Safety Last! (1923)

User Rating:

8.4/10   

Directors:

Fred C. Newmeyer
Sam Taylor

Writers:

Hal Roach (story)
Sam Taylor (story)

Release Date:

1 April 1923 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Family | Romance | Thriller

Plot:

When a store clerk organizes a contest to climb the outside of a tall building, circumstances force him to make the perilous climb himself.

Plot Keywords:

Human Fly | Department Store | Stunt | Clock | Publicity Stunt

Awards:

1 win

Cast

Harold Lloyd	...	The Boy
Mildred Davis	...	The Girl
Bill Strother	...	The Pal aka 'Limpy Bill' - construction worker
Westcott Clarke	...	The Floorwalker (Mr. Stubbs) (as Westcott B. Clarke)

Runtime:

73 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Silent

Certification:

Australia:G | Sweden:Btl

Filming Locations:

Atlantic Hotel, Broadway, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Hal Roach Studios

Trivia:

During the famous clock tower stunt, Harold Lloyd is not as far from the ground as he appears. The building on which he climbs was actually a fake wall constructed on the roof of an actual skyscraper and skillfully photographed to maintain the illusion.

Goofs:

Continuity: During the climatic scene, Lloyd is climbing the building we can see a side street, where some cars are parked. As the scene is not really shot in real time, there is a noticable mismatch between Lloyd's climbing takes and the positions of the cars.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Bibo per sempre (2000)

a great short film,...and a great full-length film--the best when it comes to laughs and stunts.

This was a wonderful film that lasted only about 50 minutes--though some versions run shorter or longer. For years, the only version available was the shorter sequence involving climbing the building. Then, the Lloyd family more recently released a complete 70+ minute version. I've seen both and both I would score about a 10. I was NOT aware of this difference when I first reviewed the movie--having reviewed it for the SHORT version. Later, I saw the full version and the review was updated in light of this.

Safety Last has a rather thin plot in the shortened version and is jam-packed full of insanely dangerous looking stunts. In this sense, it is probably the BEST film of its type---by Lloyd, Keaton or Chaplin. However, because it has so many stunts, it lacks the charm of his longer movies--especially if you see the short version. The longer adds the rather familiar plot of Harold meeting a sweet girl and wanting to make good. This is familiar, but handled very well. While I think I prefer THE FRESHMAN as well as THE KID BROTHER, this is a wonderful don't-miss film and is a must-see for any true cinephile.