For anyone that isn't intimately acquainted with silent film, there's only a handful of stars from the era that carry any name recognition. Charlie Chaplin will invariably be the first name that comes to mind, but behind him and Buster Keaton, the list becomes slim pickings. Sadly, to fans of modern movies, silent films offer little in the way of entertainment or intrigue. The brilliance of the silent film era is hidden behind too many layers of antiquity for contemporary audiences to drop their bias and enjoy. I like to fashion myself a cinephile, and it took me several years to give silent films a chance. However, my gateway into the silent film era didn't come via Chaplin but rather Harold Lloyd.
As a fan of Superman, Harold Lloyd became a personal point of interest, as his visage became the cornerstone of Clark Kent's design. At a glance, the similarities between Lloyd and Kent are apparent, but Lloyd's characterization also played a significant factor in the creation of Superman's alter ego. In the video linked above, Hats Off Entertainment explains why Harold Lloyd was the first underdog in cinema.
