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Welcome Danger

Play trailer Poster for Welcome Danger Released Oct 12, 1929 1h 52m Comedy Play Trailer Watchlist
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Tomatometer 3 Reviews 47% Popcornmeter 50+ Ratings
Milquetoast botanist Harold Bledsoe (Harold Lloyd) reluctantly travels to San Francisco to take over his late father's position as a high-ranking police detective. Despite the meddling of a crotchety sergeant (Edgar Kennedy) and the bluster of an outraged community leader (Charles Middleton), Harold begins an investigation of a Chinatown opium smuggling ring led by a mysterious figure known as the Dragon, while also wooing the tomboyish pixie Billie Lee (Barbara Kent).

Critics Reviews

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J. Hoberman Village Voice A present for fans of the bespectacled slapstick star. May 10, 2005 Full Review C.A. Lejeune Observer (UK) [Welcome Danger] is Harold Lloyd's first "talkie," but, except for the daring use of a blank screen during dialogue sequences, mere is little valuable in the new entertainment that has not been carried over from the old. May 20, 2021 Full Review Dennis Schwartz Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews This is not the film to catch the talented Lloyd do his stuff. Rated: C Apr 20, 2006 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Del R Welcome Danger had many moments of fun and creative scenes and in its entirety is a wild comedy mixed in with playful romance, Unfortunately it also suffers from a tedious slog of about 15 minutes long in the middle of the picture and poor editing where odd dark screens which didn't transition well along with an errant 'CUT!" were left in the film. Despite these issues, the negatives cannot be allowed to outweigh the positives. The banter and action with Harold Lloyd and Barbara Kent are very funny. Lloyd pulls out all the stops in this picture when it comes to stunts, at times doing so much physically he looked like a star out of an action film. I found the physical work for Welcome Danger to be the single most impressive part and made me forget all about the earlier issues and left me amazed that one man could pull it all off. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 06/17/25 Full Review Audience Member This was Harold Lloyd's first talkie. The premiere was two weeks prior to the 1929 stock market crash. Rated 2 out of 5 stars 02/08/23 Full Review eric b "Welcome Danger" has the dated weaknesses of its time, with a creaky sound mix (most of the film has no musical score) and a barrage of Chinese stereotypes (opium, fireworks, laundries). Lloyd plays a botanist-turned-policeman hot on the trail of a Chinatown drug ring in San Francisco, but he's also keen to woo a sweet ingenue with a sick little brother. The film is grossly overlong, doesn't have enough laughs and milks some ideas to death. Fingerprints, for instance. And you've never seen so many people get conked on the head. (Why is always so easy to knock people unconscious in the movies?) Watch for a surprising moment in the final act when the score is finally prominent and strays into the famous theme of Alfred Hitchcock's TV show. Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Audience Member Had fun while watching it. It's cute and funny. Not saying this is the best he ever made, but still does its job: entertainment. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 01/17/23 Full Review Audience Member About 30 minutes too long, Harold Lloyd dips his toe into this experimental, choppy early sound movie. The final act is a lot of fun but the pace is often too slow and plodding. I'd love to see the silent version of this as I'm sure it would be a big improvement. Harold's character is not very sympathetic early on but becomes much more likeable as the movie continues. After barely putting a foot wrong in his previous movies, it's the fans and those who are just curious who will likely get the most out of this movie. Rated 2 out of 5 stars 01/17/23 Full Review Audience Member Lloyd speaks! in this another of his danger films tries to woo the girl & bust up a drug ring. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 02/25/23 Full Review Read all reviews
Welcome Danger

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Movie Info

Synopsis Milquetoast botanist Harold Bledsoe (Harold Lloyd) reluctantly travels to San Francisco to take over his late father's position as a high-ranking police detective. Despite the meddling of a crotchety sergeant (Edgar Kennedy) and the bluster of an outraged community leader (Charles Middleton), Harold begins an investigation of a Chinatown opium smuggling ring led by a mysterious figure known as the Dragon, while also wooing the tomboyish pixie Billie Lee (Barbara Kent).
Director
Clyde Bruckman
Screenwriter
Paul Smith
Production Co
The Harold Lloyd Corporation
Genre
Comedy
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Oct 12, 1929, Original
Runtime
1h 52m