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.