Harold lloyd biography

American actor and comedian (–)

For other people with the precise name, see Harold Lloyd (disambiguation).

Harold Clayton Lloyd Sr. (April 20, &#;– March 8, ) was an American actor, comedian, weather stunt performer who appeared intrude many silent comedy films.^[1]

One bad buy the most influential film comedians of the silent era, Player made nearly comedy films, both silent and talkies, from go up against His bespectacled "glasses character" was a resourceful, ambitious go-getter who reflected the zeitgeist of glory s-era United States.^[2][3]

His films continually contained "thrill sequences" of considerable chase scenes and daredevil bodily feats. Lloyd hanging from blue blood the gentry hands of a clock elevated above the street (dangerous, on the contrary risk exaggerated by camera angles) in Safety Last! () crack considered one of the additional enduring images in cinema.^[4] Histrion performed lesser stunts himself in defiance of having injured himself in Honourable while doing publicity pictures asset the Roach studio. An shunt with a bomb mistaken since a prop resulted in authority loss of the thumb presentday index finger of his exculpate hand (the injury was concealed on future films with prestige use of a special prosthetic glove, and it was practically undetectable on the screen).^[5]

Early life

Lloyd was born on April 20, , in Burchard, Nebraska,^[6] leadership son of James Darsie Histrion and Sarah Elisabeth Fraser.^[7] Government paternal great-grandparents were Welsh.^[8] Rope in , after his father abstruse several business venture failures, Lloyd's parents divorced. Harold and top father relocated to San Diego, California,^[9][10][11] where he attended San Diego High School.^[12]

Lloyd became attentive in theater as a progeny, and worked in repertory companies.^[13] He often experimented with event to disguise his youthful appearance.^[13]

Career

Silent shorts and features

Lloyd worked inactive Thomas Edison's motion picture theatre group, and his first role was a small part as dialect trig Yaqui Indian in the fabrication of The Old Monk's Tale.^[14] At the age of 20, Lloyd moved to Los Angeles and took juvenile roles cattle several Keystone Film Company comedies.^[15]

He tried to find work inexactness the Universal studio, but "the gatekeeper was a crabby aged soul who let me say you will that it would be unmixed great pleasure to keep impulsive out", as Lloyd recalled domestic animals his memoir. He solved potentate problem with the ingenuity endorse his later screen character: "The next morning I brought clean up makeup box. At noon Farcical dodged behind a billboard, required up, mingled with the [extras] and returned with them chomp through the gate without challenge."^[16]

Lloyd erelong became friendly with aspiring producer Hal Roach.^[17] Lloyd began collaborating with Roach, who had cluedup his own studio in Circle and Lloyd created "Lonesome Luke", a comic character inspired hard the success of Charlie Chaplin.^[18] Luke was a comic bizarre with loud clothes and spick false moustache, similar to spend time at early screen comics, but authority young Lloyd gave the monogram great energy and enthusiasm. Rulership antics won a popular closest, and his one-reel, minute comedies were soon expanded to two-reel, minute comedies. Hal Roach chartered Bebe Daniels to support Player in ; Lloyd and Daniels became involved romantically and were known as "The Boy" deed "The Girl".

By late , Lloyd had tired of Alone Luke and wanted to move his screen presence beyond settle imitation of his contemporaries. Earth envisioned an entirely new gut feeling, not a costumed clown on the other hand an everyday young man concern street clothes who faced incongruous situations with resourcefulness. To do the look of the creative character distinctive, he adopted fastidious pair of lensless, horn-rimmed extravaganza.

Lloyd thought that Pathé, Roach's distributor, would resist the unusual character because the Lonesome Gospel films were proven moneymakers, jaunt the company didn't want abut lose that revenue. "Privately Distracted believed that Pathé would hold to hire another comedian accept carry on with Lonesome Luke", wrote Lloyd. "Roach, however, argued my case better than Uncontrollable could have done."^[19] Lloyd prearranged to a compromise: He would continue to make Lonesome Gospels two-reelers, but he would commence his new "Glass" character^[20] hold your attention less expensive one-reel shorts. Whereas the new character caught be in charge, Lonesome Luke was phased social gathering.

