Harold Lloyd’s historic Christmas tree is like a Hollywood fairytale – only it’s 100% true! And his epic tree is a merry monument that, truly, transcends all time!
While you may not recognize Harold Lloyd’s name, it is more than likely that you have been “star-struck” by this historic Christmas tree going viral in recent years!
Arrested With Awe
If you’ve been following along on Bronner’s Blog for a while, you’ve very likely noticed a theme recurs through some of my posts … I have a vintage heart!
What’s more, I love Europe. So I am not surprised that this photo makes such a profound impression on me. Afterall, the French-Italian Renaissance Orangerie with hand-painted frescoes as a backdrop has me equally arrested in awe as Harold Lloyd’s historic Christmas tree itself!
At the time when I first reached out to Harold Lloyd Entertainment, I had simply hoped to feature a single photo and small description in the story on Luxe Christmas Ornaments I was working on. I mean, can it get any more luxurious than this?! And yet, the more I learn about both the Lloyd family and tree, the more deeply captivated I become!
A Hollywood icon who celebrated Christmas as big as our originator, Wally Bronner himself?! And a [grand]daughter who is willing to share her family’s remarkable story with me?! … All things considered, Harold Lloyd’s historic Christmas tree simply has to have a place of its own here! And it promises to be better than any movie Hollywood could ever script!
Who Is Harold Lloyd?
Rising in the ranks at the same time as other greats like Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton, Harold Lloyd is, arguably, one of the most influential film comedians of the silent era to be sure! Lloyd made nearly 200 comedy films, both silent and talkies, during his film career which spanned from 1914 to 1947.
Known for doing all his own daredevil stunts, it’s easy to understand how Harold Lloyd was crowned ‘king of daredevil comedy.’ Ironically, one of his most notable characters, created to be more like Lloyd himself, whom he named “Glasses”, often masqueraded that bravery as the endearing, bespectacled, boy-next-door and everyman. So it’s no wonder that audiences connected so well with him.
“In his films, Harold would always get the girl, which [Granddaughter] Suzanne says makes him something of the father — or perhaps the grandfather — of the romantic comedy.”1
But Really … “The Boy” Gets The Girl
Appearing opposite of Hollywood’s prolific, leading everyman and hero — 15 times to be precise2 — was actress, Mildred Davis. Theirs was a romance that proved true, transcending from the screen into real life. And in a perfect prologue to the plot of their final film together, “Safety Last” — the two were wed on February 10, 1923.
A Second Act
Lloyd kept tight control on the copyright of his films after he retired in order to maintain their creative integrity. As a result, his “films, which were once hailed as some of the best of the silent era, went [largely] unnoticed for generations.”3
Nevertheless, a new generation is finding appreciation thanks to the generosity of [grand]daughter, Suzanne Lloyd, who is making it her mission to proudly reintroduce the world to the two jolly souls she calls Mimi + Dad. Diligently working to preserve the memories, Suzanne is graciously opening up her family’s private archives.
It’s apparent that silent film stars Harold & Mildred Lloyd are leaving as remarkable a legacy on Christmas as in Hollywood!
The Magic Of Harold Lloyd & Christmas!
Christmas At Greenacres
We’re honored to be bringing you some of Suzanne’s most beloved memories of Christmases at Greenacres — the sprawling 45,000-square-foot, Harold Lloyd Estate located in the Benedict Canyon section of Beverly Hills.
FUN FACT – Placed on the National Register Of Historic Places by the United States Department of Interior in 1984, Greenacres is now a protected landmark.
Red & Greenacres
Harold’s decorating wasn’t just relegated to a Christmas tree! “He also decorated the outside of the house, which was amazing.” recalls [grand]daughter Suzanne.
“We had this waterfall that went from the top of the hill down Benedict Canyon. Which of course, you could see at night all lit up with lights.” Additionally, Suzanne fondly reminisces on a HUGE pine wreath which featured a beautiful bow and HUGE Santa Claus. “Everything was lit up and people would drive by Benedict Canyon all the time, back and forth. They would stand there and take pictures or go slowly by to see Harold’s [award-winning] decorations.”
Christmas With The Lloyds
“The tree really came because my [Grand]mother truly LOVED Christmas! But it seemed to get a little more elaborate when I showed up on the scene.” Suzanne says. “And the tree started to grow.”
