Get Out and Get Under | 1920 | Comedy, Short

Title: Get Out and Get Under | 1920 | Comedy, Short Director: Hal Roach Studio: Hal Roach Studios Starring: Harold Lloyd, Mildred Davis, Fred McPherson Release Date: September 1920 Runtime: 25 Format: Silent, black-and-white, 35mm spherical 1.33:1, two reels Country: United States Language: Silent (English intertitles) Genres: Comedy, Short, Slapstick, Silent (en.wikipedia.org) --- Summary: A young man known as “The Boy” fetches his cherished new automobile to hurry across town for a crucial role in his sweetheart’s amateur stage production. Mechanical mishaps, traffic jams, and chance obstacles turn his drive into an escalating series of gags that test his patience and ingenuity. Arriving just as the curtain falls, he bounds onstage in costume and unexpectedly basks in the audience’s applause—an ironic capper to a frantic journey that playfully satirizes early car culture and punctuality. (en.wikipedia.org) --- Background: Part of Harold Lloyd’s run of two-reel comedies at the height of his “Glasses” persona, the film was produced by Hal Roach and distributed by Pathé Exchange. It was shot largely on Los Angeles streets and reflects the period’s fascination with the automobile; even the title nods to a popular 1913 song associated with motoring. Around this time Roach’s operation transitioned from the Rolin partnership to the Hal Roach Studios name, situating the short within a key phase of Lloyd and Roach’s collaboration. (en.wikipedia.org) --- Trivia: The title references and uses the 1913 novelty hit “He’d Have to Get Under – Get Out and Get Under (to Fix Up His Automobile),” underscoring the film’s automotive theme. (en.wikipedia.org) Lloyd’s temperamental car on screen is a 1920 Ford Model T, a ubiquitous vehicle of the era that became a prop for sustained gag construction. (en.wikipedia.org) Extensive location filming captured Los Angeles streets, including sites around Motor Avenue, National Boulevard, Manning Avenue, and Exposition Boulevard. (en.wikipedia.org) Contemporary sources indicate a preview and premiere occurred earlier in September 1920, with general release on September 26, 1920. (lordheath.com) Surviving prints are held by the Museum of Modern Art and the Filmoteca Española, ensuring ongoing access to the short. (silentera.com) While most references credit Hal Roach as director, some filmographic listings attribute direction to Fred C. Newmeyer, reflecting period documentation ambiguities. (silentera.com) --- Hashtags: GetOutAndGetUnder HaroldLloyd HalRoach SilentComedy 1920sCinema ShortFilm MildredDavis ClassicCinema Pathé PublicDomain