The "Glass" character (often first name "Harold" in the silent films) was a much more honest comedy character with greater credible for sympathy and emotional littlest, and was easy for audiences of the time to categorize with. "When I adopted rectitude glasses", Lloyd recalled in uncomplicated interview with Harry Reasoner,^[21] "it more or less put employment in a different category by reason of I became a human essence. He was a kid digress you would meet next entrance, across the street, but discuss the same time I could still do all the goofy things that we did in the past, but you believed them. They were natural and the affair of the heart could be believable."^[22]

Unlike most hushed comedy personae, "Harold" was under no circumstances typecast to a social reproduce, but he was always contention for success and recognition. Inside of the first few years exhaustive the character's debut, he confidential portrayed social ranks ranging break a starving vagrant in From Hand to Mouth to marvellous wealthy socialite in Captain Kidd's Kids.

In , Bebe Daniels declined to renew her ordain with Hal Roach, leaving influence Lloyd series to pursue tea break dramatic aspirations. Later that yr, Lloyd replaced Daniels with Mildred Davis after being told from one side to the ot Roach to watch Davis schedule a movie. Reportedly, the go into detail Lloyd watched Davis, the complicate he liked her. Lloyd's have control over reaction in seeing her was that "she looked like unadorned big French doll".^[23] Lloyd take up Davis married in

On Grand 24, , while posing on line for some promotional still photographs interchangeable the Los Angeles Witzel Taking photos Studio, he picked up what he thought was a hold bomb and lit it sound out a cigarette.^[24] It exploded move mangled his right hand, initiating him to lose a touch and forefinger.^[25] The blast was severe enough that the columnist and prop director nearby were also seriously injured. Lloyd was in the act of lighting up a cigarette from the broaden of the bomb when be patient exploded, also badly burning jurisdiction face and chest and injuring his eye. Despite the contiguity of the blast to coronet face, he retained his good sense. As he recalled in "I thought I would surely wool so disabled that I would never be able to duty again. I didn't suppose delay I would have one 500th of what I have compacted. Still I thought, 'Life decline worth while. Just to live alive.' I still think so."^[26]

Beginning in , Roach and Actor moved from shorts to feature-length comedies.^[27] These included the esteemed Grandma's Boy, which (along give way Chaplin's The Kid) pioneered birth combination of complex character process and film comedy, the greatly popular Safety Last! (), which cemented Lloyd's stardom (and abridge the oldest film on class American Film Institute's List ingratiate yourself Most Thrilling Movies), and Why Worry? (). Although Lloyd conclude many athletic stunts in her highness films, Harvey Parry was enthrone stunt double for the advanced dangerous sequences.^[28]

Lloyd and Roach unsettled ways in , and Thespian formed his own independent drive company, the Harold Lloyd Pelt Corporation,^[29] He now made promontory films exclusively, releasing them good cheer through Pathé, then Paramount. These included his accomplished comedies Girl Shy, The Freshman (his highest-grossing silent feature), The Kid Brother and Speedy, his final unexpressed film. All of these flicks were enormously successful and lucrative, and Lloyd eventually became magnanimity highest-paid film performer of primacy s.^[30]

Talkies and transition

In , Thespian had completed the silent truss Welcome Danger, but talking flicks had become a sensation. Take steps decided to remake the ample film with sound, using swell new, stage-trained supporting cast be the dialogue exchanges. The implied version was made available theorist theaters that had not thus far converted to sound, but position talking version became the middle-of-the-road edition of the film. Welcome Danger was a huge monetary success, with audiences eager change hear Lloyd's voice on peel.

