How "Safety Last" (1923) Was Filmed

[@johngolden891]

A thrilling film with a great performance by Lloyd that is as exciting to watch today as it was a century ago.

[@Pulsatyr]

Every Thanksgiving I used to show this film, betting first time viewers $50 that they couldn't make it to the end without a laugh. When they found out it was silent, they took the bet. I never lost, but never collected. It was an opening to share other great films from an era to easily forgotten. This is still one of my favorites.

[@Dpb-236]

I'm Korean.. year 2002 ,I wached to Japan Tv 1st time. My favorite movie. Harold Lloyd is my favorite actor. Unfortunately never seen this movie in Korea. Very unhappy thing.

[@thomasbrown7980]

Lloyd told Kevin Brownlow that the rooftop sets had a mattress under them in case he fell, but after one of the shots, they dropped a dummy from the set, and it bounced off of the mattress and fell to the street many stories below. Lloyd was also missions several fingers of one hand and wore a glove to conceal it, making it harder for him to hold on. Safety Last is a great and funny film, and while the climbing sequences are the most famous, other scenes in the film, including one where he waits on customers in a department store are equally, if not more funny. His films all had extraordinary comic sequences. One of my favorites is in Girl Shy, in which he commandeers an amazing number of vehicles in order to get across town in time to stop a wedding.

[@QueenBee-gx4rp]

I’m glad you mentioned his missing fingers! It makes it all the more amazing!

[@EB1878]

@thomasbrown7980, This is true. Harold Lloyd lost a few fingers, partial thumb in a prop bomb accident in 1919 between takes when filming one of his silents when he went to light his cigarette, the prop bomb exploded. I believe this was also in the Harold Lloyd encyclopedia and featured in the Kineo video DVD box set of Harold's best silents and talkies. He wore finger prosthetics inside the flesh-tone colored glove that concealed his injured hand. His injury is practically unnoticeable in his films. A lot of younger generation fans nowadays probably were never aware of this. I love Safety Last! And when I first watched it I even had a fear of heights. Aside from that and his other silent, High and Dizzy, he made one talkie in the early 30's although it didn't rival Safety Last! But the stunts were still good. It was "Movie Crazy". That film is also on the Harold Lloyd Comedy Collection DVD set. 🙂

[@Dpb-236]

My favorite movie Harold Lloyd. My favorite times is Harold Lloyd movie times. It's nostalgia that is I don't know.

[@ykrgfk]

If you look at the photos now available of how the scene was filmed, you'll see that the claim about the dummy bouncing off the building and down onto the street can't be true. The 2 story set was built on part of the roof of a tall building and was facing inwards - not streetwards. If the dummy bounced off the mattress it would fall onto the flat roof of the building. It could not possibly have gone over the side as the whole set was in the way of its doing so.

[@jackmorrison7379]

The late Roger Ebert , film critic, was no fan of Harold Lloyd, a near necessary view for critics of his modern generation. Predictably too he swooned over Chaplin. But Ebert after reviewing Safety Last stated Harold Lloyd was in "mortal danger" during the filming. See John Bengston's book "Silent Visions" for a multi-page description of how this was done. IN "Safety Last" several downtown LA high rise roofs were used. Sets imitating the outer façade wall of a real building were built near the edge of a high rooftop and the camera was on a high pedestal lined up only to catch Harold on the prop wall and the street below. In order to get that perspective the set was right near the edge of the roof. No safety railings on the platform holding the prop wall. Yes, there was a mattress or two below Harold. But had he fallen off and bounced off the mattress he could have easily gone over the side of the roof. Doubles were used for the long camera shots including the last foot in rope swing over the street. But Lloyd did every close up stunt and took risks no modern actor would ever take.

[@joseybryant7577]

I respect Ebert a lot as a critic. This further solidifies it is not poorly placed.

[@josephcalderon906]

@@joseybryant7577 He was great admirer of buster keaton.he even wrote a column praising the great stone face as the greatest of his silent screen comedy peers.

[@toericabaker]

wow i was entranced by the narration! thanks for posting!

