This week on 100 Things We Learned From Film, we’re heading back to the silent era for one of the most influential comedies ever made 1923’s Safety Last! starring the legendary Harold Lloyd.

We dive into the making of the film, the jaw-dropping skyscraper climb, how Lloyd performed dangerous stunts despite a disability, and why the famous clock-hanging scene became one of the defining images in cinema history.

Along the way we explore early Hollywood, the genius of silent comedy, Hal Roach Studios, rooftop trick photography, real-life “human spider” climber, and how Safety Last! helped shape action comedy for generations to come.

Expect behind-the-scenes stories, silent film history, production trivia, and plenty of facts about Harold Lloyd: the often-overlooked third giant of silent comedy alongside Chaplin and Keaton.

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Safety Last! is a 1923 American silent romantic-comedy film starring Harold Lloyd. It includes one of the most famous images from the silent-film era: Lloyd clutching the hands of a large clock as he dangles from the outside of a skyscraper above moving traffic. The film was highly successful and critically hailed, and it cemented Lloyd's status as a major figure in early motion pictures. It is still popular at revivals, and it is viewed today as one of the great film comedies.[5]

The film's title is a play on the common expression "safety first", which describes the adoption of safety measures as a means to avoid accidents, especially in workplaces. Lloyd performed some of the climbing stunts himself, despite having lost a thumb and forefinger four years earlier in a film accident.

This week on 100 Things We Learned From Film, we’re diving into the slick, stylish world of Out of Sight the crime classic that helped turn George Clooney into a genuine movie star and proved Jennifer Lopez had serious big-screen presence. We uncover behind-the-scenes stories about the casting, the famous chemistry between the leads, Steven Soderbergh’s unique directing style, and how the film quietly became one of the most beloved crime movies of the 1990s.

A huge thank you to Phil, one of our brilliant patrons, who picked this episode as part of supporting the show for a quid a month. If you’d like to help keep the podcast going and maybe even choose a future episode yourself you can support us too at 100thingswelearnedfromfilm.co.uk

Expect cool criminals, sharp dialogue, bizarre casting stories, Elmore Leonard brilliance, and plenty of facts you probably didn’t know about one of cinema’s smoothest capers.

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ut of Sight is a 1998 American crime comedy film directed by Steven Soderbergh and written by Scott Frank, adapted from Elmore Leonard's 1996 novel. The first of several collaborations between Soderbergh and actor George Clooney, it was released by Universal Pictures on June 26, 1998.

The film stars Clooney and Jennifer Lopez, co-starring Ving Rhames, Don Cheadle, Dennis Farina, Nancy Allen, Steve Zahn, Catherine Keener, and Albert Brooks. There are also special appearances by Michael Keaton, briefly reprising his role as Ray Nicolette from Quentin Tarantino's Jackie Brown the previous year, and Samuel L. Jackson.

The film received Academy Award nominations for Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Film Editing. It won the Edgar Award for Best Screenplay and the National Society of Film Critics awards for Best Film, Best Director, and Best Screenplay.

Disney’s 1973 adaptation of Robin Hood is remembered as a charming animated classic packed with catchy songs, recycled animation, and one of the most relaxed heroes Disney ever created.

But somehow… it also became the film responsible for awakening something in generations of viewers who found themselves strangely drawn to a cartoon fox in a green tunic.

In this episode of 100 Things We Learned From Film, Planty is joined by Mrs John, Kirsty as they dive into the bizarre legacy of Disney’s furry folk hero, exploring the troubled post-Walt Disney production, the reused animation tricks, the legendary voice cast, hidden production stories, and why this low-budget gamble became one of Disney’s most beloved cult classics.

Expect behind-the-scenes chaos, accidental internet history, Roger Miller earworms, and far more discussion about sexy foxes than anyone planned.

Featuring:

• The recycled animation Disney hoped you wouldn’t notice
• Why Robin Hood became a fox in the first place
• The strange origins of furry culture memes
• Phil Harris basically playing Baloo again
• The viral afterlife of “Whistle Stop”
• Prince John’s thumb-sucking tantrums
• The last days of Disney’s old animation guard
• And why this film still owns the internet decades later

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Robin Hood is a 1973 American animated musical adventure comedy film produced by Walt Disney Productions and released by Buena Vista Distribution. Produced and directed by Wolfgang Reitherman, it is based on the English folktale "Robin Hood". Taking place in a world populated by anthropomorphic animals, the story follows the adventures of Robin Hood, Little John, and the inhabitants of Nottingham as they fight against the excessive taxation of Prince John, and Robin Hood wins the hand of Maid Marian. The film features the voices of Brian Bedford, Phil Harris, Peter Ustinov, Pat Buttram, Monica Evans, Terry-Thomas, Roger Miller, and Carole Shelley.

The idea to adapt Robin Hood into an animated feature was dated back to Walt Disney's interest in the tale of Reynard the Fox following the release of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937). The idea was repeatedly shelved for several decades. In 1968, Ken Anderson pitched a film adaptation of Robin Hood, incorporating ideas from Reynard the Fox by using anthropomorphic animals rather than humans. The project was approved, becoming the first completely "post-Walt" animated feature and the first with an entirely non-human cast.

Robin Hood was released on November 8, 1973. The film received mixed reviews from critics, but it was nonetheless a box-office success, grossing $33 million worldwide against a production budget of $5 million. Although some retrospective reviews have criticized the heavy use of animation recycled from previous Disney films, the film's reputation has grown positively over time. It has since become a cult classic.