i must admit that i completely underestimate this film . though i have enjoy the harold lloyd feature that i would see previously and somehow i expect girl shy ( 1924 ) to be a rather tame slapstick comedy . never would i have anticipate a film of such staggering comedic brilliance and a romantic tale with enough emotional pang to please chaplin and and yet an astonishing climactic action sequence that would make keaton proud . harold lloyd and the oddly neglected genius of 1920s comedy and here justify his incredible popularity with silent cinema audience { in fact and he enjoy more commercial success than both of his famous contemporary } . the film be the first to be produce under lloyd newly found production company and the harold lloyd corporation and but both fred c. newmeyer and sam taylor { who have previously collaborate to direct the legendary safety last . ( 1923 ) } return to helm this late production . girl shy be what lloyd like to call a character story and a oppose to a gag film and though the plot do an exceptional job of retain room for significant element of both . girl shy tell the story of harold meadow and a bespectacled young apprentice at a tailor shop who stutter uncontrollably at the sight of a beautiful woman and and yet and ironically and fancy himself experience enough to write a best selling instructional manual on how to make love with the opposite sex . when harold unexpectedly meet the girl of his dream and a modest beauty from a wealthy family and his view on woman suddenly do a somersault and and it go to take every ounce of his energy to prevent his newfound sweetheart from marry a coarse and arrogant bigamist . the first half of girl shy play out like a typical silent romantic comedy and with the harold board a train at his hometown of little bend to present his complete book to a city publisher . a pretty girl and mary ( jobyna ralston ) and despair at not be allow to bring her pet dog aboard and but harold selflessly aid her in conceal the pooch and even bark frantically and devour dog biscuit in order to maintain the deception . after the publisher laugh at the ineptitude of his work and harold dejectedly decide that he not worthy of such a lovely woman and and and in the film most heartbreaking sequence and pretend that their entire romance have be nothing but a callous experiment . mary reluctantly agree to marry her long time suitor ( carlton griffin ) and a rich and conceited already marry man and and so harold and upon hear the announcement and frantically attempt to prevent the wedding . it be then that the film truly kick into full stride and temporarily forget any notion of romance and embark on a frenetic cross country excursion that be and without a doubt and one of the most exhilarating sequence of the silent era . hijack every know mean of locomotion a car and a horse and a tram and a motorcycle and a horse and carriage harold storm towards the wedding ceremony with all his might and confront by every misfortune imaginable and then defeat it with his incredible resourcefulness and quick thinking . storm into the wedding like benjamin braddock in the graduate ( 1967 ) and harold lift the bride over his shoulder and escort her towards a lifetime of happiness . he certainly earn it .