[@gugurupurasudaikirai7620]

Just a while back I was in a phase watching some of Lloyd's talkies. His final movie from 1947 has a scene where he's doing some of his old stunts on a tall building while chained to a lion which called back memories of Safety Last. That movie, The Sin of Harold Diddlebock, was a box office bust and he never tried again. Not really a fitting end for the career of the highest paid actor of the 1920s (yeah, it wasn't Chaplin believe it or not)

[@Dpb-236]

I❤ Harold Lloyd much..I don't like Chaplin.

[@gugurupurasudaikirai7620]

@@Dpb-236 Always found Chaplin overrated myself, but the critics loved him. Kind of the 20s equivalent to Oscar bait. Keaton and Lloyd were way more entertaining, and Lloyd was definitely the funniest of the 3 if we're talking from a pure comedy standpoint

[@Dpb-236]

​@@gugurupurasudaikirai7620yes...l totally agree❤

[@TranscendianIntendor]

I discovered when working as a carpenter that as brave as I am dedicated to being when working with my buddies, I am very afraid of heights. They make my balls tingle weird to inform me how frightened I have become. My mates are kind to me about it.

[@orbyfan]

There was a "Safety Last Society" in New York, which presumably didn't last long if Harry Young was a typical member. On March 5, 1923, just 27 days before the movie's release, Mr. Young was a "human spider" who climbed the outside of a building in Greeley Square in New York City, but slipped on the 10th floor and plunged to his death before 20,000 onlookers.

[@Dpb-236]

My favorite movie 1920s. I 💘 Harold Lloyd. 😊

[@alandesouzacruz5124]

Masterpiece

[@zacharybalean]

Hey does any one know the name of the song used for the intro? It's quite catchy. Good content btw as usual

[@TheMan40262]

KSI-Lamborghini

[@ProdAC3]

@@TheMan40262 exactly like how does he not know that smh 🤦🏽‍♂️

[@xbrandi12345x]

@@ProdAC3 oh yes, because that's common knowledge that everyone knows in 2022 😆🙄

[@ProdAC3]

@@xbrandi12345x it was a joke😐

[@jackflanagle6079]

Could you please tell us what that jazzy little bit of music is that opens each segment? Thanks!

[@The1920sChannel]

"Sweet Mama" by Duke Ellington & His Orchestra (1929)

[@Dpb-236]

​@@The1920sChannel😮 ❤ thanks 😊

[@prudencepineapple9448]

He blew one of his fingers off when a prop bomb went off. He used a glove to hide the missing finger for many films

[@MothGirl007]

It was actually his thumb and a finger.

[@jackmorrison7379]

Two fingers and most of his palm on the right hand, and bomb grit permanently inside his right eye whose sight he almost lost. He also had some facial scars covered by that pale facial makeup he always used (to cover his freckles as well).

[@Dpb-236]

​@@jackmorrison7379😮😢

[@xbrandi12345x]

To the channel creator. Yesterday I attempted to give you links where you could get Safety Last! and I know you didn't ask for that but I know you have struggled in the past with copyright problems and I couldn't post the link from archive dot come because KZbin is a pain in the butt but I uploaded it to my channel. It's free for public use so no copyright issues but I uploaded it so if there was an issue I would get the strike and not you because I don't care. My channel will never generate the kind of popularity yours does and that's fine. I am not here for any of that. If you don't wanna upload it on your channel, you are welcome to post this link to mine. I was sad to see I couldn't find any movies on your channel anymore. I love the content you do have here and a lot of hard work goes into it but I definitely miss the movies and if I can do anything to help it so you upload movies again, feel free to reach out because I think you have a great thing going on here and there aren't many channels quite like yours that grab my attention the way your videos do. I also attribute my love of silent films to you. Anyway, here ya go and I hope you are able to upload it. If not, here it is, Safety Last (1923) from the public domain for free use on my channel. ❤️ kzbin.info/www/bejne/iGjHdWWNnMSFq8k

[@jourwalis-8875]

The safety for the camera crew wasn´t so good. Standing on top of this high tower on a little platform without a fence!

[@leahrowden3939]

12:57 What the?!