“He [Dad] thought ‘Well this is great, I have a grandchild and she’s living here at the house.’ So it became kind of a hobby. Any place he went to, or anywhere the family traveled, we’d always be on the hunt looking for great ornaments for the Christmas tree.”4
“Everywhere he was, he’d go ‘let’s go on a Christmas tree hunt and see what we can get for the Christmas tree!'”
It seems nothing was off limits … NOTHING! I can hear Suzanne’s voice animating with joy as she recalls a moment she’s about to share with me…
“Oh this is a WILD ONE” she gleefully proclaims —
A [Saks Fifth Avenue] Christmas Story
One Christmas, while accompanying Mildred and Suzanne on a shopping trip to Saks Fifth Avenue, Harold had spotted something. A HUGE, (and real) 12-foot, white, flocked Christmas tree, dazzling with jeweled ornaments in the store’s lobby bank.
“Well honey, that’s like going into a candy store with a child!” Suzanne jests. “And of course he had to buy some, so he went to find the manager.”
But the designer had made the tree for display and was unwilling to sell it in part. So Mr. Lloyd did what any collector does. He decided to purchase the whole thing … As a result, the day before Christmas Eve, the tree and decorations were carefully secured, to be transported to Greenacres, where it found its home in the entrance hall in front of the fireplace that Christmas.
I love hearing the spectrum of emotion running through Suzanne’s voice, over the phone, as she reminisces of days gone by.
All About THE Christmas Tree-Of-All-Christmas Trees
Let’s unpack the details of Harold Lloyd’s historic Christmas tree. First and foremost —
YES! The tree was REAL!
Well, more appropriately, the trees… Though so constructed, in the end, one could loosely argue that Harold Lloyd and his cohorts sort of pioneered a hybrid version of today’s real, artificial tree!
As Lloyd’s ornament collection grew, so did the need for a larger evergreen canvas! And so, over time, one tree was simply not enough.
“It would take about 2-3 weeks to put the tree up.” Suzanne recounts. “It started sometime around Thanksgiving. My [grand]parents would take me downtown to the train yards where the annual shipment of trees would arrive for the holiday season. We would pick out two identical, large Douglas firs.”
Hollywood’s Frankenstein–Fir
“Dad would take the tree he liked best, and the other one he’d strip. From these, he would build up the tree. First, he would take a metal post up the trunk to stabilize it. And then he bore holes in the trunk and added extra branches in the tree.”
Suzanne continues, “underneath each branch he had a bamboo stick wired around, so that the weight of the ornaments would be supported. Next, he’d take a fine wire and have that branch wired back into the trunk. We also had guide wires,” because in the end, Harold Lloyd’s historic Christmas tree measured an impressive 18-feet high and 36-feet in circumference! What’s more, he’d amassed a collection of more than 8,000 ornaments!
As a result of that ingenuity, Harold Lloyd’s historic Christmas tree survived the 1971 San Fernando earthquake…
It was more than a tree, “there was construction to it. It wasn’t just ‘we’ll hang ornaments,'” explains Suzanne.
As a result of that ingenuity, Harold Lloyd’s historic Christmas tree survived the 1971 San Fernando earthquake, which measured a whopping 6.6 on the Richter scale! Surprisingly, without any damage!
Most importantly, “he had the tree totally fireproofed with this spray. It was kind of like lacquered hairspray. But it was for the tree, so the needles never fell off the tree. But the smell was still there.” Suzanne continues.
The Lloyd Family’s Decorating Bits & Bauble Tips
Working at the “World’s Largest CHRISTmas Store®, I found — what may be completely foreign decorating solutions or ideas to most people — actually incredibly familiar territory for me. Even so, in thinking of when these solutions were employed, in synch with a burgeoning Bronner’s, has me so fascinated!
I am convinced that if Wally Bronner had ever encountered Harold Lloyd in their lifetime, they most certainly would have been fast friends!
All About The Ornaments
As Suzanne shared, finding meaningful ornaments was a family affair – whether local or abroad. (And by family, we also mean friends and fans!)
