The guy with glasses hanging from a clock.
Born Harold Clayton Lloyd in Buchard, Nebraska, on April 20th 1893. After attending stage school, Harold appeared as an extra
in several films where he befriended Hal Roach, who soon after started his own film company - Rolin.
Harold starred in a huge number of films for Rolin, initially as Willie Work and then as Lonesome Luke, both of
which were essentially Charlie Chaplin's tramp. To say the series was formulaic would probably be an extreme over estimation
of their creativity.
In 1917 Harold invented the Glasses character, that set him apart as a silent movie comic actor in his own right and not just
a 'me-too' Chaplin plagiarist. The preppy all American glasses wearing character provides
us with the most enduring image of Harold, although he didn't wear glasses except for when he was in character. Harold found that
he could shed his fame by removing his glasses, and this is reputed to be (although in reverse) the inspiration for the
transformation between Clark Kent and Superman.
Shortly before leaving Rolin, Harold made "Safety Last!", from which we get the still of him hanging precariously from a
clock face on the side of a skyscraper. At the end of 1923, Harold set up The Harold Lloyd Corporation, distributing films through
Pathe and Paramount.
Harold was famous for conducting his own stunts, his only serious injury while filming was sustained in 1920 when a not quite fake
bomb exploded costing him his right hand's thumb and forefinger. Following this he wore a prosthetic glove in all his movies.
Harold had three children, Gloria, Harold Jr. (who went on to act), and Marjorie Elizabeth who was adopted. He died aged 78 in 1971 and
is interred in the Great Mausoleum at Forest Lawn, Glendale, California.
Although rightly considered second fiddle to Charlie Chaplin, Harold Lloyd has left us with many superb images, shorts and
feature comedies that are still funny today.
Filmography
- Sin of Harold Diddlebock, The (1947), Harold Diddlebock, aka Mad
Wednesday (1950) (USA: reissue title)
- Professor Beware (1938), Prof. Dean Lambert
- Milky Way, The (1936), Burleigh "Tiger" Sullivan
- Cat's Paw, The (1934), Ezekiel Cobb
- Stout Hearts and Willing Hands (1932)
- Movie Crazy (1932), Harold Hall
- Feet First (1930), Harold Horne
- Welcome Danger (1929), Harold Bledsoe
- Speedy (1928), Harold 'Speedy' Swift
- Kid Brother, The (1927), Harold Hickory
- For Heaven's Sake (1926), J. Harold Manners, aka Uptown Boy
- Ben-Hur (1925)] (uncredited), Crowd extra in chariot race, aka Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ (1925)
- Freshman, The (1925), Harold 'Speedy' Lamb, aka College Days (1925)
(UK)
- Hot Water (1924), Hubby
- Girl Shy (1924), Harold Meadows
- Why Worry? (1923), Harold Van Pelham
- Safety Last! (1923), Harold Lloyd
- Doctor Jack (1922), Dr. Jackson of Magnolia Meadows, aka Dr. Jack (1922)
- Grandma's Boy (1922), Sonny, The Boy/Granddaddy
- Sailor-Made Man, A (1921), The Boy
- Never Weaken (1921), The Boy
- I Do (1921), The Boy
- Among Those Present (1921), O'Reilly, The Boy
- Now or Never (1921), The Boy
- Number, Please? (1920), The Boy
- Get Out and Get Under (1920), The Boy
- High and Dizzy (1920), The Boy
- Eastern Westerner, An (1920), The Boy
- Haunted Spooks (1920), The Boy
- His Royal Slyness (1920), The American Boy
- From Hand to Mouth (1919), The Boy
- Captain Kidd's Kids (1919), The Boy
- His Only Father (1919)
