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Safety Last
(1923)

The Criterion Collection
2013 Blu-ray Disc edition

Safety Last (1923), black & white, 74 minutes, not rated, with Take a Chance (1918), black & white, 10 minutes, not rated, Young Mr. Jazz (1919), black & white, 10 minutes, not rated, His Royal Slyness (1919), black & white, 22 minutes, not rated, and Harold Lloyd: The Third Genius (1989), color and black & white, 108 minutes, not rated.

The Criterion Collection, CC2267BD (collection number 662), UPC 7-15515-10651-1, ISBN 978-1-60465-730-2.
One single-sided, dual-layered, Region A Blu-ray Disc; 1.37:1 aspect ratio picture in pillarboxed 16:9 (1920 x 1080 pixels) 24 fps progressive scan image encoded in SDR AVC format at ? Mbps average video bit rate; LPCM 2.0 stereo sound encoded at ? Mbps audio bit rate; English language intertitles, no subtitles; chapter stops; standard BD keepcase; $39.95.
Release date: 18 June 2013.
Country of origin: USA

This Blu-ray Disc edition features a 2K high-definition scan from an archival 35mm nitrate print from the Harold Lloyd collection, accompanied by the familiar orchestral music score composed by Carl Davis for the Photoplay Productions video presentation of the iconic Safety Last. An alternate music score features Gaylord Carter on theatre pipe organ. The scan has been digitaly cleaned and stabilized. The results are fantastic.

The disc is supplemented with the Photoplay Productions documentary Harold Lloyd: The Third Genius (1989).

This is the best edition of the film available on home video and it is highly recommended.

This Region A Blu-ray Disc edition is available directly from . . .

The Criterion Collection
2013 DVD edition

The Criterion Collection, CC2268D (collection number 662),
UPC 7-15515-10661-0, ISBN 978-1-60465-731-9.
One single-sided, dual-layered, Region 1 NTSC DVD disc (two DVDs in the set); 1.37:1 aspect ratio picture in full-frame 4:3 (720 x 480 pixels) interlaced scan image encoded in SDR MPEG-2 format at ? Mbps average video bit rate (capable of progressive scan upscaling to ? fps); Dolby Digital (AC3) 2.0 stereo sound encoded at ? Kbps audio bit rate; English language intertitles, no subtitles; chapter stops; standard two-disc DVD keepcase; $29.95.
Release date: 18 June 2013.
Country of origin: USA

This DVD edition features a 2K high-definition scan from an archival 35mm nitrate print from the Harold Lloyd collection, accompanied by the familiar orchestral music score composed by Carl Davis for the Photoplay Productions video presentation of the iconic Safety Last. An alternate music score features Gaylord Carter on theatre pipe organ. The scan has been digitaly cleaned and stabilized. The results are fantastic.

The disc is supplemented with the Photoplay Productions documentary Harold Lloyd: The Third Genius (1989).

This is the best edition of the film available on DVD home video and is highly recommended.

This Region 1 NTSC DVD edition has been discontinued
and is . . .

New Line Home Entertainment
2005 DVD edition

The Harold Lloyd Comedy Collection, Volume 1 (1919-1936), black & white, color-toned black & white and color-tinted black & white, 420 minutes total, not rated, including Safety Last (1923), color-toned black & white, 73 minutes, not rated.

New Line Home Entertainment,
N8446, UPC 7-94043-84462-1, ISBN 0-7806-5289-4.
One single-sided, dual-layered, Region 1 NTSC DVD disc; 1.33:1 aspect ratio picture in full-frame 4:3 (720 x 480 pixels) interlaced scan image encoded in SDR MPEG-2 format at ? Mbps average video bit rate (capable of progressive scan upscaling to ? fps); Dolby Digital (AC3) 2.0 stereo sound encoded at ? Kbps audio bit rate; Dolby Digital (AC3) 2.0 mono sound encoded at ? Kbps audio bit rate; English language intertitles, optional English and Spanish language subtitles; closed captions; and one dual-sided, dual-layered (side A)/single-layered (side B), Region 1 NTSC DVD disc; 1.33:1 aspect ratio picture in full-frame 4:3 (720 x 480 pixels) interlaced scan image encoded in SDR MPEG-2 format at ? Mbps average video bit rate (capable of progressive scan upscaling to ? fps); Dolby Digital (AC3) 2.0 mono sound encoded at ? Kbps audio bit rate; English language intertitles, optional English and Spanish language subtitles; closed captions; 17 chapter stops; standard two-disc DVD keepcase; $29.95.
Release date: 15 November 2005.
Country of origin: USA

Our first look at this DVD edition was a pleasant surprise when we were greeted with the familiar orchestral music score composed by Carl Davis for the Photoplay Productions video presentation of the iconic Safety Last, long out-of-print on VHS. The 35mm print utilized for the slightly color-toned video transfer is excellent, easily making this the best available edition of the film available on home video.

We still recommend this DVD home video edition of Safety Last, if you can find it. If not, consider one of the Criterion editions noted above.

This Region 1 NTSC DVD edition has been discontinued
and is . . .

Alpha Video
2019 DVD edition

Safety Last (1923), black & white, 72 minutes, not rated.

Alpha Home Entertainment, distributed by Oldies.com,
ALP 8299D, UPC 0-89218-82999-3.
One single-sided, single-layered, Region 0 NTSC DVD-R disc; 1.33:1 aspect ratio picture in full-frame 4:3 (720 x 480 pixels) interlaced scan image encoded in SDR MPEG-2 format at ? Mbps average video bit rate (capable of progressive scan upscaling to ? fps); Dolby Digital (AC3) 2.0 mono sound encoded at ? Kbps audio bit rate; English language intertitles, no subtitles; chapter stops; standard DVD keepcase; $7.98 (raised to $8.98).
Release date: 10 December 2019.
Country of origin: USA

This DVD-R collection has likely been mastered from a 16mm reduction print.

The films are likely to be accompanied by a soundtrack of preexisting recordings.

We have not yet viewed this film in this home video edition.

This Region 0 NTSC DVD-R edition is available from
ALPHA VIDEO through . . .

Unidentified Japanese
200? DVD edition

Safety Last (1923), black & white, ? minutes, not rated.

Unidentified home video company,
unknown catalog number, unknown UPC number.
One single-sided, single-layered?, Region 0 NTSC DVD disc; 1.33:1 aspect ratio picture in full-frame 4:3 (720 x 480 pixels) interlaced scan image encoded in SDR MPEG-2 format at ? Mbps average video bit rate (capable of progressive scan upscaling to ? fps); Dolby Digital (AC3) 2.0 mono sound encoded at ? Kbps audio bit rate; English? language intertitles, optional Japanese language subtitles?; chapter stops; standard DVD keepcase; unknown suggested retail price.
Release date: 200?.
Country of origin: Japan

This unknown DVD edition of Harold Lloyd’s best-known comedy showed up for sale on eBay. We do not know the gauge of the film print utilized for the video transfer.

This Region 0 NTSC DVD edition has been discontinued
and is . . .

Other silent era HAROLD LLOYD films available on home video.

Other silent film music scores by CARL DAVIS available on home video.

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