[@irfaanxlcr8370]

I Knew That 🤭

[@A_r78]

It sucks that he was an extreme racist

[@nigden1]

And a climate change denying vegan who called himself Geraldine.

[@Audion]

Your descriptive dialogue around the 10 minute mark shows a lack of understanding of perspective. I'm a fine art painter and your perspective commentary is in need of improvement. Motion picture making and fine art go by the same rules in making a picture convincing.

[@The1920sChannel]

This was not my own commentary. I just read out an article from 1923 word for word, so any mistakes are the original author's.

[@scottpeterson7500]

Tom Cruise has got nothing on Harold Lloyd😎🍹

[@xbrandi12345x]

Lol Tom Cruise sucks that's why!! 😆

[@arrow1414]

True, but to Cruise's credit, he is the closes we got AFAIK.

[@erinyoon]

I've come to your channel from the "Slang of the 1920s" video and I just wanted to comment on how well-made your videos are! You use lots of primary sources and thread them into an interesting narrative, like Defunctland for the 1920's if that makes sense! I never imagined I'd be this intrigued by videos detailing the social atmosphere of the 20's, but the quality of your channel sure explains why. Keep it up! :)

[@tbt8533]

I saw this movie while stuck inside during the pandemic and possibly one of my favorites of all time. Lloyd is truly a film legend.

[@MothGirl007]

He's awesome.

[@merccadoosis8847]

@𝙏𝘽 𝙏 I understand that many other people had the same experience you did. Having been stuck at home they had no choice but to watch classics like this on TV or online. Now they became acquainted with these great movies and enjoyed what others did in the past. Thanks to You Tube for sharing these great movies!

[@Perktube1]

I thank God I was in Florida. But now I have to seek out this movie!

[@Dpb-236]

I'm Korean.. year 2002 ,I wached to Japan Tv 1st time. My favorite movie. Harold Lloyd is my favorite actor. Unfortunately never seen this movie in Korea. Very unhappy thing.

[@andymassingham]

I find it fascinating that this “spoiler” article, published the very year Safety Last was released, is not more famous. Despite the fact that it lays the deception out clearly, the myth is what the public wanted.

[@dranimations7902]

Great video! this was fascinating - and that bit with the pigeons was very funny.

[@ladyagnes7781]

One of the very best films EVER! I adore this....& Lloyd. I could watch this one over and over forever and still laugh and enjoy it. It's a masterpiece

[@ykrgfk]

It's strange how the myths about the filming of this scene still persist when the explanation has been available for so long. In fact, I'm not sure that the detailed explanation would be necessary except for the fact that it's all so absorbing that viewers don't think to ask themselves 'Where's the camera crew sited to be able to get these shots?' Clearly, if it was filmed with no trickery, the crew would have to be in as dangerous a position as Lloyd. Even if they were, the angles and the close ups just wouldn't be possible so it should be clear that we're seeing a clever trompe l'oeil set up of some kind rather than a fatally dangerous stunt. The person taking the biggest risks was stuntman Harvey Parry who actually did do the 'human fly' climb of the first few stories.

[@jackmorrison7379]

Wrong, a lie you keep repeating on all Safety Last videos. Why? Just to troll or an honest error you won't retract or for some reason you just hate a silent film star? Parry was ONLY in the sequel "Feet First" and that is well documented. The human fly here was the actor playing Harold's friend chased by the cop. That is also well documented. The camera crew was on a pedestal and there is no question about that either lined up to film HL, and the street below and nothing else. SO Roger Ebert and a host of film writers are all wrong and you are right? Nope.

[@joe2501echo]

Actors from the silent film era were just built different.

[@master-kq3nw]

haha so interesting yes that was fake building

[@neilgarrod318]

What one called speedy where he is an NYC cab driver

[@promiscuous5761]

Thank you.

[@jgrab1]

So was it called "Safety at Last" or "Safety Last"?

[@sockmonkey22]

The film title is “Safety Last” but this video quotes a movie magazine story with photos and sketches. “Safety, at Last” is the article’s title thought up by its author or editor.