- Bumping Into Broadway (1919), The Boy
- Pay Your Dues (1919)
- Count the Votes (1919)
- Soft Money (1919)
- He Leads, Others Follow (1919)
- Rajah, The (1919)
- Don't Shove (1919), Harold
- Heap Big Chief (1919)
- Be My Wife (1919)
- Chop Suey & Co. (1919)
- Count Your Change (1919)
- Jazzed Honeymoon, A (1919)
- Never Touched Me (1919)
- At the Old Stage Door (1919)
- Just Neighbors (1919), The Boy
- Billy Blazes, Esq. (1919)
- Spring Fever (1919)
- Off the Trolley (1919)
- Swat the Crook (1919)
- Pistols for Breakfast (1919)
- Marathon, The (1919)
- Before Breakfast (1919/I)
- Si, Senor (1919)
- Ring Up the Curtain (1919), The Stage Hand
- Crack Your Heels (1919)
- Young Mr. Jazz (1919)
- Just Dropped In (1919)
- Sammy In Siberia, A (1919)
- Next Aisle Over (1919)
- Dutiful Dub, The (1919)
- Look Out Below (1919), The Boy
- I'm on My Way (1919)
- On the Fire (1919), The Chef, aka Chef, The (1919)
- Ask Father (1919)
- Going! Going! Gone! (1919)
- Wanted - $5,000 (1919)
- Back to the Woods (1918)
- She Loves Me Not (1918)
- Take a Chance (1918)
- Hear 'Em Rave (1918)
- Nothing But Trouble (1918)
- Why Pick on Me? (1918)
- Bees in His Bonnet (1918)
- Swing Your Partners (1918)
- Two Scrambled (1918)
- Bride and Gloom (1918), Groom
- That's Him (1918)
- Kicking the Germ Out of Germany (1918)
- Ozark Romance, An (1918)
- Are Crooks Dishonest? (1918)
- Somewhere in Turkey (1918)
- Sic 'Em, Towser (1918)
- City Slicker, The (1918), Harold
- Fireman Save My Child (1918)
- Two-Gun Gussie (1918), Two-Gun Gussie
- Non-Stop Kid, The (1918)
- Kicked Out (1918)
- Hey There! (1918)
- It's a Wild Life (1918)
- Pipe the Whiskers (1918), Janitor
- Follow the Crowd (1918)
- Let's Go (1918), Soda jerk
- Here Come the Girls (1918)
- Look Pleasant, Please (1918)
- Gasoline Wedding, A (1918)
- Beat It (1918)
- Hit Him Again (1918)
- Lamb, The (1918)
- Big Idea, The (1918)
- Tip, The (1918)
- Lonesome Luke's Lovely Rifle (1917), Lonesome Luke
- Step Lively (1917)
- Bashful (1917)
- Move On (1917), Chester Fields
- We Never Sleep (1917), Lonesome Luke
- All Aboard (1917)
- Clubs Are Trump (1917)
- Flirt, The (1917)
- Love, Laughs and Lather (1917)
- Rainbow Island (1917)
- Lonesome Luke From London to Laramie (1917)
- Bliss (1917)
- Birds of a Feather (1917), Lonesome Luke
- By the Sad Sea Waves (1917)
- Pinched (1917)
- Lonesome Luke Loses Patients (1917), Lonesome Luke
- Over the Fence (1917)
- Lonesome Luke's Wild Women (1917), Lonesome Luke
- Lonesome Luke, Mechanic (1917), Lonesome Luke
- Lonesome Luke, Messenger (1917), Lonesome Luke
- Stop! Luke! Listen! (1917), Lonesome Luke
- Lonesome Luke, Plumber (1917), Lonesome Luke, aka Lonesome Luke's Plumbing Mishaps (1917), aka Luke's Plumbing Blunders (1917)
- Lonesome Luke's Honeymoon (1917), Lonesome Luke
- Lonesome Luke on Tin Can Alley (1917), Lonesome Luke
- Lonesome Luke's Lively Life (1917), Lonesome Luke
- Luke Wins Ye Ladye Faire (1917), Lonesome Luke
- Lonesome Luke, Lawyer (1917), Lonesome Luke
- Luke's Trolley Troubles (1917), Lonesome Luke
- Drama's Dreadful Deal (1917)
- Luke's Busy Day (1917), Lonesome Luke
- Luke's Lost Liberty (1917), Lonesome Luke
- Luke's Shattered Sleep (1916), Luke
- Luke Locates the Loot (1916), Luke, aka Luke Locates the Lute (1916)
- Luke's Fireworks Fizzle (1916), Luke
- Luke, Rank Impersonator (1916), Luke
- Luke's Movie Muddle (1916), Luke, aka Cinema Director, The (1916)] (USA: video title), aka Director of the Cinema (1916), aka Luke's Model Movie (1916)