“There was a charity group that my [Grand]mother Mimi belonged to called the ‘Assistance League‘ in Los Angeles and they used to make these incredible ornaments with these half plastic bubble cases with little miniature scenes inside of them — from the Virgin Mary, to Santa Claus and his sled to, maybe, an Austrian village to ballerinas. Oh! To toreadors…” remembers Suzanne. “It was just massive. And they’d make them small or really big. He [Harold] would give them orders … these were, you know volunteer ladies, not hired workers, that were doing them!”
“I think that it’s very special looking back that so many of his friends went out of their way to make ornaments for the tree to give him.”
Like Wally Westborn, his makeup artist. Wally “made him an ornament of this plastic bubble portraying Harold actually standing in his red bathrobe, that he wore a lot, trimming the tree.” I get the impression that this is, perhaps, both the most iconic and beloved ornament on the tree.
“So sweet …” Suzanne leads. “You know, fans would send him ornaments that they’d hand-made, or they’d done for the tree. And he’d make sure that a thank you letter had gone out and he’d sign it. … He LOVED that!”
Complimentary Color Coordination
Harold Lloyd’s creativity was not simply relegated to moving pictures. He also loved to paint and later became one of the first people to really start shooting in 3-D photography (in the late 40s). Lloyd “became a rep for the Stereo Realist Camera, and he shot about 200,000 photos.” Suzanne tells me. For these reasons, it’s easy to understand Harold’s particularity when it came to his Christmas ornaments.
“He had this color scheme because he loved painting, but he loved color! And he came up with secondary complimentary colors of oil paint which he sold to the Shiva Oil Paints Company some time in the 50s.” He would never put colors together, it was always a combo-play. “Everything was coordinated for the tree, [even down to] all the ornaments [in their] wooden crates. They were labelled … and stored in the house in the basement. It was a major production.” And Harold loved to be amidst it all Suzanne tells me.
“It was a family thing, because people would come in and he would ask ‘hey where do you think this ornament should go?’ And he had this big, long stick and he would point where ornaments would go.”
Garland Beading Parties
Harold and Roy Brooks, “actor, secretary and adopted family member5” had this idea because the weight of the ornaments was too much for the bead garlands which were strung on cotton string. So they “talked my [grandmother] Mimi and some very prominent women in the film industry, and prominent society ladies — they all loved the tree and they all adored Harold, and they just thought this was really fun — to restring all the beads with 100lb fishing line,” recounts Suzanne. “So they did all the beading work. And they’d sit there with these needles and beads with their tea and tea sandwiches and then they’d get into cocktails and they’d just sit there and bead. And it was like, ‘hey, how many strings do we have today?!’ It was crazy, he had everybody doing them, even me!”
Lighting
“At some point he decided to ditch Christmas lights on the tree since you couldn’t see them through the ornaments. Instead, he used to spot the tree with spotlights.” remembers Suzanne.
Christmas Comes But Once A Year
There came a time in the mid 1960s when Harold was travelling a lot due to his considerable involvement with the Shriners and showing his films. And so the tree, which typically came down sometime in February had inadvertently made it up into July. (Because while he had help, Harold loved to be involved in every part of the festivities, even taking the tree down.)
Suzanne recalls what a pleasant shock guests would have that July when Harold would bring them to the sunroom to see his “Christmas In July” tree! The curtains were typically drawn and the doors shut, which meant that “the tree didn’t get a lot of exposure to sun or light or heat. And you’d open up the door and this whiff of pine …” She trails off a moment, as if reliving this memory. She continues, “And he’d turn on the lights and it was just — magnificent. “And it [the tree] just started getting a life of its own!”
While this didn’t immediately spawn the year-round tree, it did lay the foundations! And at the time of his passing in 1971, Harold Lloyd’s historic Christmas tree, which had then been on display year-round, about 3 years, remained up the following 4 while Greenacres was opened to the public as a museum. (Not surprisingly, the tree was always among the highlights of guest’s Suzanne informs me!)
Though the property tragically went to auction in 1975, and the tree was disassembled by Suzanne a final time, Harold Lloyd’s historic Christmas tree has taken on a life of its own that still sparkles today with same luminosity as he, thanks to his incredible documentation & [Grand]daughter Suzanne’s generosity!
