Customer Reviews

Lost and Found: The Harry Langdon Collection

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THE HARRY LANGDON COLLECTION: LOST AND FOUND is one of those rare opportunities where a cinematic wrong gets to be righted and cinematic history gets to be rewritten. This amazing compilation not only traces the evolution of Harry Langdon's screen character before his entry into feature films but shows us what Mack Sennett comedies from the 1920s were like which is invaluable as most of this material is lost. It shows that Sennett was quite capable of adapting and polishing his style as movies evolved while remaining true to himself and that Langdon already had his essential character developed from his vaudeville days before he was discovered and refined by Frank Capra as claimed in his autobiography THE NAME ABOVE THE TITLE. It also shows us much, much more. For example SMILE PLEASE from 1924 while not typical Langdon is among the funniest shorts I've seen in years thanks to Harry's reactions to the Sennett style chaos surrounding him.

This 4 DVD set follows Langdon from his first Sennett short (PICKING PEACHES) through his sound career in the 1930s when like Buster Keaton he was consigned to low budget appearances with low budget studios. It skips over his feature film period which is well represented elsewhere (Kino's HARRY LANGDON: THE FORGOTTEN CLOWN collection) although it has his rarely seen first feature HIS FIRST FLAME. The quality of the restored material is remarkable and there is also a wonderful documentary LOST AND FOUND which gives an overview of his career and contributions to silent comedy as well as numerous bonus features and commentary. As the availability of long lost films has helped to reestablish Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle's reputation, surely this set will do the same for Langdon for there is so much that we haven't seen that now paints a very different picture of the comedian. He is finally receiving the true recognition he deserves. This set is absolutely essential for silent comedy fans.

I was hoping that more of Harry Langdon's films would come to be seen (after fearing that time & neglect had ruined most of his work). Kino Video has already released his three hugely successful feature films (the ones which built his reputation as a serious rival to Chaplin, Keaton & Lloyd). But his shorts with Sennett have never been spotlighted until now.
While Langdon's success is partly owed to prodigies such as Frank Capra, there's no doubt that Langdon himself was these film's genuine treasure, using his comic timing & pantomimic skills to make them special.
I'll be anxiously awaiting the release of this DVD package along with many others who want to see more of this neglected silent film clown.

This is an excellent collection of an unjustly overlooked comedian. For the most part, the prints are superb - among the best I have seen - and although the commentaries tend to duplicate themselves occasionally (perhaps understandable due to the sheer number of them), they provide an excellent education about the comedian for the uninitiated.

Langdon is definitely not your father's Oldsmobile. He is a hard sell to an audience that does not have the patience or attention span to wait for the small flits, misdirections, and half smiles that constitute a fair amount of his comic repetoire. I was struck by the comment (on the documentary) that Walter Kerr used to show a couple of "typical" silent comedies prior to showing a Langdon to a crowd to get them warmed up to his function in the silent comedy world. It actually seems like it might be a good idea!

I did mention the print quality. Apart from the slightly irritating habit of placing a number of title styles within a single film (as many as four or five in some instances), I thought they did an excellent job. The soundtracks ranged from outstanding to curious, but never seriously detracted from my enjoyment of the films, and often enhanced it. I did notice that the print of "Lucky Stars" excised a cheap racial joke (Langdon re-reads his fortune about "falling in love with a dark woman", and sees a black woman in the crowd, which both puzzles and worries him), but as much as I pine for complete prints, I don't feel much harm was done!

This set is a bargain, and it is essential for any student of silent comedy. I cannot recommend it highly enough. If the restored prints of "Fiddlesticks" (an AMAZING comedy), "Saturday Afternoon", "Remember When", and "His MArriage Wow" were all we got, it would still be worth the price.

As good as it gets!

As the booklet that comes with set indicates, there are two types of people: Those who get Harry Langdon and Those who don't get Harry Landon. I'll add to it that there's a 3rd type: Those who don't know who Harry Langdon is. Hopefully this set will bring Harry back into the realm where he belongs and everyone will know and love Harry.

