The Lunkhead Review: Harry Gribbon's Face is a Work of Art

If you have twenty minutes to kill and you want to see a man who looks like he was built out of spare parts try to woo a woman, then The Lunkhead is worth a look. It is for anyone who misses the days when comedy was just a guy with a funny face falling into things. If you hate silent movies or think slapstick is 'low-brow,' you should probably just skip this one and watch The Leavenworth Case instead.

Harry Gribbon is the star here, and man, he really earns that title of 'Lunkhead.' He has this way of looking at the camera that makes you feel both sorry for him and also like you want to push him over yourself. It is all in the eyes.

The plot is basically nothing. Harry loves Thelma Hill, but Thelma is way more interested in some guy who isn't a giant klutz. This isn't exactly The Family Secret where things get all dramatic and heavy.

There is a scene early on where Harry is trying to be suave, and it goes exactly as well as you’d think. He is just too big for the room he is in. He moves like a bull that’s trying to apologize for being a bull.

Thelma Hill is great because she doesn't have to do much other than look slightly annoyed. She has that classic silent movie star look where her eyes take up half her face. You can see why the Lunkhead is so distracted.

I noticed the background actors in the group scenes look like they were just pulled off the street five minutes before filming. One guy in the back of a scene is just staring at the ceiling for no reason. It’s those little things that make these old Sennett shorts feel so alive.

The movie moves fast, which is good because the joke would wear thin if it was any longer. The pacing is frantic. It feels like they were worried the audience would get bored if someone didn't trip every thirty seconds.

Andy Clyde pops up too, and he is always a win in my book. He has that prickly energy that balances out Gribbon's big, soft energy. They make a weird pair, but it works for the few minutes they share the screen.

There is this one moment where Harry tries to fix his tie and almost chokes himself. It’s a small bit, but I actually laughed out loud. It felt very real, like the actor actually messed up and they just kept rolling.

Cinematic perspective: Exploring the visual vocabulary of The Lunkhead (1929) through its definitive frames.

Sometimes the film quality gets a bit grainy, but that adds to the charm for me. It’s like looking at a dusty old postcard that somehow started moving. If you want something polished, go watch The Prince of Headwaiters or something.

I do think the ending is a bit abrupt. It just kind of... stops? Like they ran out of film or the lunch bell rang and everyone just walked away from the set.

But honestly, who cares? It’s a movie about a guy being a lunkhead. It delivers exactly what the title promises.

Things I Liked:

• Harry Gribbon’s incredible eyebrows.
• The way the furniture seems to jump out in front of him.
• Thelma Hill’s 'I am so over this' expressions.

It’s not some deep masterpiece like Mother Love, but it’s fun. It’s a reminder that people have been laughing at big guys falling down since the dawn of time.

The physical comedy is just so much more honest than a lot of the stuff we get now. There are no special effects here, just a guy actually hitting the floor hard. You can almost feel the bruises.

One reaction shot of Harry lasts about four seconds too long and it gets really awkward. I think they were waiting for him to do something else, but he just blinked. Classic lunkhead move.

If you see this on a lineup with Don't Flirt, just watch both. They don't make them like this anymore, mostly because health and safety probably wouldn't allow it.

I wish there was more of a resolution with the 'other guy' character. He’s just kind of there to be the handsome obstacle. He doesn't have half the personality that Harry has in his pinky finger.

Anyway, it’s a solid short. Go find it if you want a quick chuckle and don't mind a bit of flickering on your screen. 🤡