๐๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ผ๐น๐ฑ ๐๐น๐ผ๐๐ฑ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ฐ๐ผ๐ป๐ถ๐ฐ ๐๐น๐ผ๐ฐ๐ธ ๐ฆ๐ฐ๐ฒ๐ป๐ ๐ถ๐ป โ๐ฆ๐ฎ๐ณ๐ฒ๐๐ ๐๐ฎ๐๐!โ
Harold Lloyd (1893โ1971) was a pioneering American comedian and filmmaker, one of the silent film eraโs biggest stars alongside Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton. A small-town boy from Burchard, Nebraska, Lloyd began acting in one-reel comedies in 1913, eventually developing his signature โGlassesโ character โ a relatable, optimistic everyman with round spectacles and innocent "college-boy" demeanor. By the 1920s, he was a major box-office draw, known for blending physical comedy with daring stunts.
The clock scene in โSafety Last!โ where Lloyd dangles from a skyscraper clock tower, is one of cinemaโs most iconic images and hair-raising scenes. The sequence was shot at multiple locations, including the roof of the International Savings & Exchange Bank building,
To create the illusion of greater height, sets were built on rooftops with camera angles carefully framed to exaggerate the drop below, often with mattresses or platforms just out of sight for safety. The clock itself was a heavy, well-designed practical prop, rigged to support Lloydโs weight as he hung from its hands, with precise choreography to capture his terrifying "dangling" moment.
In his 1928 autobiography, โAn American Comedy,โ Lloyd discussed his approach to thrill sequences like the clock scene, saying: "We never set out to make pictures that would scare people. We wanted thrills, not chills. The audience should be laughing while theyโre gripping the arms of their seats."
