Safety Last! | 1923 | Romantic Comedy

Title: Safety Last! | 1923 | Romantic Comedy Director: Fred C. Newmeyer, Sam Taylor Studio: Hal Roach Studios / Pathé Exchange Starring: Harold Lloyd, Mildred Davis, Bill Strother, Noah Young, Westcott Clarke Based on: Original screenplay by Hal Roach, Sam Taylor, Tim Whelan Release Date: April 1 1923 Runtime: Approximately 73 minutes Format: Silent black and white, English intertitles Country: United States Language: Silent with English intertitles Genres: Romantic Comedy --- Chapters: 00:00:00 Harold leaves hometown for the city 00:10:00 Arrival and search for work 00:20:00 Department store employment and mishaps 00:35:00 Plan to attract business with human fly stunt 00:50:00 Climb begins and escalating peril 01:05:00 Final ascent and resolution --- Summary: Safety Last! is a 1923 American silent romantic comedy starring Harold Lloyd as a young man who leaves his small town to seek success and win the approval of his girlfriend by finding employment in the big city. After securing a job as a department store clerk, he concocts a publicity stunt involving scaling the exterior of a building to draw crowds and prove himself worthy. The film is most famous for its thrilling sequence in which Lloyd’s character climbs a skyscraper and precariously dangles from a large clock face—a moment that became one of the most iconic images in silent film comedy and helped cement Lloyd’s status as a major figure in early cinema. --- Background: Directed by Fred C. Newmeyer and Sam Taylor and produced by Hal Roach, Safety Last! was created as part of Harold Lloyd’s transition into feature-length films. The movie’s blend of physical comedy, romantic motivation, and daring stunts exemplifies Lloyd’s “everyman” persona and his innovative approach to comedic spectacle. --- Trivia: Safety Last! includes one of silent cinema’s most recognizable scenes, with Harold Lloyd hanging from a clock high above a city street. Lloyd performed many of the climbing stunts himself despite a previous accident that cost him part of his right hand. The film was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry for its cultural, historical, or aesthetic significance. It was a major box-office success and remains one of Lloyd’s best-known works. --- Public Domain / Rights: Original Release: April 1 1923 Original Studio / Distributor: Hal Roach Studios / Pathé Exchange Copyright Status: Public Domain Renewal: Unknown --- Hashtags: #SafetyLast #HaroldLloyd #1923Film #SilentComedy #ClassicCinema #PublicDomain