Safety Last!

Gr 4 Up—In this classic silent film, Harold Lloyd plays a down-on-his-luck department store clerk desperately trying to earn enough money to marry his sweetheart, all while pretending to be a successful manager at the store so she is none the wiser. As part of a publicity stunt, he gets paid to scale the department store building, but quickly finds himself in both dangerous and hilarious situations, such as hanging from the hands of the building's clock—the movie's most iconic image. Modern audiences (especially children) may find the pacing too slow at first, but they will find the ending just as funny and suspenseful as when it first was shown back in 1923. Included are a wide variety of special features, highlights include an engaging audio commentary by film critic/historian Leonard Maltin; a 1989, 108-minute informative documentary about the life of Lloyd (which reflects on the loss of part of his hand, making the death-defying stunts he performed all that more impressive); a new documentary about the groundbreaking visual effects; and three recently restored shorts that display the well-rounded approach of Lloyd's comedy. A terrific package for easily one of the best silent comedies.—Peter Blenski, Greenfield Public Library, WI