Fairaher
The film makes a home in your brain and the only cure is to see it again.
Aneesa Wardle
The story, direction, characters, and writing/dialogue is akin to taking a tranquilizer shot to the neck, but everything else was so well done.
Tayyab Torres
Strong acting helps the film overcome an uncertain premise and create characters that hold our attention absolutely.
tavm
Just watched this Harold Lloyd short on a DVD that featured some of his shorts and features. In this one, he's the title character who saves the town and is fearless in doing so. Whatever laughs this short has is due to him and not the supporting cast so to tell the truth, I was partly underwhelmed watching this. And part of me also felt a little uncomfortable watching the Asian servant character on screen but since this is a silent, at least there wasn't any Pidgin English to make things even more embarrassing. The score conducted by Robert Israel for this edition was good so that was a plus. So on that note, Billy Blazes, Esq. is worth a look for any fan of Harold Lloyd.
JoeytheBrit
I thought this film might have been made at the same time as Lloyd's The Eastern Westerner, but apparently the films were made a few years apart. This film is ultra-short, lasting a little over twelve minutes (although perhaps a section is missing). The sets for both films certainly look very similar. Lloyd also performs the same cigarette-rolling trick here (twice) that he used in the later film.This is pretty frantic stuff. Bebe Daniels plays the daughter of an old boy threatened with eviction by his bullying landlord (although an intertitle suggests he owes eleven years in back rent which suggests he's actually one of the most patient landlords you're ever likely to meet). Daniels is a pretty girl with a saucy smile and sturdy knees, and it's no wonder Lloyd goes out of his way to rescue her. Compared to Lloyd's later output this is pretty primitive stuff, but it still manages to pack a good number of laughs into its brief running time.
Petri Pelkonen
Hrold Lloyd is the fearless gunslinger Billy Blazes.His job is to safe the town of Peaceful Vale from Crooked Charley who has been ruling it through fear and violence.There's not too much help of the yellow sheriff 'Gun Shy' Gallagher.The tavern keeper Pierre is ran out of town by Charley.He takes his pretty daughter Nell as his prisoner.So it's not only the town Billy has to safe.Hal Roach' Billy Blazes, Esq.(1919) is 13 minutes of fun and gags.Harold Lloyd makes a surprisingly believable western hero in this comedy.Bebe Daniels is a terrific western girl.It would be just right if Harold got the girl in the end.But does he? Watch the movie and find out.You also get to see another great silent comedian, Harry 'Snub' Pollard playing the Sheriff.He's very funny as this character who's afraid of gun shots and crooks.This group offers you some some good laughs.
Snow Leopard
This one reel comedy is a pretty good parody of the westerns of its time. It's nothing fancy, but it takes a light, upbeat approach and has some funny gag ideas. Harold Lloyd and Bebe Daniels always seem to work together well, and Snub Pollard is also here, in a smaller role.Lloyd plays the title character, who is a parody of the kinds of western heroes common both at the time and in many other eras. The character is probably based more than anything on the kinds of characters played by William S. Hart, but you wouldn't have to be familiar with Hart's movies to be able to enjoy most of "Billy Blazes".The story squeezes quite an assortment of familiar western elements and themes into 13 minutes or so of film, and it does a good job with most of them. The big showdown between Billy and the villain is played strictly for laughs, and it features some clever turns.
