3. Harold Lloyd
Peak Years: 1915-1926
Best Film: Safety Last! (1923) Even if you've never heard of Harold Lloyd, you've seen his picture as he dangles off the arm of a clock on a tall building. His popularity has ebbed and flowed over the years, but even though he was more successful than most of his contemporaries he is often forgotten when it comes to memorializing stars of the silent era. Although certainly a star in his day, Lloyd didn't have the same struggles as the alcoholic Keaton or the Chaplin's dismissal from the United States, and his lack of subsequent publicity may have impacted his stature. Every public comment about Lloyd seems to focus on the same things, that he was a nice man who was truly generous and humble (which doesn't get your name into the papers that often). Lloyd didn't get a director's credit for his films like Keaton or Chaplin, but his input as a writer and star is felt during each one of his movies. Famous for specializing in romantic comedies well before Kate Hudson and Katherine Heigl got their hands on the genre, Lloyd employed the hopeful optimism Chaplin so often used to great effect. And as Keaton had his pork pie hat and Chaplin had his greasy mustache, Harold Lloyd had big glass frames (without lenses) to play his aptly named "Glasses Character." If you have not seen Safety Last! then stop reading and watch it right now. The pleasantly funny and satirical first half is enjoyable, but the supremely tense final half hour as Lloyd climbs up the side of a building like a human fly is breathtaking and hilarious. As a series of increasingly ridiculous events unfold as he passes each floor, Lloyd cements his position as an all-time great. With other classics including The Kid Brother and For Heaven's Sake Harold Lloyd is a treasure.