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OPEN CLASSIC CINEMA · 709

Safety Last!

192373 minUnited States

Video edition: Wikimedia Commons
Original language: No spoken dialogue. Intertitles: English.
This copy runs: 73:52
Subtitles: No subtitle track in this language

Languages and subtitles

No subtitle track in this language

Wikimedia Commons · Fred C. Newmeyer / Sam Taylor · Public domain

Synopsis

A department-store clerk lets his girlfriend believe that he has become an important man in the city. Her visit makes that deception difficult to sustain. Hoping to earn a promotional reward, he arranges a spectacular climb of the store building, only to find himself taking the place of the friend whose climbing skills were supposed to make it possible.

Cast

Harold Lloyd

DirectorsFred C. Newmeyer Sam Taylor

Behind the scenes

The famous clock sequence combines Lloyd's performance with carefully chosen camera positions, rooftop construction and stunt work. Bill Strother, the professional climber who inspired the idea, also appears as the clerk's friend.

Sources and availability

General references identify the work and its copy. A reference beside an editorial section is linked to the claims checked in that section.

Wikipedia — film reference Wikidata — film identity and credits

Work catalogued as public domain in the United States.

The public-domain references concern the original films in the United States. Rights can differ for other countries, editions, restorations, music or translations. Sources are listed on each film page.

Availability checked on September 12, 2026.

Photograph credit

Photographs cropped, resized and optimized as WebP, displayed in monochrome.

Harold Lloyd — Daniel Blum · Public domain

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