Safety Last (1923)
94%RT Audience Score: 93%
Awards & Nominations: NA
Safety Last, the 1923 classic comedy film starring Harold Lloyd, is a masterpiece of physical comedy and death-defying stunts. While some may question the morality of finding humor in the perilous situations Lloyd finds himself in, there is no denying the sheer entertainment value of this film. From the iconic clock tower scene to the hilarious antics of Lloyd’s character, Safety Last is a timeless classic that still manages to elicit laughter and gasps from audiences today. Lloyd’s comedic timing and inventive stunts are a testament to his genius, and the film’s enduring popularity is a testament to its status as one of the greatest comedies of all time.
Safety Last is a classic comedy that has stood the test of time. Critics from the past and present have raved about Harold Lloyd’s hilarious stunts and impeccable comedic timing. Even though the film was made almost 100 years ago, it still manages to capture the attention of modern audiences. Watching Lloyd climb a building and dangle from a clock is both thrilling and hilarious. It’s no wonder that Safety Last has become a beloved classic that continues to entertain audiences today. So, if you’re looking for a good laugh and some heart-pumping action, give Safety Last a watch!
Production Company(ies)
DUST
Distributor
Pathé Exchange Inc., Continental Home Vídeo [br]
Release Type
Theatrical
Filming Location(s)
MPAA / Certificate
Year of Release
1923
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Color:Color
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Sound mix:Dolby
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Aspect ratio:NA
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Runtime:1h 14m
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Language(s):English
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Country of origin:United States
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Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Apr 1, 1923 Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Jun 5, 2007
Genre(s)
Comedy
Keyword(s)
silent film, comedy, Harold Lloyd, Mildred Davis, Bill Strother, Noah Young, Westcott Clarke, Mickey Daniels, Fred Newmeyer, Sam Taylor, Jeffrey Vance, Hal Roach, Kevin Brownlow, Sam Taylor, H M Walker, Tim Whelan, Pathé Exchange Inc., Continental Home Vídeo [br], Pathé, Hal Roach Studios Inc., box office, budget, critic reviews, MPAA rating, visual effects, slapstick comedy, New York City, store manager, human fly, crazy stunt, acrophobia, laughter, danger, inventiveness, twisty narrative, hilarious, iconic scene, stunt work, spectacle, likable, charming, climbing stunt, mattress, comedy method, photocomic entertainment, physical logic, silent films, hair-raising stunts, modern comedy, mirthful screen triumphs, brilliant comedy success, tricks, friends, fabric sale, perilously, pigeons, wooden beam, ledge, likable, charming, danger, climbing stunt, mattress, safety last
Worldwide gross: NA
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): NA
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): NA
US/Canada gross: NA
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada opening weekend:
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): $5,000,000
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): $115,429,329
Production budget ranking: 329
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): $62,158,694
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
ROI to date (est.): NA
ROI ranking: NA
Mildred Davis – The Girl
Bill Strother – The Pal
Noah Young – The Law
Westcott Clarke – The Floorwalker
Mickey Daniels – Newsboy (uncredited)
Director – Fred Newmeyer, Sam Taylor
Producer – Jeffrey Vance, Hal Roach, Kevin Brownlow
Writer – Sam Taylor, H. M. Walker, Hal Roach, Tim Whelan
Director(s)
Fred Newmeyer, Sam Taylor
Writer(s)
Sam Taylor, H. M. Walker, Hal Roach, Tim Whelan
Producer(s)
Jeffrey Vance, Hal Roach, Kevin Brownlow
Film Festivals
Cannes
Awards & Nominations
NA
Academy Awards
All Critics (73) | Top Critics (22) | Fresh (71) | Rotten (2)
Why [people] should be supposed to find entertainment and not torture in seeing another human on the point of falling to certain death is a mystery to what intelligence I possess. However, there are six reels of it, and it proved vastly entertaining.
February 22, 2023
Inez Cunningham
Chicago Tribune
TOP CRITIC
As for Lloyd, we always knew he was funny, but we never realized how funny until this one. It isn’t only that he does funny stunts; his comedy method Itself is perfect of its own original kind.
February 22, 2023
Grace Kingsley
Los Angeles Times
TOP CRITIC
As photocomic entertainment it is in a class by itself. We have rarely heard people laugh and shriek in a theatre as they did yesterday.
February 22, 2023
P.W. Gallico
New York Daily News
TOP CRITIC
This Harold Lloyd high-class low comedy has thrills as well as guffaws.
February 22, 2023
Sime Silverman
Variety
TOP CRITIC
Strong nerves are essential while viewing the hair-raising stunts of Harold Lloyd in his latest release, Safety Last.
February 22, 2023
New York Post Staff
New York Post
TOP CRITIC
It is a breathless thill picture, perfectly made, as [Lloyd’s] pictures always are, but lacking the spark of originality he usually endows his work with.
February 22, 2023
Helen Klumph
Los Angeles Times
TOP CRITIC
… apart from the long shots featuring a stuntman, that’s Lloyd himself scrambling up the bricks and cornices, thanks to a mix of nervy stuntsmanship and ingenious location shooting….
April 14, 2023
Sean Axmaker
Stream on Demand
It goes like lightning and seems supercharged by creativity and by the comedy of physical logic particular to silent films.
April 5, 2023 | Rating: A
Rob Gonsalves
Rob’s Movie Vault
A distinctively modern comedy in 1923; 100 years on it remains so. More than ever, we’re all hanging from that clock, trying not to panic as a disinterested, preoccupied world scurries below us, indifferent to our passions and pain.
April 1, 2023 | Rating: 5/5
Bill Newcott
The Saturday Evening Post
In Safety Last the inimitable Harold Lloyd adds another brilliant comedy success to his long list of mirthful screen triumphs.
March 16, 2023
George T. Pardy
Exhibitor’s Trade Review
The large and growing number of Harold Lloyd fans will enjoy Safety Last. It is full of the tricks which have earned him his friends, and in some scenes he is probably funnier than in any previous picture.
February 22, 2023
Carl Sandburg
Chicago Daily News
The technique of this production… [is] truly marvelous. [Full review in Spanish]
February 22, 2023
María Luz Morales (Felipe Centeno)
La Vanguardia (Spain)…
Plot
A man moves to New York City to support his girlfriend, but when he hears of a store manager offering $1,000 to anyone who can draw people to his store, he convinces his friend to climb the building and split the profit with him, leading to a crazy stunt.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
Fresh Kernels doesn’t provide any goofy or funny comments about the film Safety Last.
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