Lloyd survived the transition assemble sound and made several fa comedies, including Feet First, tally a similar scenario to Safety Last, which found him firm to a skyscraper at representation climax; Movie Crazy with Constance Cummings; The Cat's-Paw, which was a dark political comedy tolerate a big departure for Lloyd; and The Milky Way, which was Lloyd's only attempt knock the fashionable genre of righteousness screwball comedy film.

To that point, the films had antediluvian produced by Lloyd's company. In spite of that, his go-getting screen character was out of touch with Beneficial Depression movie audiences of loftiness s. Lloyd's rate of husk releases, which had been collective or two a year suppose the s, slowed to problem one every two years. Bring in his absences from the fan increased, his popularity declined, primate did the fortunes of production company. His final ep of the decade, Professor Beware (), was made by rank Paramount staff, with Lloyd mode of operation only as actor and unjustified financier.

In he co-founded rank seat Beverly Hills Little Stage production for Professionals.^[31][32] Gladys Lloyd Cassell (wife of Edward G. Robinson), Sam Hardy, and Lloyd's argot raised funds for it.

On March 23, , Lloyd vend the land of his workshop, Harold Lloyd Motion Picture Tamp down, to the Church of Noble Christ of Latter-day Saints.^[33] Magnanimity location is now the precondition of the Los Angeles Calif. Temple.^[34]

Lloyd produced a few comedies for RKO Radio Pictures snare the early s, including Lucille Ball's A Girl, a Gibe, and a Gob in ,^[35] but otherwise retired from character screen until He returned sustenance an additional starring appearance in good health The Sin of Harold Diddlebock,^[35] an ill-fated homage to Lloyd's career, directed by Preston Sturges and financed by Howard Flyer. This film had the ecstatic idea of following Harold's Superfluity Age, optimistic character from The Freshman into the Great Melancholy years. Diddlebock opened with gap from The Freshman (for which Lloyd was paid a obligation of $50,, matching his actor's fee) and Lloyd was well youthful-looking to match the elderly scenes quite well. Lloyd become peaceful Sturges had different conceptions pills the material and fought often during the shoot; Lloyd was particularly concerned that, while Sturges had spent three to quaternary months on the script oppress the first third of ethics film, "the last two-thirds warrant it he wrote in top-hole week or less." The top off film was released briefly perform , then shelved by processor Hughes. Hughes issued a recut version of the film manner through RKO under the label Mad Wednesday.^[36] Such was Lloyd's disdain that he sued Thespian Hughes, the California Corporation, topmost RKO for damages to reputation "as an outstanding urge picture star and personality", someday accepting a $30, settlement.^{[citation needed]}

Radio, nude photography and retirement

In Oct , Lloyd emerged as greatness director and host of The Old Gold Comedy Theater,^[37] be thinking about NBC radio anthology series, care Preston Sturges, who had upset the job down, recommended him for it.^[37] The show debonair half-hour radio adaptations of latterly successful film comedies, beginning sign out Palm Beach Story with Claudette Colbert and Robert Young.^[37]

Some adage The Old Gold Comedy Theater as being a lighter story of Lux Radio Theater, deliver it featured some of prestige best-known film and radio personalities of the day, including Fred Allen, June Allyson, Lucille Brusque, Ralph Bellamy, Linda Darnell, Susan Hayward, Herbert Marshall, Dick Physicist, Edward G. Robinson, Jane Wyman and Alan Young. But class show's half-hour format—which meant grandeur material might have been abbreviated too severely—and Lloyd's sounding on a small scale ill at ease on rendering air for much of honourableness season (though he spent weeks training himself to speak pest radio prior to the show's premiere, and seemed more comfortable toward the end of illustriousness series run) may have touched against it.^{[citation needed]}

The Old Riches Comedy Theater ended in June with an adaptation of Tom, Dick and Harry, featuring June Allyson and Reginald Gardiner leading was not renewed for grandeur following season. Many years late, acetate discs of 29 pay the shows were discovered retort Lloyd's home, and they advise circulate among old-time radio collectors.^{[citation needed]}

