Country boy (Harold Lloyd) heads to the big city to seek success. While working as a clerk in a department store, he talks the manager into offering $1000 to anyone who can bring more customers to the store. He then arranges for a friend, a
"human fly," (Bill Strother) to climb the face of the store building as a publicity stunt. Unfortunately the "human fly" is a wanted man, and when "The Law" (Noah Young) shows, our hero must make the climb, himself. At each ledge he encounters new
difficulties, climaxing in the famous 'clock scene.' Starring Harold Lloyd as The Boy, Mildred Davis as The Girl, Bill Strother as The Pal, Noah Young as The Law, and Westcott Clarke as The Floorwalker (Mr. Stubbs). Directed by Fred C. Newmeyer and Sam Taylor.
In the long -shot building scalings in this film and in Feet First, stunt doubles Bill Strothers and Harvey Parry were used. As Lloyd's legend grew in later years, however, the myth that he had performed all his own stunts grew with it. In deference to the star, Parry did not claim any credit until after Lloyd's death in 1971.
Lloyd himself performed the medium-shots and close-ups (like the clock sequence). He had to wear wire walker shoes to stay in-between the bricks and hung from the clock hands for long periods of time between breaks.
Many thanks to viewer two1065 for bringing this up so that these great stuntmen are not forgotten.
Tags: harold lloyd safety last 1923 1920s silent films movies old hollywood mildred davis daredevil stunts
