This week I’m bringing us back ninety-one years to 1923. The silent era was dominated by a few comic juggernauts. Even to this day, the names of Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton are synonymous with their great silent films featuring brilliant physical comedy. One name that has almost been lost to time though is Harold Lloyd, who completed the triumvirate of powerhouse comedians in the 1920’s.
Much like Chaplin’s character of The Tramp, Lloyd created his own iconic caricature, simply known as The Boy; a man whose look consisted of a pair of horn-rimmed glasses and a black-banded hat. Lloyd’s best picture that features The Boy is Safety Last!.
The film follows The Boy (Lloyd), who leaves his girlfriend, simply named The Girl (Mildred Davis – Lloyd’s wife) and their rural life and makes his way to the big city, hoping he will become a successful breadwinner. Before he leaves, he promises that he will marry his love when he gets settled and makes it big.
Flash forward and he is a struggling fabric salesman who is late on rent and short on cash, working at De Vore Department Store. The Boy shares an apartment with his buddy, known as The Pal (Bill Strother), who is in a similarly difficult financial position.
The Boy sends gifts to The Girl while writing that he is the manager of the store. Her mother tells her that she should join her beau as no man should be in the city with that much money without his girl. This puts Lloyd’s character in the precarious position of faking that he has the job while trying to perform his real duties at the same time. While doing this, he overhears the real management discussing a way of bringing more people into the store. The Boy pitches an idea in which his friend (The Pal) will climb the high-rise building. His bosses like the idea and are willing to pay them for the stunt, thereby aiding The Boy with his financial difficulties. An earlier occurrence with a cop causes The Pal to go on the run and The Boy must climb the building himself to fulfil the deal.
The stunts in this film are unbelievable. Much like Tom Cruise and his death-defying takes (such as the scene where Cruise climbs the world’s tallest building in Dubai in Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol), Lloyd, Strother and his stunt team perform amazing acts that are still stunning and mind-boggling to this day. It is hard to figure out how some of these shots were done, as it is a fact that these scenes were done at dizzying levels. Davis had to be convinced to stand at the top of the building and perform for one of the final shots of the film.
There are many scenes worth watching for. Obviously, the finale in which The Boy climbs the building is what makes the movie. But there are several other moments to focus on. The take where The Boy and The Pal hide from their landlady shows amazing physical comedy within creative storytelling. Some of the moments where The Boy is forced to play both the manager and his normal position to trick his girlfriend and keep his bosses happy are very humourous. Finally, the scene where The Boy’s roommate gets in trouble with the police officer is well orchestrated and very funny.
Safety Last! is an excellent film that demonstrates the skills of a superlative silent superstar that has been mostly forgotten to time. Though the story is simple, it is an extremely effective vehicle for Harold Lloyd and his character. The stunts are breathtaking and way ahead of their time. So, take a chance and let this silent classic climb its way into your ‘must see’ list.
Safety Last!: 8.3
Part of the Criterion Collection