''Bumping Into Broadway'' is a 1919 American

short Short may refer to: Places * Short (crater), a lunar impact crater on the near side of the Moon * Short, Mississippi, an unincorporated community * Short, Oklahoma, a census-designated place People * Short (surname) * List of people known as ...

comedy film A comedy film is a category of film which emphasizes humor. These films are designed to make the audience laugh through amusement. Films in this style traditionally have a happy ending (black comedy being an exception). Comedy is one of the ol ...

featuring

Harold Lloyd Harold Clayton Lloyd, Sr. (April 20, 1893 – March 8, 1971) was an American actor, comedian, and stunt performer who appeared in many silent comedy films.Obituary ''Variety'', March 10, 1971, page 55. One of the most influential film co ...

. A print of the film survives in the film archive of the

UCLA Film and Television Archive The UCLA Film & Television Archive is a visual arts organization focused on the preservation, study, and appreciation of film and television, based at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). Also a nonprofit exhibition venue, the archiv ...

. This film is notable as Lloyd's first two-reeler featuring his "glasses" character.

Plot

The film opens with a quick glimpse into the glamorous life of Broadway and the hubris often associated with its players. The film then shifts to the story of "The Girl" and "The Boy," she an aspiring actress and he an unpublished playwright. They are both humble artists struggling to make it big, and each are behind in their rent at a boarding house run by a stern landlady and a large, thuggish "bouncer." Having romantic feelings for the girl, the boy gives her all of his money so she can pay the back rent. Now penniless, the boy must find different ways to elude the landlady and bouncer. He finally escapes the menacing duo by hopping into a moving car. Later, the eager playwright sneaks into the theater where the girl works a chorus girl to try and sell his play to the manager. He is unsuccessful, and after being kicked out of the manager's office, he's physically thrown into the street. Meanwhile, the girl has been fired from the show, and as a consolation, accepts an offer from the handsome "Stage-door Johnnie" to accompany him to a posh nightclub. The couple, followed by the boy, arrive at the Sky Limit Club, an underground gambling establishment. While searching for the girl inside the club, the boy accidentally starts winning at

roulette Roulette is a casino game named after the French word meaning ''little wheel'' which was likely developed from the Italian game Biribi''.'' In the game, a player may choose to place a bet on a single number, various groupings of numbers, the ...

when he unwittingly places some found money on the table. Just as he bankrupts the casino, the place is raided by the police. After a series of chases and clever maneuvers, the boy is able to evade the police and is reunited with the girl. The film ends with the two engaged in a romantic kiss.

Cast

as The Boy *

Bebe Daniels Phyllis Virginia "Bebe" Daniels (January 14, 1901 – March 16, 1971) was an American actress, singer, dancer, writer, and producer. She began her career in Hollywood during the silent film era as a child actress, became a star in musicals such ...

as The Girl *

Snub Pollard Harold Fraser (9 November 1889 – 19 January 1962), known professionally as Snub Pollard, was an Australian-born vaudevillian, who became a silent film comedian in Hollywood, popular in the 1920s. Career Born in Melbourne, Australia, on 9 No ...

as Stage Manager * Roy Brooks (uncredited) *

Sammy Brooks Sammy Brooks (July 10, 1891 – May 16, 1951) was an American film actor. He appeared in 218 films between 1916 and 1938. He was born in New York City and died in Los Angeles, California. Selected filmography * Luke, the Candy Cut-Up (19 ...

(uncredited) *

William Gillespie William or Bill Gillespie may refer to: * William Gillespie (actor) (1894–1938), Scottish actor * William Gillespie (New Zealand politician) (1893–1961), New Zealand politician of the National Party * William Ernest Gillespie (1912–1967), A ...

as Stage Door Johnnie (uncredited) *

Helen Gilmore Helen Gilmore (born Antoinette A. Field, c. 1872 – April 1936) was an American actress of the stage and silent motion pictures from Louisville, Kentucky. She appeared in well over 100 films between 1913 and 1932. Early life and career In a ...

as Landlady (uncredited) * Mark Jones as Evicted Boarder (uncredited) *

Dee Lampton Dee Lampton (October 6, 1898 – September 2, 1919) was an American film actor of the silent era. Lampton was born in Fort Worth, Texas, and died of appendicitis in Los Angeles on September 2, 1919. He appeared in 52 films between 1915 and ...

(uncredited) *

Gus Leonard Gus "Pop" Leonard (February 4, 1859 – March 27, 1939) was an American film actor. Biography The French-born actor began his long career on the stage in San Francisco, California, while he was still a child in the 1860s. In later years, h ...

as Desperate Woman (uncredited) *

Gaylord Lloyd Gaylord Fraser Lloyd (March 20, 1888 – September 1, 1943http://death-records.mooseroots.com/l/206807310/Gaylord-Fraser-Lloyd ) was an actor and assistant director, known for ''Dodge Your Debts'' (1921), ''Trolley Troubles'' (1921) and ''Why Wo ...

(uncredited) * Fred C. Newmeyer (uncredited) *

Charles Stevenson Charles Stevenson may refer to: *Charles Stevenson (philosopher) (1908-1979), American philosopher. *Charles Alexander Stevenson (1855–1950), Scottish lighthouse engineer * Charles A. Stevenson (1851–1929), Irish-born American stage and movie a ...

(uncredited) *

Noah Young Noah Young, Jr. (February 2, 1887 – April 18, 1958) was a champion weightlifter and actor. Biography Young was born in Cañon City, Colorado. His father, Noah Young, was a foreman of the Glenrock coal mine who later became a coal mine in ...

as Bouncer (uncredited)

Background

''Bumping Into Broadway'' was the first of a nine two-reel picture deal Harold Lloyd made with

Pathé Exchange Pathé Exchange, commonly known as Pathé, was an American film production and distribution company, largely of Hollywood's silent era. Known for its groundbreaking newsreel and wide array of shorts, it grew out of the American division of the ...

in April 1919. And even though Pathé was eager to release his first two-reel comedy featuring the "glasses" character, the company wanted to release all of the remaining one-reelers first. When the film was finally released in November 1919, it was met with great fanfare, partially due to the recent publicity surrounding its star after a prop bomb exploded during a photo shoot, damaging his eyes and severing his right thumb and forefinger. Miraculously, Lloyd managed to fully regain his eyesight and was able to attend the premiere of ''Bumping Into Broadway'' in New York City. In the end, the picture not only received great reviews, it broke several house records in theaters across the country, solidifying Lloyd's place as a top-billing comedy star.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Bumping Into Broadway 1919 films 1919 comedy films 1919 short films American black-and-white films Silent American comedy films American silent short films Films directed by Hal Roach Films with screenplays by H. M. Walker Roulette films 1910s American films 1910s English-language films

Plot

Cast

Background

See also

References

External links