Published by Brad Eastridge
The official podcast dedicated to exploring the life and comedy of one of the world's most influential filmmakers, Harold Lloyd!
Listen on Apple PodcastsThe business of comedy has shifted, but some things haven't changed since Harold and his gag team were first making "Lonesome Luke." From "Late Night with David Letterman," "Newsradio" and "What We Do In The Shadows," we're exploring the art of the writers' room with Emmy-nominated comedy veteran Joe Furey! Why Lloyd films and other classic comedians still hold up better than others. How making comedy has evolved over time, and how much it's stayed the same since the days. And allowing for the flexibility and the discipline to try new ideas and hone them into an art. Joe's feature film "Love and Support" is available on Amazon Prime. Check out The Official Harold Lloyd Website Official Harold Lloyd Instagram Harold Lloyd Facebook Contact us at haroldlloydpodcast@gmail.com And do Harold proud by helping Shriner's Hospital for Children. (100% produced, written, recorded, edited & released without artificial intelligence.)
Hal Roach Studios was built on the comedy of Harold Lloyd and sustained by Our Gang and Laurel & Hardy. And Harold and Stan stayed friends throughout their lives. As Bruce Goldstein launches a massive Laurel & Hardy retrospective at Film Forum this week, we take a few minutes to talk about the most famous duo to come out of Hal Roach Studios with Patrick Vasey, host of The Laurel & Hardy Podcast and author of the upcoming two-volume limited edition book, "Laurel & Hardy: Silents" available now through the end of July. Patrick and I talk about his Harold Lloyd fandom, the culture around Hal Roach Studios, how the company known by its employees as the “Lot of Fun” evolved over the 1920s through Harold's departure and Stan and Ollie's growing partnership, and why the story of Lloyd's career is where Patrick's new book begins. The book written by Patrick and designed by Russell Babbage, tells their history chronologically day to day from 1920 through 1929 with over a thousand rare photos from Hal Roach Studios scanned by Russell. It's available through Kickstarter, and it surpassed its fundraising goal. So the print run is guaranteed but only up to a thousand copies. Reserve your copy here by July 31 st 2026. Or go to laurelandhardyfilms.com .
We're back from summer break to take a deep dive into the early days of the movies with Tracey Goessel of Film Preservation Society and Randy Haberkamp of the Academy's Margaret Herrick Library! From "Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse" (1921) to "Saving Private Ryan," (1998) the artistic and medical reasons why modern filmmakers who embrace the visual language of silent film are more emotionally successful with audiences. Introducing silent movies in theaters, and the Harold Lloyd films that resonate best with Academy members and mainstream audiences. The trajectory of the big three comedians and their transitions to sound. The Biograph Project and the surprises of rediscovering the early films of D.W. Griffith. The importance of preservation and curation for a new generation. Douglas Fairbanks' enduring appeal as the first action movie star, and Mary Pickford's underappreciated influence creating a new acting technique for film. And projecting "Wings" (1927) at the Academy with sound effects by Ben Burtt! Plus: Florence Lawrence, Elmer Booth and Superman. Check out The Official Harold Lloyd Website Official Harold Lloyd Instagram Harold Lloyd Facebook Contact us at haroldlloydpodcast@gmail.com And do Harold proud by helping Shriner's Hospital for Children. (100% produced, written, recorded, edited & released without artificial intelligence.)
1914 was a formative year for four of Hollywood's biggest icons, and their burgeoning careers caused changes in the film industry that formed it into what it is today. Sources: "Magic In A Pair Of Horn-Rimmed Glasses" by Annette D'Agostino Lloyd, "The Harold Lloyd Encyclopedia" by Annette D'Agostino Lloyd, "Lonesome Luke's Lively Life" by Steve Massa, "The Parade's Gone By" by Kevin Brownlow, "Mary Pickford: America's Sweetheart" by Scott Eyman, and "The First King of Hollywood: The Life of Douglas Fairbanks" by Tracey Goessel. Check out The Official Harold Lloyd Website Official Harold Lloyd Instagram Harold Lloyd Facebook Contact us at haroldlloydpodcast@gmail.com And do Harold proud by helping Shriner's Hospital for Children. (100% produced, written, recorded, edited & released without artificial intelligence.)
