Clock tower stunts

I was watching Hugo on Christmas Day and started to think about the pioneers of movie-making, probably much as Martin Scorsese had intended we do.

At the time I was reading Brian McDonald's latest book, Ink Spots. In it, he makes the point that part of our apprenticeship as filmmakers is to study the work of those who have gone before us, just as Science majors still study the work of Newton and Einstein.

You can see, in the stills which follow, that some very good filmmakers have studied this stunt by Harold Lloyd.

The original: Harold Lloyd in Safety Last! (1923)

Robert Powell in The 39 Steps (1978)

Jackie Chan in Project A (1983)

Cybill Shepherd in the Pilot of Moonlighting (1985).
[Notice Bruce Willis, in relative safety to the left, providing helpful advice.]

Christopher Lloyd in Back to the Future (1985)

This clock is part of the collection on display at the start of Back to the Future (1985)

Jackie Chan and Owen Wilson in Shanghai Knights (2003)

Asa Butterfield in Hugo (2011)

Jason Schwartzman in Bored to Death (2011)

First posted: 11 January 2013