The Man In The Glasses: The Harold Lloyd Podcast

Harold Lloyd biographer Annette D'Agostino Lloyd is helping us celebrate the 100th birthday of "For Heaven's Sake"! (released April 1, 1926) 
In the fall of 1925, "The Freshman" is breaking records for Lloyd at the box office while Harold his writers are prepping their first film for Paramount, a concept which takes a surprising evolution into a future classic. 
When the have to jettison the project, they're left wondering what kind of story to tell. The evolution of that story and its echoes in a lifelong dedication which begins for Lloyd in 1926. 
As the regular crew and cast assemble, Jobyna Ralston elevates the film in a rich role as "Hope," and Noah Young delivers a star turn as antagonist-turned-sidekick "Bull."
The difference between two-camera and multi-take shooting for the international releases. How Harold shot differently from Roach and others, and the differences in the final versions.
Plus: Constantine Romanoff, Arthur Houseman, and Foster Brooks.
"Magic In A Pair Of Horn Rimmed Glasses" (2009) & "The Harold Lloyd Encyclopedia" (2003) by Annette D'Agostino Lloyd
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And do Harold proud by helping Shriner's Hospital for Children.
(100% produced, written, recorded, edited & released without artificial intelligence.)
 
 

The 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.)