Harold Lloyd is such a wonderful performer. “Safety Last!” is a film that anyone can watch and just be surprised about his risky performance and just seeing a man dangling from a clock tower or a piece of wood with the city of Los Angeles right behind him.
Granted, Lloyd and crew prepared the actor with a small stage built to give the illusion that the building was being climbed, but still…he was climbing many feet up and also climbing with a missing thumb and forefinger (a few years earlier, Lloyd lost his thumb and forefinger during a photoshoot when he had to hold a bomb which was suppose to be a prop ended up being a live bomb and putting the actor in the hospital).
“Safety Last!” is everything you come to expect from a comedy! A great story, great acting and a plenty of gags to keep the viewer entertained from beginning to end. This is a true classic in every way and I can only hope that many people would give this wonderful film a chance and watch it with a smile and also with awe with what Harold Lloyd has accomplished.
I know many people today may ask, who is Harold Lloyd? We heard of Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton but who is Harry Lloyd? Part of the reason why people have not heard much of Lloyd is because he had major control over his films.
Where as Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton had an awesome career during the silent era, for those who study about the careers of the two men will learn that Hollywood was not to kind to them after the silent film era.
Also, Harold Lloyd’s asking price for a film for licensing was more than most companies wanted to pay for at the time.
So, there are over 300 films of Harold Lloyd that many of us have not seen and not sure if we will ever have the chance.
“Safety Last!” is a magnificent film and is a Harold Lloyd masterpiece that will continue to entertain silent comedy fans for many generations to come.
