Thursday, 2 January 2020

Safety Last (1923 Fred Newmeyer, Sam Taylor)

Well. Finally...

Agile, athletic, fluid.. You marvel of course at the building climb / stunts but relish also the smaller touches - the way he and Bill Strother hang themselves under coats so the landlady won't find them, the way he scuttles along the floor behind a packing case, or comes to life as a shop window dummy.

Iris dissolves I guess were managed in-camera but there's some neat fading in and out which may be post processed. Despite safety platforms and things there's no way you can convince me that was a safe stunt, or rather, series of stunts, for actor or crew. It's more thrilling than the Tom Cruise Dubai stuff.


Written by Hal Roach, Sam Taylor and Tim Whelan. Photographed by Walter Lundin, filmed in LA.

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