In the fall of1912 , Harold and his dad, "Foxy" Lloyd, flipped a coin. They had the money to move and make a fresh start, but where would be best for Harold's career? Heads, go east to New York and try to break into Broadway. Tails, go west and join acting mentor John Lane Connor at his theatrical company in San Diego. Biographer Annette D'Agostino Lloyd guides us through this pivotal coin toss, as well as his relationship with Foxy and brother Gaylord, who moved with him, and the lessons John Lane Connor taught him that would serve as the foundation of Lloyd's artistic and business ethos. Harold gets his first taste of film at the Edison Company and moves to Los Angeles. And after constant rejection, he finds a way to sneak into Universal Pictures using skills he learned doing plays as a kid. (This is a sequel to our first biographical episode, "Happy Birthday, Harold.") Plus: Hal Roach, Frank Borzage, and the subtle truth of silent film acting. Check out The Official Harold Lloyd Website Official Harold Lloyd Instagram Harold Lloyd Facebook Contact us at haroldlloydpodcast@gmail.com And do Harold proud by helping Shriner's Hospital for Children. (100% produced, written, recorded, edited & released without artificial intelligence.)
Happy Birthday to Gloria Lloyd Roberts, Harold's eldest child born on May 22, 1924! To celebrate we're listening to Leonard Maltin interview Gloria and her daughter Suzanne in 2005, along with home movies and some of Gloria's contributions to Kevin Brownlow and David Gill's documentary, "The Third Genius." Special thanks to Leonard Maltin and Kevin Brownlow. Check out The Official Harold Lloyd Website Official Harold Lloyd Instagram Harold Lloyd Facebook Contact us at haroldlloydpodcast@gmail.com And do Harold proud by helping Shriner's Hospital for Children. (100% produced, written, recorded, edited & released without artificial intelligence.)
Comedians Tommy Murray and Hayley Everitt are creating a unique theatrical experience in the United Kingdom using the story of Harold Lloyd and Mildred Davis, and featuring other silent comedy all-stars. Tommy & Hayley discuss the inspiration for their act, how they connect personally and professionally with Harold, Mildred and other silent comedians, and how their show has evolved to become more personal and universal. How Tommy channels neurological diversity into a comedy power, and how Hayley draws on medieval European mime and dance training to portray so many people. Plus, it turns out that "Bumping Into Broadway" plays like a documentary of theater life. Find Tommy & Hayley at instagram.com/haroldlloydshow and Fool's Talk Theatre Youtube version Check out The Official Harold Lloyd Website Official Harold Lloyd Instagram Harold Lloyd Facebook Contact us at haroldlloydpodcast@gmail.com And do Harold proud by helping Shriner's Hospital for Children. (100% produced, written, recorded, edited & released without artificial intelligence.)
We're celebrating the legendary Bruce Goldstein, honoree of the 2026 Robert Osborne Award at the TCM Film Festival! Founder of Rialto Pictures and veteran cinema programmer for the Bleecker Street Cinema, the Carnegie Hall cinema, and the Thalia, and at Film Forum for 40 years, Bruce is one of the leading figures in film distribution, exhibition and curation. Bruce has programmed Harold Lloyd many times, beginning with the mammoth centennial celebration in 1993 where he first met Suzanne. He has been an integral part of the Harold Lloyd renaissance and contributed to the Criterion release of "Speedy" with his original documentary "In The Footsteps of Speedy" and commentary track with Scott McGee. Sue and Bruce discuss the importance of seeing classic movies with an audience, engaging new and dedicated movie fans with a wide range of films for all different ages, the Film Forum Jr. kids series, and the vital role of Turner Classic Movies. Film Forum's role as the only autonomous non-profit cinema in New York City, his longtime collaboration with accompanist Steve Sterner, and singing with Vince Giordano and the Nighthawks. Plus: Allen Jenkins, Franklin Pangborn and Herman Bing. Music: "Speedy Boy" - Ben Bernie And His Hotel Roosevelt Orchestra (1928) Check out The Official Harold Lloyd Website Official Harold Lloyd Instagram Harold Lloyd Facebook Contact us at haroldlloydpodcast@gmail.com And do Harold proud by helping Shriner's Hospital for Children. (100% produced, written, recorded, edited & released without artificial intelligence.)
Scott McGee is back to talk all about his book "Danger On The Silver Screen: 50 Films Celebrating Cinema's Greatest Stunts," which features a section on "Safety Last." This fantastic book chronicles the history of stunts in filmmaking from the silent comedy of Harold, Buster and Chaplin and the heroics of Douglas Fairbanks and Richard Barthelmess through epics like Ben-Hur and How The West Was Won, the James Bond, Indiana Jones and Mad Max series, street chase movies of the 70s and modern action blockbusters. Scott provides a showcase for the amazing stunt performers responsible for the most enigmatic moments in movie history with rare behind-the-scenes stories and photos. Available from Running Press Books. Check out The Official Harold Lloyd Website Official Harold Lloyd Instagram Harold Lloyd Facebook Contact us at haroldlloydpodcast@gmail.com And do Harold proud by helping Shriner's Hospital for Children. (100% produced, written, recorded, edited & released without artificial intelligence.)
