Safety Last! (1923)

In the heart of 1922, a naive lad named Harold bids adieu to his beloved Mildred and his mother at the rustic Great Bend train station. Carrying dreams as large as the city he's destined for, he promises to wed Mildred once he "makes good". Upon arriving in the bustling metropolis, Harold finds solace in his friend "Limpy" Bill, sharing not just a room but also the struggle of urban life. Harold finds his footing as a salesman in the prestigious De Vore Department Store, but life is no bed of roses. Struggling to keep his job and maintain the illusion of success, he pawns Bill's phonograph to buy a lavish lavaliere. In letters to Mildred, he paints a rosy picture of himself as De Vore's manager, a far cry from his reality as a lowly sales clerk. Circumstances take a comedic turn when Harold recognizes an old friend from Great Bend, now a policeman, and convinces Bill to play a small prank on him. Unfortunately, Bill's misdirected antics land on the wrong officer, leading to a thrilling chase that ends with Bill scaling a building to escape. Unbeknownst to Harold, Mildred is urged by her mother to pay him a surprise visit. His charade of being De Vore's manager becomes a high-wire act, even as he grapples with his duties under the stern gaze of the store's head floorwalker, Mr. Stubbs. The plot thickens when Harold overhears the general manager's desperate need to promote De Vore and attract more patrons, offering a hefty reward. Seizing the opportunity, Harold plans a daring stunt involving Bill's newfound climbing skills. But as the suspicious officer re-enters the scene, Harold may find himself scaling more than just the ladder of success in the concrete jungle. In a world where high hopes meet hard realities, "Safety Last!" is a riveting tale of ambition, love, and the often humorous trials of making it big in the city, teetering on the edge of disaster with every step upward.

Safety Last! is a comedy movie featuring Harold Lloyd.

Safety Last! is currently streaming for free (ad-supported) on Kanopy and Public Domain Movies and it's also available on Classix, Criterion Channel and Max Amazon Channel.

It is also possible to buy Safety Last! on Amazon Video and Apple TV.