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Why Worry?

Play trailer Poster for Why Worry? Released Sep 9, 1923 1h 17m Comedy Adventure Play Trailer Watchlist
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Harold Van Pelham (Harold Lloyd) is filthy rich -- but what good does it do him when he's always sick? To get over his multitude of real or imaginary ailments, he goes for a much-needed vacation to sunny South America. Everything's going fine until the revolution breaks out. Instead of lying on the beach, Harold has landed in jail. Lucky for him, the big guy sharing his cell, Colosso (John Aasen), is friendly. After a daring jailbreak, the two come to the rescue of Harold's kidnapped nurse.

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Why Worry?

Critics Reviews

View All (4) Critics Reviews
David Nusair Reel Film Reviews ...the movie’s mild success is due predominantly to Lloyd’s broad, go-for-broke turn as the inattentive central character... Rated: 2.5/4 Mar 23, 2024 Full Review Robert E. Sherwood LIFE I can say of Why Worry? just what I said of the last four Lloyd products -- that it is hilariously funny, that it moves at a breakneck pace and that it is enlivened throughout by Lloyd's indomitably buoyant humor. Oct 6, 2021 Full Review Josh Larsen LarsenOnFilm ...a silly satire of interventionist, imperialist meddling. Rated: 3.5/4 Feb 6, 2016 Full Review Sarah Boslaugh Playback:stl ...slight but also enjoyable... Rated: 6/10 Dec 27, 2015 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Haunted by H WHY WORRY? (1923) is one of Harold Lloyd's wackiest silent comedies and one of his best. While it doesn't have much of an emotional narrative hook, the pacing and well-executed sight gags keep it moving forward at classic slapstick silent comedy speed. Interestingly enough, Lloyd allows John Assen to steal the movie as a giant named "Colosso." The movie's success and likability largely hinges on their relationship. In this film, Harold Lloyd plays a hypochondriac playboy who arrives in a South American Utopian paradise named Paradisio for health reasons. Little does he know that an American mercenary (sort of a silent clown version of Lee Van Cleef) is stirring up a revolution in the relaxed, easygoing village. While searching for his hotel, Lloyd arrogantly bumbles his way through the attempted military coup along with his faithful nurse played by Jobyna Ralston. Most of the broad humor and social satire undertones can be attributed to the American disconnection and self-centeredness of Lloyd's character. Bizarre? Yes. Creative storytelling? Yes. Classic silent comedy? Definitely! This is how comedy was made. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 07/11/24 Full Review Audience Member The best comedy movie ever made! Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/26/23 Full Review Audience Member One of my favourite Harold Lloyd's. "WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME I LOVE YOU!!??" His usual gag-a-minute plus plus, as you'd expect from any of the true cinema comedian actors. Easily puts to shame the modern 'greats' like Ferrell, Stiller, Murray, Carrey and so on. Today's audiences don't know what they're missing with hard-to-come-by gags for exorbitant ticket prices. Sad times. Go back to the Silent Greats and you'll see how shortchanged you are today. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 01/22/23 Full Review Audience Member Lloyd's naive, optimistic, can-do character blended with that of a chronic hypochondriac shouldn't work on paper and - yet it does. The fun and laughs never stop. One of Harold Lloyd's s more "cartoonish" movies it is nonetheless a very entertaining, inventive, madcap ride. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 01/17/23 Full Review Audience Member No laugh could come out of this outdated comedy (?) about an American hypochondriac richman that travels to a Latin American island to get some rest. His peace is disturbed by a military coup that would change him as a man. I don't know if this was funny back in 1923 when discourses on post-colonialism and race weren't really developed, but it just looks offensively stereotypical (all latin Americans just look like lazy-ass Mexican savages), insensitive (how could anyone laugh with men sexually attacking women or padroni whiping old people who are shaking from terror), or just plain silly (the deeply good-hearted chic American that without knowing saves the day and the country along with the good-natured native guerilla (or gorilla) ). Interesting as a piece of cinematic history but nonetheless a waste of time. Rated 1 out of 5 stars 02/04/23 Full Review Audience Member another winning comedy from lloyd Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 01/21/23 Full Review Read all reviews
Why Worry?

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Movie Info

Synopsis Harold Van Pelham (Harold Lloyd) is filthy rich -- but what good does it do him when he's always sick? To get over his multitude of real or imaginary ailments, he goes for a much-needed vacation to sunny South America. Everything's going fine until the revolution breaks out. Instead of lying on the beach, Harold has landed in jail. Lucky for him, the big guy sharing his cell, Colosso (John Aasen), is friendly. After a daring jailbreak, the two come to the rescue of Harold's kidnapped nurse.
Director
Sam Taylor, Fred Newmeyer
Producer
Jeffrey Vance, Hal Roach
Screenwriter
Sam Taylor, Tim Whelan, Ted Wilde
Distributor
Pathé Exchange Inc.
Production Co
Hal Roach Studios Inc.
Genre
Comedy, Adventure
Release Date (Theaters)
Sep 9, 1923, Wide
Release Date (Streaming)
Mar 23, 2017
Runtime
1h 17m
Aspect Ratio
Flat (1.37:1)
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