- Luke's Newsie Knockout (1916), Luke
- Luke, Patient Provider (1916), Luke
- Luke, the Gladiator (1916), Lonesome Lukius, Gladiator
- Luke's Preparedness Preparations (1916), Luke
- Luke, the Chauffeur (1916), Luke
- Luke and the Bang-Tails (1916), Luke
- Luke's Speedy Club Life (1916), Lonesome Luke
- Luke and the Mermaids (1916), Lonesome Luke
- Luke Joins the Navy (1916), Lonesome Luke
- Luke Does the Midway (1916), Lonesome Luke
- Luke's Lost Lamb (1916), Lonesome Luke
- Luke, Crystal Gazer (1916), Lonesome Luke
- Luke Rides Roughshod (1916), Lonesome Luke
- Luke's Washful Waiting (1916), Lonesome Luke
- Luke's Society Mixup (1916), Lonesome Luke
- Luke's Fatal Flivver (1916), Lonesome Luke
- Luke Laughs Last (1916), Lonesome Luke
- Luke's Late Lunchers (1916), Lonesome Luke
- Luke and the Bomb Throwers (1916), Lonesome Luke
- Them Was the Happy Days! (1916), Lonesome Luke
- Luke's Double (1916), Lonesome Luke
- Lonesome Luke, Circus King (1916)
- Luke Pipes the Pippins (1916), Lonesome Luke
- Luke and the Rural Roughnecks (1916), Lonesome Luke
- Luke Foils the Villain (1916), Lonesome Luke
- Luke, the Candy Cut-Up (1916), Lonesome Luke
- Lonesome Luke Lolls in Luxury (1916), Lonesome Luke, aka Luke Rolls in Luxury (1916)
- Luke Lugs Luggage (1916), Lonesome Luke
- Lonesome Luke Leans to the Literary (1916), Lonesome Luke, aka Luke Leans to the Literary (1916)
- Hogan's Romance Upset (1915)
- One Night Stand, A (1915)
- Lonesome Luke, Social Gangster (1915), Lonesome Luke, aka Social Gangster (1915)
- Peculiar Patients' Pranks (1915), Lonesome Luke
- Ruses, Rhymes and Roughnecks (1915), Lonesome Luke
- Foozle at the Tee Party, A (1915), Lonesome Luke
- Ragtime Snap Shots (1915), Lonesome Luke
- Great While It Lasted (1915), Lonesome Luke
- Tinkering with Trouble (1915), Lonesome Luke aka Easy Otis
- Submarine Pirate, A (1915)
- Bughouse Bellhops (1915), Lonesome Luke
- Giving Them Fits (1915), Luke de Fluke
- Fresh from the Farm (1915), Lonesome Luke
- Some Baby (1915), Lonesome Luke
- Mixup for Mazie, A (1915), Lonesome Luke
- Terribly Stuck Up (1915), Lonesome Luke
- Pressing His Suit (1915/I)
- Soaking the Clothes (1915)
- Spit-Ball Sadie (1915), Lonesome Luke
- Once Every Ten Minutes (1915)
- Hungry Actors, The (1915), aka Into the Light (1915) (USA)
- Court House Crooks (1915)] (uncredited), Young Man
- Lonesome Luke (1915), Lonesome Luke
- Miss Fatty's Seaside Lovers (1915), A suitor
- From Italy's Shore (1915)
- Their Social Splash (1915), aka Social Splash (1915) (USA)
- Love, Loot and Crash (1915)] (uncredited), Bit Part
- Just Nuts (1915), Willie Work
- Curses! They Remarked (1914)
- Patchwork Girl of Oz, The (1914)] (uncredited), Tottenhot, aka L. Frank
Baum's Whimsical Fairy Tale The Patchwork Girl of Oz (1914), aka Ragged
Girl of Oz (1918) (reissue title), aka Raggedy Girl, The (1919) (reissue
title)
- Samson (1914)] (uncredited), Chief Eunuch
- Sealed Orders (1914)
- Twixt Love and Fire (1914)
- Algy on the Force (1913)
- His Chum the Baron (1913)
- Hulda of Holland (1913)
- Twelfth Juror, The (1913)
- Hide and Seek (1913)
- Cupid in the Dental Parlor (1913), aka Love in the Dental Parlor (1913)
(USA: preview title)
- Old Monk's Tale, The (1913), Yaqui Indian (bit part)
While this may appear hugely prolific, the majority of his early work consisted of 'shorts', the first feature film to
star Harold was A Sailor-Made Man in 1921. |