I won't go into the contents of this set as others have done this already. I just got the set yesterday so I haven't seen it all but most of it is laugh out loud funny. Just watch "Smile Please" and you'll laugh out loud during the last 10 minutes. That little brat is a great actor and great foil for Harry. It's very funny!

So if you want to get Harry, GET HARRY...that means get this box set.

If you have never heard of Harry Langdon, don't be surprised. In the 1920's, he made silent comedy that ranked with Charlie Chaplin, Harlod Lloyd, and Buster Keaton. Mack Sennett called him the best comic he ever saw. And a young writer director named Frank Capra worked with him. But when he tried to direct himself in the late 20's, his career began to stall, and when talkie films came in, he had trouble fitting in. He did continue to work in films, doing films for Columbia and Educational, and also writing for Laurel and Hardy, most notable in A chump at Oxford and Flying Deuces. He died in 1944 virtually forgotten. Robert Youngston included some clips from Harry's films in his compilations.
Three of his best features, Tramp Tramp Tramp, The strong Man, and Long Pants have been available from Kino video. Finally, many of the films he made for Sennett are finally coming complete to DVD. This set also includes commentary from film historians, a documentary feature about Harry and his career, and more. At long last, this forgotten comedy Genius will finally, hopefully, take his proper place alongside the greats of comedy. When I get this set, I will update this review with sound and picture quality comments.

I have not reviewed on Amazon before, but when I got an email from Amazon suggesting I review this purchase, I could not resist. This is the perfect example of what a collection of silent comedies should be: the best prints that can be found of often rare material, pieced together from various sources; effective musical tracks, that help the movie, not call attention to themselves; commentary tracks on every single film, which give you great historical background on the movies, and even a informative if low-budget documentary. Now as to whether you will like Harry Langdon himself, he is an acquired taste, but anyone who really appreciates silent comedy for the art form it is should enjoy his films. Also anyone who likes Stan Laurel should appreciate Langdon, who was a big influence on Laurel's comedy style.

The most likely explanation for the meteoric rise and fall of Harry Langdon's film career are his late start in movies (age 40) and portrayal of a child/man innocent-- a character that didn't translate well in the early talkie era-- Langdon's attempts at falsetto would occasionally lapse into his natural baritone.

LOST AND FOUND: THE HARRY LANGDON COLLECTION consists primarily of shorts made during the height of Langdon's popularity. Bonus features on these four DVDs include alternate versions, never before seen clips, audio commentaries and interviews, Harry's home movies, a 1942 music video and a Langdon documentary. Video quality throughout is remarkably good.


Also recommended for silent comedy fans is SMILES & SPECTACLES - The Harold Lloyd Treasury.


CONTENTS (includes 1 to 10 viewer poll ratings found at a film resource website):
DISC ONE--
(6.9) Picking Peaches (silent-1924) - HL/Alberta Vaughn/Ethel Teare/Vernon Dent/Andy Clyde
(5.6) Smile, Please (silent-1924) - HL/Alberta Vaughn/Jack Cooper/Madeline Hurlock/Tiny Ward/Andy Clyde
(???) His New Mamma (silent-1924) - HL/Andy Clyde/Madeline Hurlock/Tiny Ward/Alice Day/Jack Cooper
(6.5) The First 100 Years (silent-1924) - HL/Alice Day/Frank J. Coleman/Louise Carver/Madeline Hurlock
(6.8) The Luck o' the Foolish (silent-1924) - HL/Marceline Day/Frank J. Coleman/Madeline Hurlock/Kalla Pasha
(7.6) The Hansom Cabman (silent-1924) - HL/Marceline Day/Charlotte Mineau/Andy Clyde/Madeline Hurlock
BONUS:
Horace Greeley, Jr.
Funny Manns #4
Funny Manns #68
Catalina, Here I Come

