Harold Lloyd
Born April 20, 1893
Died March 8, 1971
Named for his paternal grandfather who hailed from Wales, Harold Clayton Lloyd was born Burchard, Nebraska at the end of the 19th century. Given the bright spotlight that centered on Harold, many people do not know that he had an older brother named Gaylord who was also moderately successful in the film industry, having acted at the beginning of his career, but later settling for jobs behind the camera. It is perhaps because of his older brothers involvement in motion pictures that young Harold took an interest from an early age in theater. He took it upon himself to get involved in vaudeville and exercise/develop his talents even before his family moved to California when he was in high school. After he graduated from San Diego High School, he went on to study at the San Diego School of Dramatic Arts.
Lloyd quickly tapped into the industry after his move to California. He soon made an affiliation with Thomas Edison's film company and was creating one-reel comedic films. When the then not-so-famous Hal Roach formed his own company in 1913, he took on Lloyd and the two of them collaborated together on many projects. One of the first things that Lloyd undertook was hiring a co-star. He eventually chose Bebe Daniels. The two worked together on many projects for the next 6 years and were as much of a hit off screen as on, since it was common knowledge that the two were a couple. Audiences affectionately referred to them as "The Boy & The Girl." In 1919, Daniels felt like she was being confined to the studio and wanted to branch out on her own, so she left the company and Lloyd to build her own career. Lloyd only suffered from the heartache for a short period of time until Mildred Davis was hired as his new co-star that same year. The two married in 1923.
During those beginning years, Lloyd formed a comedic persona all his own. His friends and co-workers frequently joked to him that he was far too handsome to star in screwball comedies, so he created his own look. Along with the customary heavy stage makeup, his character developed the trademarks of a straw boater hat and thick-framed round glasses. Lloyd also created a reputation during this time as a creative yet sometimes reckless stuntman. He was very athletic by nature, and whenever his character was caught in a sometimes physically trying predicament, Lloyd would insist on doing the work himself. He sustained many various smaller injuries over the course of his career, but seriously hurt himself in 1919. Ironically, Lloyd was merely posing for a promotional photograph when the accident occurred. He was holding a small bomb that was thought to just be a prop, yet it promptly went off in his hand causing him to lose two fingers. For the rest of his career he wore a prosthetic glove while acting in his films. Due to the pictures being in black and white, most people never knew the difference.
By 1921, Lloyd and Roach were still working together and decided to make a move into feature length films. They produced several successful films such as Grandma's Boy (1922), Why Worry? (1923), and one of his most memorable films, Safety Last! (1923). After the success of these films, Lloyd decided to expand and begin producing his own films beginning in 1924, so as to have more room for his creativity. It was once he branched out on his own that Lloyd then starred in his most accomplished films such as Girl Shy (1924), The Kid Brother (1927), Speedy (1928), and his highest-grossing film The Freshman (1925).
Speedy proved to be his final silent film. The film industry was taking a turn that promised growth and expansion with the development of sound equipment. Talkies were rolling into production. As with many silent film stars, there was some concern in the film industry as to whether or not Lloyd's career would transfer successfully when he could be heard. Lloyd did not ruffle his own feathers about it and just went on with business as usual. Since he was one of the highest paid stars during the silent film era, audiences everywhere were excited to see how Lloyd would do, and what he would sound like, in these new films. Welcome Danger (1929) was one of the last films released before the chaos of the Great Depression ensued. It was enormously successful. Once the stock market crash occurred and the Great Depression took hold of the nation, Lloyd's career slowed down a bit for the next 10 years, but he still continued to work. He trudged on through most of the 1940s, although he eventually sold the land of his production company to a branch of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which remains there today. In 1944 Lloyd began to dabble in the realm of radio, hosting The Old Gold Comedy Theater for its duration. Once that program died out, Lloyd slowly began to sink into retirement, but he took it in stride, becoming very involved in many different charities. He was also a family man throughout his life. He and his wife, Mildred, were married until her death in the 1960s, and they were kept very busy with their 3 children.
Harold Lloyd was a revolutionary worker of creativity and comedic talent in the film industry. He starred in 188 comedic films in his early career, and 17 feature length films. He did much experimentation with color, technicolor, photography, and 3D, and he was also one of the founding members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. His film Safety Last! remains the oldest film listed on the American Film Institute's list of 100 Most Thrilling Movies. He died in 1971 at the age of 77 due to cancer.
"The man who tries to be funny is lost. To lose one's naturalness is always to lose the sympathy of your audience."
-Harold Lloyd
"The more trouble you get a man into, the more comedy you get out of him."
-Harold Lloyd
"Comedy comes from inside. It comes from your face. It comes from your body."
-Harold Lloyd
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