Sunday, August 17, 2014

Plaza Classic Film Festival: Who's Got the Last Laugh Now?


 
PLAZA CLASSIC FILM FESTIVAL
DAY ELEVEN OVERVIEW

Well, Sunday was quite a busy day for me.  There was the Luncheon with the EP Baseball Team manager Pat Murphy, then a few hours waiting outside for autographs from the players, and wrapped up with Safety Last!, one of my favorite films. 

In regards to the movie, this was Harold Lloyd's debut at the Plaza Classic Film Festival.   The Plaza Theater was completed in 1930, after the silent film era ended, but it is still equipped with a major organ which provided great accompaniment thanks to Walter Strony's magnificent organ-playing.

Watching Safety Last! again, I am amazed at Lloyd's genius.  It goes beyond the actual thrills when climbing the building, but also in having our hero, The Boy (who goes by the name of 'Harold Lloyd') place the setting at a department store.  We've all been there and seen that (and some have experienced the horror of working at a store).   By having him play 'one of us', Lloyd creates the ideal character: that of the upwardly-mobile young man, high on aspirations, low on achievement.  I enjoy the logic of the situations The Boy faced.  He might be a bit of a scoundrel, but it's his cleverness that we admire.

Now that the Plaza Classic Film Festival has ended, once I recover from all the bouncing around I've done in both the films and the baseball games I will write an overview, and then there are upcoming articles I must finish.  Therefore, I thank the El Paso Community Foundation, in particular Mr. Eric Pearson, for being so accommodating to me, member of the Online Film Critics Society, and all the volunteers at the PCFF.  They had a great selection this year and one hopes that we will get more great speakers and films.

And maybe soon, perhaps they could get a humble OFCS member to speak at one of their events...

Just a thought.

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