“It was really a form of artwork, and a passion of collecting, and a passion of creating something so magical and spectacular — of grandeur. But a great happiness to it. And warmth.” says Suzanne Lloyd.
A Final Question For Suzanne Lloyd —
Is there a particular Christmastime memory or feeling that is special to you that you’ve not yet had an opportunity to share that you’d like to?
“I wish I could tie bows and do wrappings like my [Grandmother] Mimi because they were pretty spectacular. She wrapped some of the most beautiful presents I’ve have ever seen! … Her bows … you couldn’t top any of the bows she could make! She had a wrapping room at the house, you know for Christmas gifts.”
“I’ve got to tell you, every Christmas was very special. They made everything special.”
“But my [Grandmother] Mimi made it very special. I mean how the tables were set, how the flowers were done through the house. You know, all the relatives coming over. A lot of different Hollywood people would come to dinner, you know they were older Hollywood people whose children had grown up or they had lost their husband or this or that.”
“I think that it’s very special looking back on all of it.”
We wish a most heart-felt THANK YOU to Suzanne Lloyd for sharing her family’s incredible story and photos, here, with our community of Christmas enthusiasts! We hope you enjoyed this special feature!
Update: The Fate Of Harold Lloyd’s Profound Ornament Collection
Many people would like to know just what happened to Harold Lloyd’s profound ornament collection. And it’s with immense sadness that Suzanne shares, “The ornaments were sold by Ames Auction House in LA on Wilshire Blvd in 1975 or 76. I took the tree down .. just horrible after losing the house to the auction block .. good news its on the National Registry for Historical Property and Homes, so it still is standing and has an amazing owner.” … “I have some original ornaments from the tree and I put them on my tree every year. Very hard time losing Greenacres and the pulling apart and selling of everything in the house.”
Certainly it’s weight I can feel, too.
“I have some original ornaments from the tree and I put them on my tree every year.
Additional Sources:
- “Harold Lloyd, silent film superstar, gets Redford Theatre tribute” by Adam Graham for The Detroit News. May 18, 2023
- “Mildred Davis” Wikipedia
- “Harold Lloyd | Film’s First Underdog | A Docu-Mini” by Hats Off Entertainment on YouTube
- “Harold Lloyd and the best Christmas tree in Beverly Hills” by Jeff Suess on YouTube
- “A Giving Tree” by Sam Watters for the Los Angeles Times. December 13, 2018
More Great Articles On Harold Lloyd
- “The Most Outrageous Christmas Tree in L.A. History: Silent Film Star Harold Lloyd’s Tree Was A Showstopper” by Chris Nichols for Los Angeles Magazine. May 5, 2023
- Christmas At Greenacres the Official Harold Lloyd site.
- Images from Harold Lloyd’s 3D Archives. December 2019
- “Hunting For Lloyd’s Legendary Christmas Ornaments“ Messy Nessy Cabinet Of Curiosities. December 21, 2020
- “My tree has 40 baubles – that is nothing – Harold Lloyd had 8000” by Kylie Klein-Nixon on Stuff. December 15, 2020
- “Hollywood History: Harold Lloyd’s Sleight of Hand“ by Cari Beauchamp and Suzanne Lloyd on Vanity Fair. February 18, 2021
Other Fun Ho-Ho-Hollywood Facts
Bill Strothers, Harold Lloyd’s costar in “Safety Last”, who did a lot of different stunt work for him, became a very famous, professional Santa Claus who could be seen in commercials for large brands like Kodak! (All that stunt work must have paid off since Santa does need to know how to get on top of buildings! Wink, wink. Check out his Spiderman abilities in Safety Last!)
Speaking of Hollywood stars and Santa … Did you know that on December 15, 1976, “The Duke” placed a call to Bronner’s Customer Service to order a Santa Suit?! We hope you enjoy this photo of Bronner’s CHRISTmas Wonderland originators Wally and Irene Bronner laughing with John Wayne!
“Jingle All The Way” – Bronner’s & Hollywood
HOLLYWOOD IS CALLING! No, Bronner’s commercial salesman Craig Fick isn’t getting cast for a role per se … But Bronner’s Commercial Department has been helping Christmas decorations find a supporting role in Hollywood films for just over two decades! Sound like a dream job? It is!
A Fine Art Exhibition Of Luxe Ornaments
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