Harold Lloyd may
not be as recognizable a name as Charlie Chaplin, and his face less familiar
than the droopy-eyed deadpan expression of Buster Keaton, but his comedy is
every bit as timeless. Safety Last!
(1923) is to Lloyd what The Gold Rush
was to Chaplin and The General to
Keaton. Containing some of his most recognizable bits, including many which
were borrowed by Johnny Depp’s film-obsessed character in Benny & June, Safety
Last! is a perfect presentation of Lloyd’s unique comedy style. It is easy
to see why these three comedy giants are often lumped together in comparison;
each using a similar style of humor which is drastically altered with the
unique personality each brings to the material.
In Safety Last! Lloyd plays a small-town
boy in love with a small-town girl, who gladly sends her man away in hopes that
he becomes rich in the big city. The boy is employed as a lowly department
store clerk, but he writes letters home boasting of a greater position in order
to impress his bride-to-be. These lies come back to bite the boy when his
beloved arrives for a surprise visit. When she has a look of horror and sadness
at the sight of him as a clerk, the boy finds clever ways to continue his lies.
This helps his situation temporarily, but a permanent solution arrives when the
head of the department store agrees to pay a large sum for a dramatic publicity
stunt to draw a crowd to the store.
This publicity
stunt is meant to be carried out by the boy’s roommate, who is able to scale
the side of buildings with ease. When a mishap occurs and the roommate is
unable to climb, the boy is forced to go in his place. This stunt results in
the film’s best comedy, including the iconic image of Lloyd hanging from a
clock, which Jackie Chan imitated in Project A. Chan has stated Lloyd as an
inspiration for much of his work, which is easily noticeable despite the fact
that he makes martial arts films. As we all know from the blooper reels during
the credits of his films, Chan does his own stunts, as did Lloyd. Even more
incredible than the climbing Lloyd does in Safety
Last! is the fact that he did it missing several fingers. The fingers were
blown off in a promotional accident ironically, and Lloyd wore a glove to hide
the impairment. Watching to see the way he favors his left hand while climbing
is a fun activity for repeat viewers. I always try, but usually get too
distracted by the film itself and find myself lost in cinematic heaven.
The Blu-ray
release of this masterpiece includes a newly restored 2K digital film transfer
which is as near flawless as I have seen from an early 20s film. The 1989 score
from Carl Davis was synchronized and restored for presentation, presented in
uncompressed stereo. There is also an alternate score by organist Gaylord
Carter from the late 1960s. The special features include an audio commentary by
Harold Lloyd archivist Richard Correll and film critic Leonard Maltin. The film
has an optional introduction by Lloyd’s granddaughter, but the truly special
features are the three short films from the comic genius. There are two
one-reel films (Take a Chance, Young Mr. Jazz) and one two-reel film (His Royal Slyness). Also included is a
108-minute documentary about Lloyd from the late 1980s, and a new documentary
called Locations and Effects. The
booklet insert features an essay from film critic Ed Park and plenty of iconic
photographic shots perched on the side of the building.
Entertainment Value:
9/10
Quality of
Filmmaking: 9/10
Historical
Significance: 10/10
Disc Features: 9/10
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