lloyd’s early 1920s pattern of alternating what he called “gag pictures” with “character pictures”. Some distributors had complained about the length of his previous elaborate feature Girl ShyGirl Shy
Girl Shy is a 1924 romantic comedy silent film starring Harold Lloyd and Jobyna Ralston. The movie was written by Sam Taylor, Tim Whelan and Ted Wilde and was directed by Fred C...
, and Hot Water was the response. Its storyline was also interesting as a unique departure from most of Lloyd’s 1920s features, because his character was married with a family, and was not striving for success, recognition, or romance. It was popular at the box office and grossed almost $2,000,000, an excellent return for a film of the period. The fictional "Butterfly Six" was in reality a 1923 Chevrolet Superior Sedan
Chevrolet Superior Sedan
The Chevrolet Superior Sedan was manufactured by the Chevrolet motor company based in Detroit, Michigan.- Chevrolet Superior Sedan specifications :* Color – Aquamarine blue* Seating Capacity –Five* Wheelbase – 103 inches...
.
Cast
- Harold LloydHarold LloydHarold Clayton Lloyd, Sr. was an American film actor and producer, most famous for his silent comedies....
as Hubby - Jobyna RalstonJobyna RalstonJobyna Ralston was an American stage and film actress.-Early life and career:Born Jobyna Lancaster Raulston in South Pittsburg, Tennessee in 1899 to parents who named her after famed entertainer of the time, Jobyna Howland...
as Wifey - Josephine CrowellJosephine CrowellJosephine Crowell was a Canadian film actress of the silent film era. She appeared in 94 films between 1912 and 1929....
as Her Mother - Charles Stevenson as Her Big Brother
- Mickey McBanMickey McBanMickey McBan was an American child actor. He began his acting career at the age of four and specialized in portraying the everyday youngster in many films...
as Her Little Brother
Renewed interest in Harold Lloyd
In 1962, the "live turkey" and "Butterfly Six automobile" sequences were included in a compilation filmCompilation movie
Film historian Jay Leyda discussed the origins of the compilation film in his work Films Beget Films.-Anime:A compilation movie, or compilation film, a term used by reviewers of Japanese anime, is a feature film that is mostly composed of footage from a television serial...
produced by Harold Lloyd himself entitled Harold Lloyd's World of Comedy http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0194553. The film premiered at the Cannes Film Festival
Cannes Film Festival
The Cannes International Film Festival , is an annual film festival held in Cannes, France, which previews new films of all genres including documentaries from around the world. Founded in 1946, it is among the world's most prestigious and publicized film festivals...
and created a renewal of interest in the comedian by introducing him to a whole new generation.