The Expressions of Harold Lloyd (“Winkle”) (1920) 🇬🇧

The creator of “winkle,” who, with only a pair of horn spectacles for disguise, makes us laugh.

Being happy, and making others happy, is the philosophy of Harold Lloyd, known to the picturegoer as “Winkle,” and affectionately called “Speedy” in the studios.

Most nicknames have strange beginnings, and this is the case with “Speedy.” The story goes that one day Harold and Hal Roach, his special pal, were at a music-hall show, when one of the turns was a couple of cross-talk comedians.

One of them was a very deliberate sort of a chap, who was named Harold, and every time he was called by that name he said “Don’t call me Harold, call me Speedy.” This so tickled our friends they couldn’t forget it, and from that day Harold Lloyd has been called “Speedy” at the studios.

His “Lonesome Luke” Parts.

As most of his admirers know, Winkle, the bespectacled, is not his only character part. You will remember his funny antics as Lonesome Luke, and when he first hit upon the idea of wearing horn spectacles, it was no easy matter to persuade the producer to allow him to drop the popular Luke for an untried idea.

Many people think that Winkle needs these glasses, but this is not so. In fact, there is no glass in the horn rims.

His First Appearance.

He was born in Denver, and as a boy he played child parts on the stage. He played in Nell Gwynn, The Private Secretary, Tess of the D’Urbervilles, and other popular plays. Then he was taken away from the lure of the footlights to finish his education at school.

But his ambition to become an actor never left him. If you wanted to find Harold Lloyd you had only to visit the theatres — at one or the other you were sure to come across him.

His First Hit.

By turns he was call boy, property boy; he even sold sweets “in front” to be near the place of his ambition. Finally he got behind the footlights, and played in character roles until he found his forte in filmland.

His first hit was in the Lonesome Luke series, but he was always dissatisfied. He felt that everyone looked on him as a mere imitator. He wanted to do something absolutely original. Then he hit on the idea of his present bespectacled character — the rest you know.

His Idea of a Good Time.

Harold Lloyd living in the realm of film-making, has kept his boyish tastes. His idea of a good time is to fill his car with studio boys and drive down to the beach for a swim, or to invite them out to a merry party at his bungalow home.

He is extremely fond of chocolate éclairs, and nice sweet things. He confesses that he is very fond of everything fattening, but as he says, he doesn’t keep still long enough for the fat to catch him.

Harold Lloyd has now quite recovered from the accident that might have had such fatal results. I refer to the bomb explosion, which at first was thought to have disfigured him and taken his eyesight away. Fortunately the only effects resulted in the loss of a part of one of his hands. The films he has made with Mildred Davis, his new leading lady, are as good, if not better, than his previous work.

In one coming we are to see his brother Gayland [Gaylord Lloyd], who has a great resemblance to his famous brother. This resemblance calls for some amusing scenes as you may guess.

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Harold Lloyd as “Winkle.”

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If you want to write to him, here is his address:
Harold Lloyd,
Pathé Exchange,
25, West 45th St.,
New York City.

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Photo captions:

• Himself.
• Just wondering.
• I can share the joke!
• You are mistaken!
• Don’t believe them!

Collection: Picture Show Magazine, June 1920