Directed by Fred Newmeyer, with a story co-written by the great Hal Roach, this Harold Lloyd silent teams the comedian with his future wife, actress Mildred Davis. Davis plays the daughter of a wealthy man (John T. Prince) whose doctor, Dr. Ludwig von Saulsbourg (Eric Mayne), lives (off him) handsomely by telling him that his daughter is sick so that he can treat her. Lloyd is titled character, actually Dr. Jackson, a country doctor who believes that positive thinking, in lieu of drugs, is the best medicine.

Lloyd is an excellent physical comedian whose antics frequently involve transportation (automobile or a motorcycle) gags as well as stunts in and around a multilevel building or home. In this film, his character uses both an automobile and a motorcycle, as well as a bicycle, to get to a patient. A couple of times, the doctor actually jumps out of the car and runs alongside it (e.g. to move some cows out of his way) before reentering the vehicle. He rescues a little girl's doll from a well, and catches a little boy pretending to be sick to avoid school; he also helps said boy avoid a spanking. He then cures several seemingly ill patients by involving them in some happy activity to distract them from their woes. He also assists a girl by getting her father out of a card game before he spends his entire week's paycheck. Eventually, he comes to the attention of the "Sick-Little-Well- Girl"'s lawyer ( C. Norman Hammond), who has figured out Dr. Saulsbourg's scam.

As is typical, Lloyd's character is smitten with the lead female character. However, her father is not amused with Dr. Jack's infatuation and forbids him to see her again. Not from around there, he is permitted to stay the night, during which a shot is heard and some men report than an Asylum inmate has escaped and is on the loose in the area. This gives Dr. Jack and idea to dress up as the escapee in order to scare Dr. Saulsbourg from the home.

Several hilarious sequences follow with Lloyd doing quick changes such that the others in the home believe he's chasing the escaped inmate; a talented dog (a pit bull?) is utilized in many of the scenes. Of course, everything goes as planned and "the boy gets the girl" in the end (I hope I didn't spoil it for you).

This silent film is a real charmer. It relies almost exclusively on the talents of Harold Lloyd as the eponymous doctor, who sees the world as a funhouse and treats his patients accordingly. Written by Hal Roach and others, "Dr. Jack" feels like it was written with Lloyd's talents in mind. The physicality of the humor, and the sight gags, make this a perfect vehicle for Lloyd's abilities.

There is a basic story, but "Dr. Jack" is a series of vignettes which demonstrate the doctor's uncommon but "common sense" approach to healing. Best described as holistic, the doctor looks beyond the apparent malady, prescribing whatever a patient truly needs--from fresh air to a hug.

The overly-serious conventions of mainstream medicine are lampooned as is the image of the stuffy practitioner whose gravity only manages to drag down the spirits of those he treats. As we see, the levity of Lloyd is sometimes just what the doctor (should have) ordered.

Too often silent films were bogged down with inter-titles, slowing the action and frequently boring the audience to tears.

Harold Lloyd avoids that, especially in "Dr. Jack."

"Dr. Jack" the movie is a light story, perhaps even silly in spots, but it MOVES, and Dr. Jack the character is such a pleasant and kind and likable person that he overcomes any minor problem like that.

Turner Classic Movies presented this recently with a new score by Robert Israel, who captures the mood perfectly. He is quite the silent film composer, obviously a man of much talent.

For 1922, the acting was great to adequate, and Harold Lloyd is such a graceful and athletic performer that he could alone make this worthwhile; but he is accompanied by many other talented players, so many of whom, alas, don't even get screen credit (although Mickey Daniels, for example, is so recognizable, maybe he doesn't need to be named).

"Dr. Jack" is a lot of fun to watch, in part because you can just watch -- and laugh -- and not have to spend much effort reading.