Watch the enhanced video version on Youtube! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zKCgZUHXKZ4 What IS that behind Harold Lloyd during the final chase in "Speedy"? We're playing detective with Turner Classic Movies director of original programming Scott McGee, who leads us through a complex mystery of rodeo cowboys, breathtaking stunt work, and a horse's butt... Plus: Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, and King Tut. Check out The Official Harold Lloyd Website Official Harold Lloyd Instagram Harold Lloyd Facebook Contact us at haroldlloydpodcast@gmail.com And do Harold proud by helping Shriner's Hospital for Children. (100% produced, written, recorded, edited & released without artificial intelligence.)
It's Harold Lloyd's birthday! So to celebrate we're releasing early the first part of an upcoming episode series on Harold's childhood featuring biographer Annette D'Agostino Lloyd ! Annette discusses parents Foxy and Elisabeth, brother Gaylord, how young Harold first discovered his passion for the theater, and the acts of either extreme coincidence or fate that propelled him toward the screen. Music by Robert Israel. Check out The Official Harold Lloyd Website Official Harold Lloyd Instagram Harold Lloyd Facebook Contact us at haroldlloydpodcast@gmail.com And do Harold proud by helping Shriner's Hospital for Children. (100% produced, written, recorded, edited & released without artificial intelligence.)
Robert Israel is one of the most esteemed and accomplished composers working in the area of silent film. He has scored the films of von Stroheim and von Sternberg, Lillian Gish and Douglas Fairbanks, comedians like Charles Chaplin, Buster Keaton and Arbuckle. And he has written music for 20 Harold Lloyd films! Robert guides us through his journey with Harold Lloyd and his inspirations for the musical landscape he's developed. We discuss his writing process, exploring the musical range of the 1920s, and the relationship between conductor and musicians. Plus: the silent version of Welcome Danger, the enduring power of King Kong, and Vince Giordano and his Nighthawks. Music featured in this episode from Robert Israel 's scores for: Bumping Into Broadway (1919), Dr. Jack (1922), For Heaven's Sake (1926), Girl Shy (1923), Grandma's Boy (1921), High and Dizzy (1920), Hot Water (1924), Never Weaken (1921), The Freshman (1925), and Why Worry (1923). Check out The Official Harold Lloyd Website Official Harold Lloyd Instagram Harold Lloyd Facebook Contact us at haroldlloydpodcast@gmail.com And do Harold proud by helping Shriner's Hospital for Children. (100% produced, written, recorded, edited & released without artificial intelligence.)
Bienvenue! It's not an April Fool's joke – Harold Lloyd triumphantly returns to France in four brand new restorations coming to theaters nationwide, and the Cinematheque Française is celebrating with two weeks of festivities showcasing the man in the glasses! Starting April 15th, new 4K restorations of SAFETY LAST (Monte là-dessus), THE FRESHMAN (Vive le sport!), THE KID BROTHER (Le Petit Frère) and SPEEDY (En vitesse) will be showing in cinemas across the country ! And the Cinémathèque Française, in association with the Musée d'Orsay, is hosting a huge Harold Lloyd retrospective from April 15th through May 3rd! In Paris? Find the full schedule for the Cinematheque Française film festival here! Check out Carlotta Films for more information on the brand new restorations! The Official Harold Lloyd Website Official Harold Lloyd Instagram Harold Lloyd Facebook Contact us at haroldlloydpodcast@gmail.com And do Harold proud by helping Shriner's Hospital for Children. (100% produced, written, recorded, edited & released without artificial intelligence.)
Suzanne, Rich, Dave, Jennifer and Richard return to look back after 50 years at all the fun and work they embarked on at Greenacres. They discuss bringing life back to the estate and reviving Harold's sense of fun and youth. And how they felt the importance of the history they were rescuing. The Simonton family's friendship with the Lloyds, and Richard's and Robert's engineering projects at the estate. The importance of sorting and saving domestic and foreign film elements, and Richard's method of scanning Harold's 3D photos. Restoring the Lloyd collection of radio programs and his founding of station KMPC with Rich's dad: radio star Charles Correll, his Amos & Andy partner Freeman Gosden, and jazz band leader Paul Whiteman. Setting up Greenacres as a museum and running the tour with the Wick brothers, Sharon Webster, Ray Hart and other friends. Harold helps Kevin Brownlow meet the parade of silent movie stars, and the Christmas tree gains its legendary status. Rich and Dave hide clues in the attic and get "trapped" in the chimney. Richard runs the movie projectors, and Jennifer and Sue throw a prom party. Young David Puttnam chauffeurs Sue, and Rich gets to meet Ray Harryhausen and freaks out. Harold discovers a love for the Beatles and spinning records for friends. Paul McCartney throws a party at Greenacres, and Arnold Schwarzenegger lays seige to the gardens. Plus: Edward G. Robinson, Donovan, and the Blues Brothers. Check out The Official Harold Lloyd Website Official Harold Lloyd Instagram Harold Lloyd Facebook Contact us at haroldlloydpodcast@gmail.com And do Harold proud by helping Shriner's Hospital for Children. (100% produced, written, recorded, edited & released without artificial intelligence.)
