The Freshman / College Days (1925) | Directed by Fred C. Newmeyer & Sam Taylor

A classic silent comedy about an eager but socially awkward college freshman who tries to gain popularity and the affection of a girl by joining the football team. His misguided efforts, comic mishaps, and eventual triumph made the film one of Harold Lloyd’s most celebrated works.

Genre: Silent Comedy

Director: Fred C. Newmeyer and Sam Taylor

Fred C. Newmeyer (1888–1967) was an American actor turned director best known for his work on Harold Lloyd’s films, including Safety Last! and Girl Shy. Sam Taylor (1895–1958) was a screenwriter and director who collaborated frequently with Lloyd and later directed Mary Pickford and other major stars. Together, they helped shape the golden era of silent comedy with a focus on tightly choreographed gags and character-driven humor.
Star Cast:

Harold Lloyd as Harold Lamb

Jobyna Ralston as Peggy

Brooks Benedict as The College Cad

James Anderson as The College Hero

Hazel Keener as The College Belle

Pat Harmon as The Football Coach

Joseph Harrington as Harold’s Father

The Freshman was a huge box-office success and became one of the most popular films of the 1920s. Audiences connected with Harold Lloyd’s portrayal of the eager outsider, and critics praised the film’s humor and heart. It cemented Lloyd’s place alongside Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton as one of the great silent comedy icons. The football sequences, in particular, became legendary and influenced future sports comedies.

Fun Facts:

The film was so successful that it inspired many other “college comedy” films throughout the 1920s and 1930s.

Harold Lloyd performed much of the physical comedy himself, including the football scenes, though some stunts used doubles.

The Freshman popularized the idea of the underdog athlete who triumphs against the odds, a theme later repeated in Hollywood sports films.

The movie premiered in New York City in September 1925 and was one of Lloyd’s biggest financial hits.

In 1990, The Freshman was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress for being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant."

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