Harold Lloyd: The Man on the Clock

Tom Dardis presents a biographical examination of silent film star Harold Lloyd, whose iconic image hanging from a clock face in "Safety Last!" became emblematic of both his career and American cinema. The book traces Lloyd's path from small-town beginnings through his rise in early Hollywood, documenting his evolution from supporting player to one of the industry's most bankable stars. The text incorporates extensive research into Lloyd's professional achievements and personal life. The biography includes analysis of Lloyd's major films and contributions to comedy, supported by 136 black-and-white photographs that showcase his work and era. Dardis details Lloyd's innovative approach to physical comedy and his business acumen in managing his career. Through Lloyd's story, the book illuminates the broader transformation of early American cinema and the development of screen comedy as an art form during the silent era.

Not enough reader reviews exist online to create a meaningful summary. The book appears on Goodreads with only 5 ratings (4.2/5 average) and no written reviews. Amazon shows no customer reviews. The book is out of print and seems to have limited circulation among general readers. Library holdings data suggests it's primarily found in academic/research libraries rather than public collections. The few available reader comments note Dardis's research and interviews with Lloyd's contemporaries. One reader highlighted the coverage of Lloyd's transition from silent to sound films. Another mentioned appreciating the details about Lloyd's technical innovations with camera work and stunts. Goodreads: 4.2/5 (5 ratings, 0 reviews) Amazon: No ratings/reviews LibraryThing: 4.0/5 (2 ratings, 0 reviews)

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🎬 Harold Lloyd performed most of his own dangerous stunts, including the famous clock-hanging scene in "Safety Last!" (1923), despite losing his thumb and index finger in a prop bomb accident in 1919. 📚 Author Tom Dardis spent over three years researching the book, gaining unprecedented access to Lloyd's personal archives and conducting interviews with his surviving family members. 🌟 Lloyd was the highest-paid actor of the silent film era, earning more than Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton combined at his peak in the mid-1920s. 🏛️ Lloyd's 44-room Beverly Hills estate, Greenacres, was one of the most elaborate private residences in America, featuring its own movie theater, 900-car parking lot, and Olympic-sized swimming pool. 📽️ Unlike many silent film stars, Lloyd successfully invested his earnings in real estate and maintained his wealth through the Great Depression, allowing him to preserve most of his films by buying back the rights and storing them properly.