Suzanne Lloyd, Rich Correll, Dave Nowell, Jennifer Edwards and Richard Simonton join us for a riotous trip down memory lane, jam-packed with stories you won't hear anywhere else about Harold Lloyd, Mildred Davis and life at Greenacres. Mildred throws costume parties and sleepovers for Sue and Jennifer in elementary school and takes them trick-or-treating. And once they're teenagers, naturally the boys start coming over. Rich C. and Dave go through the film archive while Richard S. unearths thousands of photos and takes the films to the lab as they undergo the preservation process and ask Harold questions about every movie. Showing Harold Lloyd's films to him at the Simonton home theatre - the "Toluca Lake Bijou" - and recording Gaylord Carter's organ scores on the Simonton organs. The importance of "Harold Lloyd's World of Comedy" and "Funny Side of Life" for a new generation, and the reaction of young people first introduced to his films. Jennifer is attacked by gorillas at Halloween and finds out Groucho Marx is a dirty old man. Richard S. has dinner with Groucho and works on his live shows and album. The kids explore the gardens, play capture the flag and "the most dangerous game." Being super quiet during "Perry Mason" and "Star Trek," and hanging out with other members of the Greenacres gang, including Rob Foster, Helen Hendrickson, Janice Crouch, and C.Z. and Douglas Wick. Band practice at the guest house with Tim Weston, Billy Martin, Jim O'Keefe, and Pete Lewis of Moby Grape. Getting to know Stan Laurel and his friendship with Harold, and Peter Sellers comes to the house to listen to records. Screening films for Myrna Loy and dining at Errol Flynn's favorite restaurant with Olivia de Havilland. Sitting with Frank Sinatra, George Kennedy, Paul Newman and Robert Redford at the Academy Awards. Snub Pollard pops up in "Singin' In The Rain"! Dave meets Tod Browning, and Rich meets Boris Karloff, Basil Rathbone, Peter Lorre, and Vincent Price! Plus: Terry-Thomas, Maggie Smith, and Elton John. Check out The Official Harold Lloyd Website Official Harold Lloyd Instagram Harold Lloyd Facebook Contact us at haroldlloydpodcast@gmail.com And do Harold proud by helping Shriner's Hospital for Children. (100% produced, written, recorded, edited & released without artificial intelligence.)
What's it like when your grandparents and their friends are movie legends who love having a child around? According to our guest Suzanne Lloyd, America's sweetheart Mary Pickford drives you to school, WAMPAS star Carmelita Geraghty brings you makeup, and Oscar-winning screenwriter Frances Marion takes you to the bookstore. By 1923, Harold Lloyd and Mildred Davis had brought their parents and brothers to Hollywood and were starting a life together. They began building a new house on a plot of undeveloped land in Beverly Hills, which they christened Greenacres. The process of building Greenacres in the '20s, and what changed and what stayed the same by the '70s. Harold's input on the architecture and design of the house, and the landscaping of the grounds by A.E. Hanson. Suzanne discusses Harold and Mildred's closeness as a couple, the importance of family and lifelong friends, and their love of kids and animals - especially dogs. Their dedication to charities and Lloyd's devotion to the Shriner's Hospital for Children. Harold's endless curiosity, love of travel, and passion for learning and exploring the world around him. Mildred's love of Peter Pan, dressing up for Halloween, and raising a little girl again. Life at home with a 3-D photographer/painter/biologist/magician/disc jockey, and the planned biopic that almost starred Jack Lemmon. Suzanne takes us through her magical childhood and painful young adulthood, grieving their loss and taking on the responsibility of the estate. Her tireless fight alongside dear friend Debbie Reynolds to save the home, make it a museum, and get it registered as a historic site. Plus: Robert Wagner, Tab Hunter, and Star Trek. Check out The Official Harold Lloyd Website Official Harold Lloyd Instagram Harold Lloyd Facebook Contact us at haroldlloydpodcast@gmail.com And do Harold proud by helping Shriner's Hospital for Children. (100% produced, written, recorded, edited & released without artificial intelligence.)