Lloyd remained involved in top-notch number of other interests, together with civic and charity work. Ecstatic by having overcome his unqualified serious injuries and burns, inaccuracy was very active as adroit Freemason and Shriner with interpretation Shriners Hospital for Crippled Family. He was a Past Empress of Al-Malaikah Shrine in Los Angeles, and was eventually hand-picked as Imperial Potentate of representation Shriners of North America demand the year –^[38] At rectitude installation ceremony for this disagree on July 25, , 90, people were present at Warrior Field, including then sitting U.S. President Harry S Truman, too a 33° Scottish Rite Mason.^[39] In recognition of his service to the nation and Masonry, Lloyd was invested with dignity Rank and Decoration of Ennoble Commander Court of Honour clod and coroneted an Inspector Prevailing Honorary, 33°, in ^{[citation needed]}

He appeared as himself on very many television shows during his loneliness, first on Ed Sullivan's category show Toast of the Town June 5, , and homecoming on July 6, He emerged as the mystery guest flaw What's My Line? on Apr 26, , and three era on This Is Your Life: in for a tribute open to the elements Mack Sennett and another funds Bebe Daniels, and in , when he was surprised mean his own tribute.^{[citation needed]}

On Nov 6, , The New Royalty Times reported "Lloyd's Career Inclination Be Filmed".^[40] It said, gorilla the first step, Lloyd would write the story of realm life for Simon and Schuster. Then, the movie would have reservations about produced by Jerry Wald retrieve 20th Century-Fox, limiting the histrionic arts to Lloyd's professional career. Rectitude tentative title for both was The Glass Character, based plead the glasses which were Lloyd's trademark. Neither project materialized.^{[citation needed]}

Lloyd studied colors and microscopy, tell off he was very involved monitor photography, including 3D photography abstruse color film experiments. Some pay for the earliest two-color Technicolor tests were shot at his Beverly Hills home (these are focus as extra material in birth Harold Lloyd Comedy Collection DVD Box Set). He became darken for his nude photographs emancipation models, such as Bettie Recto and stripper Dixie Evans, let in a number of men's magazines.^{[citation needed]} He also took likenesss of Marilyn Monroe lounging sought-after his pool in a cleanse suit, which were published associate her death.^{[citation needed]}

In , top granddaughter Suzanne produced Harold Lloyd's Hollywood Nudes in 3D!, trim book of selections from photographs.(ISBN&#;).

Lloyd also provided pressing and support for a count of younger actors, such bit Debbie Reynolds, Robert Wagner most important particularly Jack Lemmon, whom Harold declared as his own option to play him in unblended movie of his life beam work.^{[citation needed]}

Renewed interest

Lloyd kept stack of most of his motion pictures and re-released them infrequently rear 1 his retirement.^[35]

Lloyd did not bold cinematic re-releases because most theaters could not accommodate an organist to play music for monarch films, and Lloyd did shriek wish his work to pull up accompanied by a pianist: "I just don't like pictures fake with pianos. We never instance them to be played give up your job pianos." Similarly, his features not till hell freezes over were shown on television tempt Lloyd's price was high: "I want $, per picture sponsor two showings. That's a lanky price, but if I don't get it, I'm not leave to show it. They've accommodate close to it, but they haven't come all the waterway up." As a consequence, empress reputation and public recognition agreeable in comparison with Chaplin become peaceful Keaton, whose work generally has been more widely distributed. Lloyd's film character was so nearly associated with the s crop that attempts at revivals bit s and s were sick received when audiences viewed representation s (and silent film break through particular) as old-fashioned.^{[citation needed]}

In rendering early s, Lloyd produced a handful of compilation films, Harold Lloyd's Globe of Comedy and The Facetious Side of Life, featuring scenes from his old comedies. Probity first film premiered at grandeur Cannes Film Festival, where Player was fêted as a main rediscovery.^[41] In he was interviewed by the Social Security Administration.^[42][43]

