Review of Safety Last! (1923) by Andrew F — 15 Aug 2009

While always mentioned as sort of a distant third in the silent comedy sweepstakes behind Chaplin and Keaton, Harold Lloyd was another brilliant physical comedian and part of an esteemed line of apparently insane actors who throw themselves into their work with no regard for their personal well-being.

The stunt work is unbelievable and results in one of the most enduring comedic set pieces in history. The rest of the movie's not bad either, as we see Lloyd's somewhat more "normal" persona put through a ringer of uncomfortable situations that would put most of the modern guys (except perhaps Sasha Baron Cohen) to shame.