Steve Massa is back to discuss his book "Lonesome Luke's Lively Life" and the companion "Lonesome Luke's Picture Book." Bebe Daniels is becoming a star and Hal Roach is expanding his studio. Meanwhile, Harold Lloyd is learning producing and directing. There's an explosion of comedy studios in the 1910s and 20s. And Pathe Studios is the king of comedy distributors with both Hal Roach and Mack Sennett. More legends from Leo McCarey to Charley Chase join the burgeoning Hal Roach Studios, which is blossoming thanks to its one consistent moneymaker, Lonesome Luke. Steve discusses the span of Lonesome Luke's lively life, how it fades into the man with the glasses, and the point at which the two characters blur. Before brother Gaylord puts on the mustache... Leo McCarey's artistic kinship with Lloyd and their later collaboration, "the Milky Way." And why Lloyd's transition to sound was much smoother than many of his contemporaries. How the Lonesome Lukes got lost, how many of these rare films survive and where. The mystery of the Pathe studio fires and the punctured myth of Harold's Greenacres vault fire. Plus: Mabel Normand, Dogville and Blippi. "Lonesome Luke's Lively Life" - published by Split Reel "Lonesome Luke's Picture Book" published by Split Reel Check out The Official Harold Lloyd Website Official Harold Lloyd Instagram Harold Lloyd Facebook Contact us at haroldlloydpodcast@gmail.com And do Harold proud by helping Shriner's Hospital for Children. (100% produced, written, recorded, edited & released without artificial intelligence.)
Six degrees of every silent comedy passed through the doors of Harold Lloyd and Hal Roach's first film venture. Ben Model & Steve Massa are back to discuss the talents and careers of the Rolin Film Company cast and crew before and after Hal Roach Studios. The genius of Mack Sennett and Keystone, and of Essenay and the Chaplins. And the connections with Arbuckle and Keaton. Playing music for films, and the variations of mood and mode - piano, organ or orchestra. The value of hearing a score performed live and acoustically absorbing it. We also discuss Ben & Steve's award-winning DVD collection of Edward Everett Horton short films produced by Harold Lloyd, and Richard Simonton's preservation efforts. Plus: Bud Jamison, Harry Langdon, and the room-shaker. Check out The Official Harold Lloyd Website Official Harold Lloyd Instagram Harold Lloyd Facebook Contact us at haroldlloydpodcast@gmail.com And do Harold proud by helping Shriner's Hospital for Children. (100% produced, written, recorded, edited & released without artificial intelligence.)
When Hal Roach met Harold Lloyd, the history of comedy and the movies changed forever. In those early formative years at Rolin Films, they established a style that was distinctive from their peers but soon became the launchpad for an all-star roster of talent in front of and behind the camera. Here to talk all about Lonesome Luke, Willie Work, and Just Nuts are two of the world's leading experts in silent comedy, Steve Massa and Ben Model! Plus: Billy Ritchie, undercranking, and the joy of seeing silent comedy in a theater. Check out The Official Harold Lloyd Website Official Harold Lloyd Instagram Harold Lloyd Facebook Contact us at haroldlloydpodcast@gmail.com And do Harold proud by helping Shriner's Hospital for Children. (100% produced, written, recorded, edited & released without artificial intelligence.)
Director Rich Correll and cinematographer Dave Nowell take us back to the 1960s and Greenacres for more incredible stories about life at Harold Lloyd's house. Now that the boys have not only gotten permission but been hired by Harold to take care of his film library, they begin the process of handling, organizing and sometimes rediscovering Lloyd's own negatives and prints. They get to know the Simonton family, especially Richard, who begins making preservation copies of the films. And we talk about home life with Mildred, Harold Jr. and the jovial Roy Brooks. They also discuss the change in the glasses character after the transition from silents to sound. What it was like traveling with Harold to screen the classics to a new generation, and seeing the reaction of teenage audiences from the 60's to today. Plus: Rich names the podcast, Steve Urkel channels the silent comedians, and Dave and Tony Scott film one of the most memorable scenes in movie history. Check out The Official Harold Lloyd Website Official Harold Lloyd Instagram Harold Lloyd Facebook Contact us at haroldlloydpodcast@gmail.com And do Harold proud by helping Shriner's Hospital for Children. (100% produced, written, recorded, edited & released without artificial intelligence.)
Keep the useful structure, then change the audience, point of view, and voice until the idea is unmistakably yours.
Open a creative brief