Haunted Spooks | 1920 | Comedy, Horror

Title: Haunted Spooks | 1920 | Comedy, Horror Director: Alfred J. Goulding; Hal Roach Studio: Rolin Film Company Starring: Harold Lloyd; Mildred Davis; Wallace Howe; Ernest Morrison; Blue Washington Release Date: March 14, 1920 Runtime: 25 minutes Format: Silent, black-and-white, 2 reels, 35mm, 1.33:1 Country: United States Language: Silent (English intertitles) Genres: Comedy, Horror --- Summary: A young woman stands to inherit a Southern mansion and plantation on the condition that she marry and live there with her husband for a year. A lawyer hastily finds a down-on-his-luck young man to serve as groom, and the newlyweds move into the estate to fulfill the will’s terms. Their scheming relatives stage ghostly pranks to drive the couple out, but the “hauntings” are elaborate hoaxes. The film blends romantic farce with haunted-house gags as the pair navigate scares, misunderstandings, and slapstick on their way to securing the inheritance. --- Background: Production began in August 1919 but halted when Harold Lloyd was severely injured by a prop-explosive accident during publicity photography, costing him two fingers and temporarily impairing his vision. Filming resumed in January 1920 after his recovery, during which he began wearing a prosthetic glove on screen. Produced by Hal Roach for the Rolin Film Company and distributed by Pathé Exchange, the short was shot at Hal Roach Studios in Culver City with location scenes at Hancock Park and what is now MacArthur Park in Los Angeles. --- Trivia: The film marks one of Harold Lloyd’s first releases following his 1919 injury; he continued doing his own stunts thereafter while concealing his hand with a prosthetic glove. Mildred Davis, Lloyd’s co-star here, later became his regular leading lady and married him in 1923. The production runs two reels, a common length for comedy shorts of the era, and showcases early haunted-house spoof conventions later echoed in 1920s–1930s screen comedies. Ernest “Sunshine Sammy” Morrison appears in the film; he would soon gain fame as a key performer in Hal Roach’s Our Gang series. Exterior and park scenes were filmed around Los Angeles, while interior “haunted” set-pieces were built and staged at Hal Roach Studios. The film was distributed by Pathé Exchange, a major American outlet for short subjects in the silent era. --- Hashtags: HauntedSpooks HaroldLloyd MildredDavis SilentFilm ClassicCinema HalRoach ComedyHorror 1920sCinema