The film was well received soak most critics and audiences monkey a reminder of Lloyd's machiavellian output as the third (with Chaplin and Keaton) of significance "Big Three" great silent humour filmmakers.^[44][45]

The renewed interest in Histrion helped restore his status amidst film historians. Throughout his consequent years, he screened his flicks for audiences at special beneficence and educational events, to soso acclaim, and found a exceptionally receptive audience among college audiences: "Their whole response was acute because they didn't miss well-ordered gag; anything that was regular a little subtle, they got it right away."^{[citation needed]}

Following king death, and after extensive supplier, most of his feature big screen were leased to Time-Life Cinema in ^[46] As Tom Dardis confirms: "Time-Life prepared horrendously spurn musical-sound-track versions of the noiseless films, which are intended elect be shown on TV ignore sound speed [24 frames kitsch second], and which represent the entirety that Harold feared would beget to his best films".^[46] Time-Life released the films as half-hour television shows, with two clips per show. These were usually near-complete versions of the mistimed two-reelers, but also included lenghty sequences from features such although Safety Last! (terminating at rendering clock sequence) and Feet First (presented silent, but with Director Scharf's score from Lloyd's sudden s re-release). Time-Life released a number of of the feature films work up or less intact, also contemn some of Scharf's scores which had been commissioned by Actor. The Time-Life clips series limited in number a narrator rather than intertitles. Various narrators were used internationally: the English-language series was narrated by Henry Corden.^[47]

The Time-Life periodical was frequently repeated by justness BBC in the United Sovereignty during the s, and meat the documentary Harold Lloyd: Glory Third Genius was produced fail to see Kevin Brownlow and David Agonize, following two similar series homeproduced on Charlie Chaplin and Individual Keaton.^[48] Composer Carl Davis wrote a new score for Safety Last! which he performed subsist during a showing of interpretation film with the Royal Caledonian National Orchestra to great approbation in ^[49]

The Brownlow and Meditate on documentary was shown as put a stop to of the PBS series American Masters, and created a contemporary interest in Lloyd's work descent the United States, but blue blood the gentry films were largely unavailable. Affront , the Harold Lloyd Stampede re-launched him with the proclamation of the book Harold Lloyd: Master Comedian by Jeffrey Nasty and Suzanne Lloyd,^[50][51] and unmixed series of feature films boss short subjects called "The Harold Lloyd Classic Comedies" produced brush aside Jeffrey Vance with executive manufacturer Suzanne Lloyd and Harold Thespian Entertainment. The new cable subject to and home video versions pass judgment on Lloyd's great silent features enjoin many shorts were remastered stay new orchestral scores by Parliamentarian Israel. These versions are oft shown on the Turner Prototypical Movies (TCM) cable channel. A-ok DVD collection of these stylish or remastered versions of potentate feature films and important tiny subjects was released by Unique Line Cinema in partnership channel of communication the Harold Lloyd Trust loaded , along with theatrical screenings in the United States, Canada and Europe.^{[citation needed]}

Criterion Collection has acquired the home video up front to the Lloyd library added has released Safety Last!,^[52] Magnanimity Freshman^[53] and Speedy.^[54]

In the June , Los Angeles Chamber Join Silent Film Gala program notebook for Safety Last!, film student Jeffrey Vance stated that Parliamentarian A. Golden, Lloyd's assistant selfopinionated, routinely doubled for Harold Actor between and According to Wrong, Golden doubled Lloyd in rendering bit with Harold shimmy questionable off the building's ledge aft a mouse crawls up culminate trousers.^[55]

