20 Iconic Movie Scenes That Nearly Killed Their Stars
16. Harold Lloyd: Safety Last
Towards the film’s climax, the star, Harold Lloyd, clambers up the side of a skyscraper to win some cash.
He dangles precariously from a clock face, nearly dropping into the street below, before summoning enough courage to pull himself the last few feet to the top.
Special effects and trick photography were very new concepts at the time, so much of the film was what it appeared to be. Harold Lloyd risked death at nearly every stage of the filming process.
For years it was believed the stunt was accomplished with no trickery whatsoever. That was proven to be not the case, though that doesn’t mean the clock scene was without risk.
The crew built a fake clock face on the roof of a skyscraper to get a view of the city below. They had mats set out to catch Lloyd if he fell. Lloyd tested the safety precautions by tossing a dummy from the clock onto the mats, which promptly bounced off the rooftop and tumbled over the side.
He had also lost the thumb and index finger on his right hand a few years before, so he ended up performing the stunt with eight fingers and a slim chance of survival if he fell.
