Safety Last, the 1923 Movie Featuring the Most Iconic Scene from Silent Film Era, Just Went Into the Public Domain

Safety Last, the 1923 film starring Harold Lloyd, features one of the most iconic scenes from the silent film era. Writes Roger Ebert, the scene above is “by general agreement the most famous shot in silent comedy: a man in a straw hat and round horn-rim glasses, hanging from the minute hand of a clock 12 stories above the city street. Strange, that this shot occurs in a film few people have ever seen. Harold Lloyd’s Safety Last (1923), like all of his films, was preserved by the comedian but rarely shown.” All of that might be about to change. Along with a number of other classic works, Safety Last went into the public domain this week. So now everyone can watch the film, whenever they please. Watch a complete version on YouTube here. Restored versions of the film can be purchased through Criterion.

Safety Last will be added to our collection, 4,000+ Free Movies Online: Great Classics, Indies, Noir, Westerns, Documentaries & More.

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