posted September 20, 2010 06:00 PM
Hi Michael - a mate of mine has a lot of Harold Lloyd full length features on Super 8 sound. They are Time Life prints. They are "in storage" at the moment - but he's pretty sure Safety Last is one of them. I seem to remember Blackhawk advertising it but as was the case with a lot of their titles the copyright meant they would not sell to Australia so I never got one. I'm doing an inventory of his films in the near future as he may sell off a lot of his collection. Keep watching here. Cheers
posted September 21, 2010 06:28 PM
Keep in mind that the Blackhawk/Time-Life version is slightly edited. Unless you've seen the full-length version recently or have memorized it, you wouldn't suspect that anything was cut out. To my knowledge, a full-length version was never released in 8mm.
I've found that to be the case with WHY WORRY? and THE FRESHMAN as well -- the cuts are very well-done.
WHY WORRY?, btw, is just as good as SAFETY LAST. If you haven't seen it, it is worth seeking out. Someone is offering it on eBay right now. It is my favorite Harold Lloyd film.
posted September 22, 2010 02:55 AM
I agree with regards to 'Why Worry'. Probably Lloyd's best film. But then I like all of them.
-------------------- British Film Collectors Convention home page www.bfcc.biz. The site is for the whole of the film collecting hobby and not just the BFCC.
quote:Keep in mind that the Blackhawk/Time-Life version is slightly edited.
Yes, that is the one thing that almost deterred me from buying this print. I hate edited versions of any film. But, until I can afford a decent 16mm print of this one, I'll settle for this one.
Every print of SAFETY LAST I've seen offered in 16mm is also the Time-Life cut. On many occasions sellers have listed Time-Life Lloyds as "complete", and I've often pointed out to them that it was not complete. Most doubted me. Oh well.
Posts: 399
From: Brighton, UK
Registered: Jun 2003
posted September 23, 2010 04:18 AM
Michael,
There must be about 10 minutes missing. Having said that, it is not really noticeable if you don't know the original cut. I used to have the S8 version but sold it (to Yanis I think...) when I found a 16mm print. My understanding is that TimeLife had the rights for it since the early sixties. Any complete prints must therefore be older than that.
I'm waiting for the Lloyd dvd set. As soon as it arrives I will be able to say what is missing from the Time-Life print. I must say that the jazzy score on the TimeLife prints is the most annoying aspect of them.
I have a few R8 prints of Harold Lloyd shorts from Film-Office. Those are marvelous quality. I wonder if they ever released features.
My kids asked just yesterday to see Safety Last again. So will try to get it out for a screening this weekend!
Posts: 1171
From: Highland Mills, NY USA
Registered: Jun 2003
posted September 23, 2010 01:19 PM
Awwwwww damn! I have several of the Blackhawk/Time-Life Features in Super 8 Sound with beautiful original boxes. Now to find out they're edited? Dammit! It's like finding out there's not really a Santa Claus. Well, I shall still treasure them - it's all I can get right now. As for the music.... I don't recall my Blackhawk prints having the jazzy scores. I'll have to rewatch them - I seem to remember organ scores, but I could be wrong.
posted September 23, 2010 02:53 PM
I just had confirmation from a friend that he has a full length 70min version of SAFETY LAST on 16mm - so, they are indeed out there.
posted September 23, 2010 06:34 PM
Yes Rob-it was me you sold it to ...what I really miss about Lloyd are the TV versions with commentary apart from music-found them awsome as a kid....
posted September 24, 2010 02:53 AM
'Hooray For Harold Lloyd' was the name of that compilation programme I think. That's what awakened me to this great comedian too. Also led to me getting into Keaton's films simply out of curiosity.
-------------------- British Film Collectors Convention home page www.bfcc.biz. The site is for the whole of the film collecting hobby and not just the BFCC.
posted September 24, 2010 03:57 AM
Yes you're right John, I used to make big fun with my friends of the dab-badadabadab-dab-dab sound in the end! Great days .....
Posts: 1171
From: Highland Mills, NY USA
Registered: Jun 2003
posted September 30, 2010 08:35 PM
Tony, I was referring to the opening of the "Hooray For Harold Lloyd" show back in the 80's. It has what I believe is an actor masquerading as Lloyd (and a very good likeness at that) walking around a house (a typical colonial home one would see in the 1920's) doing some little bits of business. The footage is too crisp and fresh looking to be anything 60+ years old and the Lloyd in this footage just doesn't look 100% like Harold. You can tell something is off. You can view the footage if you search "Hooray For Harold Lloyd" on YouTube. The Lloyd features from Time-Life have a jazz-band version of the opening theme from the show without the lyrics being sung by what sounds like a high school madrigal group. The tune is catchy when it's done up-tempo, but the singing is just awful.