SAFETY LAST! is one of the big comedy classics of 1920s Hollywood, as well as all time for that matter. I come to it somewhat late in the day, having seen plenty of clips of the famous climax over the years, but without actually having sat down and watching the whole thing. And what a treat it is to watch! Harold Lloyd proves his worth as one of the great silent comedians with this lightweight and likeable story, which sees him playing a mild-mannered shop assistant trying to impress his country-dwelling girlfriend. The film's plot is enjoyable to watch, and a huge influence on Chinese comedy action cinema of the 1980s; this is pretty much the film that led Jackie Chan to make all of his classics in that decade. The slapstick and sight gags are hilarious and just keep on coming, and Lloyd's co-stars are hilarious. Inevitably, the climbing climax is what everyone remembers here, and what a treat it is to behold: an epic set-piece that just keeps on giving and giving and giving, remaining fresh and inventive as well as nail-biting and visually, a masterwork. It's a brilliant way to end the picture and deservedly helped to cement this film's timeless reputation.

A Hal Roach Studios production, released through Pathé. Copyright 25 January 1923 by Pathé Exchange, Inc. New York opening at the Strand: 1 April 1923. U.S. release: 1 April 1923. 7 reels. 6,300 feet. 73 minutes. SYNOPSIS: Anxious to impress his girl, a humble department store employee finds himself cast in the role of a human fly. NOTES: Only movie appearance of real "human fly", Bill Strother.A domestic rentals gross of $1.5 million established the movie in third position (with The Hunchback of Notre Dame) as one of the most popular movies of the year. Only The Covered Wagon and The Ten Commandments (both shown at roadshow prices) took more money at U.S./Canadian ticket windows in 1923.Voted number seven in The Film Daily annual poll of more than 300 film critics.Oddly, the movie did not make The New York Times "Ten Best" list for the year at all , or even the supplementary list where the critic preferred Lloyd's next movie, Why Worry? COMMENT: Not Lloyd's best film, nor even his funniest nor most thrilling, but the one everybody remembers and relates to, Safety Last established Lloyd as Chaplin's closest competitor. Meticulously constructed, cleverly directed and handsomely produced on real Los Angeles locations (including the Brockman Building), the movie features Lloyd in almost every single scene—and even in the few clips where Lloyd is not physically present, the other players are either talking about him or establishing "business" for him to use in later scenes. This concentration pays many laugh and thrill dividends throughout, especially in the climactic climb. In fact, Safety Last is that rare commodity, a classic movie that still delivers the same punch, the same thrills, the same triggers to outbursts of laughter that audiences responded to on its original release. AVAILABLE on DVD through New Line. Quality rating: Ten out of ten.

If one were to name three musketeers of silent film comedy,actor Harold Lloyd's name would easily be listed with those of actors Buster Keaton and Charlie Chaplin."Safety Last" is one of Harold Lloyd's most successful comedy films as an actor.Although it has been listed as a comedy film,Safety Last does feature high doses of dramatic content.It is also a love story involving two innocent people who experience a happy end. In many ways,"Safety Last" examines how tough is the life for a villager in a big city.It is a comment on difficult working conditions where one is able to lead a decent life solely through one's wits.Harold is able to outsmart his boss at his workplace as he would like to make it big in life in order to make his girl friend happy.For this reason,he is ready to play all kinds of funny tricks including climbing a 12 storey building.Lastly,Harold Lloyd clutching the hands of a large clock is an image which is etched in most cinéphiles' minds.However,it continues to inspire many brave people all over the world but mocks those fake action sequences where one can easily detect logical as well as technical loopholes.What makes this film legendary is that it happened in 1923, an era when there we no high tech gadgets to help actors with risky scenes.

" . . . soon as I ditch this cop." So yells Bill Strother (playing "The Pal") to Harold Lloyd (in the role of "The Boy") amid the latter's precarious exploration of the OUTSIDE facade of a Los Angeles high-rise during a publicity stunt gone awry. At the height of the "Age of Ballyhoo," during which one could become famous by merely sitting atop a flagpole for a few weeks, a chain of events have forced The Boy to promote his experienced wall-climbing friend in a PR event which will set him up for marriage to "The Girl" (Lloyd's eventual real-life wife, Mildred Davis). The mishaps which have endangered The Boy's future naturally continue, compelling him to make his own dare-devil debut before a throng of thousands. At a time when Mount Everest was as yet unconquered, it certainly is refreshing to see a man "win" a woman through what is arguably a skill and certainly a brave act (as opposed to what Dustin Hoffman's character does at the end of THE GRADUATE, cravenly "stealing" another man's bride from the altar).