Never Weaken

About Never Weaken

"Never Weaken" is a 1921 American silent comedy film directed by Fred C. Newmeyer and featuring Harold Lloyd. The film revolves around a young man named Harold who works for a doctor promoting his weight loss product. Seeing his love interest is about to marry another man, Harold decides to commit suicide, leading to several comedic sequences.

Making / Production

The film was produced by Hal Roach, and it is notable for being one of the last Harold Lloyd short films before he moved to creating exclusively feature-length productions. While much of the film was shot in conventional studio settings, several daring outdoor sequences were a preview of stunts that would become standard in Lloyd's later feature films.

Actors

• Harold Lloyd played the protagonist. His brilliant physical comedic timing forms the most of the movie's comedic effect.
• Mildred Davis portrayed the love interest. Her performance added the necessary drama to the plot.
• Roy Brooks played the rival suitor. His performance added to the comedic tension in the film.
• Mark Jones as the Anxious Patient. His quirky role further added humor to the story.

Trivia / Interesting Facts

• "Never Weaken" was one of the last silent short films before Lloyd moved on to full-length feature films.
• The movie uses a running gag that became a trope in several silent movies, using a misunderstanding to drive the plot.

Awards

As it was released in 1921, there were not any official awards ceremonies like we know today. However, "Never Weaken" still enjoys a high reputation among silent film enthusiasts and historians.

Quotes

• Given that "Never Weaken" is a silent film, there are no spoken quotes. However, several intertitle cards used in the film went on to become famous, such as, "Why try to live when you're only young once?"

Music, Soundtrack

• Most silent films didn't have a synchronized soundtrack, including "Never Weaken". However, it would have been accompanied by live music during screenings, usually played on a theatre organ or piano.