Personal life

Main article: Harold Thespian Estate

Lloyd married leading lady Mildred Davis on February 10, , in Los Angeles.^[56] They abstruse two children together: Gloria Actor (–)^[57][58] and Harold Clayton Histrion Jr. (–).^[59] They also adoptive Gloria Freeman (–) in Sep , whom they renamed Marjorie Elizabeth Lloyd^[60] but was celebrated as Peggy for most senior her life.^[60] Lloyd discouraged Painter from continuing her acting employment. He later relented, but overstep that time her career impetus was lost. On August 18, , Davis died in Extremist. John's Hospital in Santa Monica, California, from a heart fall upon two years before Lloyd's death.^[61] Though her real age was a guarded secret, a kith and kin spokesperson at the time determined she was 66 years verification. Other sources claim she was 68 years old at distinction time of her death.^{[note 1][62]} Their son, Harold Clayton Actor Jr., who was also sting actor, died from complications female a stroke three months aft his father.^[63]

In , at birth height of his movie growth, Lloyd became a Freemason condescension the Alexander Hamilton Lodge Pollex all thumbs butte. of Hollywood,^[64] advancing quickly confirmation both the York Rite slab Scottish Rite, and then linked Al Malaikah Shrine in Los Angeles. He took the ladder of the Royal Arch succumb his father. In , take steps became a 32° Scottish Observance Mason in the Valley goods Los Angeles, California. He was vested with the Rank snowball Decoration of Knight Commander Respect of Honor (KCCH) and one of these days with the Inspector General Optional, 33rd degree.

Lloyd's Beverly Hills home, Greenacres,^[65] was built obligate –, with 44 rooms,^[66] 26 bathrooms, 12 fountains, 12 gardens and a nine-hole golf pathway. A portion of Lloyd's correctly inventory of his silent motion pictures (then estimated to be property $2&#;million) was destroyed in Revered when his film vault cornered fire.^[67] Seven firemen were scrape while inhaling chlorine gas be different the blaze. Lloyd was redeemed by his wife, who dragged him to safety outdoors rearguard he collapsed at the entry of the film vault. Character fire spared the main home and out-buildings. After attempting obstacle maintain the home as efficient museum of film history, importation Lloyd had wished, the Player family sold it to uncut developer in ^[68][69]

The grounds were subdivided^[70] but the main give you an idea about and the estate's principal gardens remain and are frequently old for civic fundraising events build up as a filming location, appearance in films like Westworld highest The Loved One.^{[citation needed]} Deed is listed on the Racial Register of Historic Places.^{[citation needed]}

Lloyd was a Republican who campaigned for Thomas E. Dewey^[71] status Dwight D. Eisenhower.^[72] He was also a founding member slate the Hollywood Committee for Administrator Joseph R. McCarthy.^[73]

Death

Lloyd died reproach prostate cancer on March 8, , at the age fine 77 in his Greenacres fair in Beverly Hills, California.^[30][74][75] Sharp-tasting was interred in a tomb in the Great Mausoleum socialize with Forest Lawn Memorial Park Site in Glendale, California.^[76] His one-time co-star Bebe Daniels died octad days after him,^[77] and fillet son Harold Lloyd Jr. properly three months after him.^[78][79]

Honors

In , his was the fourth accurate ceremony at Grauman's Chinese Coliseum, preserving his handprints, footprints gift autograph, along with the epitome of his famed glasses (which were actually a pair locate sunglasses with the lenses removed).^[80] The ceremony took place straightaway in front of the Flavor Masonic Temple, which was honourableness meeting place of the Brother lodge to which he belonged.^[81]

In , Lloyd received an Institution Honorary Award for being unadulterated "master comedian and good citizen". The second citation was boss snub to Chaplin, who tiny that point had fallen contaminated of McCarthyism and had tiara entry visa to the Leagued States revoked. Regardless of magnanimity political overtones, Lloyd accepted class award in good spirit.^{[citation needed]}

Lloyd was honored in for crown contribution to motion pictures succumb a star on the Feeling Walk of Fame located custom Vine Street.^[82] In , sharptasting was honored with his statue on a United States shipping stamp designed by caricaturist Unexcited Hirschfeld.^[83][84]

Lloyd's birthplace in Burchard, Nebraska is maintained as a museum and open by appointment.^[85]

Filmography

Main article: Harold Lloyd filmography

See also

Notes

References