DISC TWO--
(6.4) All Night Long (silent-1924) - HL/Natalie Kingston/Fanny Kelly/Vernon Dent (uncredited: Andy Clyde/Billy Gilbert)
(7.0) Feet Of Mud (silent-1924) - HL/Natalie Kingston/Yorke Sherwood/Florence Lee/Vernon Dent
(???) The Sea Squawk (silent-1925) - HL/Eugenia Gilbert/Charlotte Mineau/Leo Sulky/Alice Day/Vernon Dent
(6.5) Boobs In the Wood (silent-1925) - HL/Marie Astaire/Vernon Dent/Natalie Kingston/Leo Willis
(7.2) His Marriage Wow (silent-1925) - HL/Natalie Kingston/William McCall/Vernon Dent
(6.1) Plain Clothes (silent-1925) - HL/Clair Cushman/Jean Hathaway/Vernon Dent/William McCall
(7.1) Remember When? (silent-1925) - HL/Natalie Kingston/Vernon Dent/Austin Jewell/Sam Lufkin
BONUS:
Comedy Capers
Photo Gallery

DISC THREE--
(6.8) Lucky Stars (silent-1925) - HL/Vernon Dent/Natalie Kingston/Andy Clyde/Tiny Ward/Ruth Taylor
(6.8) Saturday Afternoon (silent-1926) - HL/Alice Ward/Vernon Dent/Ruth Hiatt/Peggy Montgomery
(6.1) Fiddlesticks (silent-1927) - HL/Vernon Dent (uncredited: Anna Dodge/Leo Sulky)
(7.6) Soldier Man (silent-1926) - HL/Natalie Kingston/Vernon Dent/Andy Clyde/Frank Whitson
(6.2) His First Flame (silent-1927) - HL/Natalie Kingston/Ruth Hiatt/Vernon Dent/Bud Jamison/Dot Farley
BONUS:
Short Afternoon
Heart Trouble Presskit

DISC FOUR--
(5.1) Knight Duty (1933) - HL/Vernon Dent/Nell O'Day/Matthew Betz/Lita Chevret/Eddie Baker
(???) Hooks and Jabs (1933) - HL/Vernon Dent/Frank Moran/Nell O'Day/William Irving
Love, Honor and Obey (The Law) (1935) - HL/Monte Collins (A promo for BF Goodrich)
BONUS:
Lost and Found (documentary)
Hal Roach Announcement
Voice of Hollywood
Hollywood on Parade
Beautiful Clothes
Home Movie

For anyone who loves silent films & comedy, sound or silent, must see this package. It is so sad how a star of this magnitude is overlooked & cut very short. Langdon is this example. Even Harold Lloyd tried helping his career, so he had some great pals helping him.In the DVD it is said that Chaplin had one star that intimidated him;it was Langdon. That's how strong a star he was.
For Langdson afficionados, I was impressed of films I've tried to see for 40 years but was never recovered, here in this package INCLUDING an 'infomercial' for GOODRICH tires that was never put in his filmography till now. The commentaries were excellent,except for one who got so technical about film stock that it was boring(HIS FIRST FLAME).
At least his son, Harry Langdon, the famous LA photographer is doing well. Too bad that they didn't interview for this package BUT highly recommended for ANY comedy fans to check the evolution of great comedians. Thanks Harry!!!

Chaplin said he "Only felt threatened by Harry Langdon", Samuel Becket wanted Langdon for his experimental Film, but had to use Keaton after Langdon's early death, James Agee, Kevin Brownlow, Walter Kerr, Robert Youngson, Harold Lloyd and Mack Sennett were among those who sang high praises for Langdon's art while Stan Laurel, Jacques Tati's Mr. Hulot, Steve Martin, Andy Kaufman, and Pee Wee Herman were all profoundly influenced by him. Yet, even the mere mention of Harry Langdon will send many of that annoying breed identified as "classic slapstick lovers" into a disturbed, eye-twitching frenzy.

Langdon's characterization expressed the most pronounced silence of the era's clowns, which is why, despite his fans' claims (on the documentary) sound proved completely disastrous for him. Langdon's persona was only suited to the abstract plane that silent cinema offered. It is easy to see why he appealed so readily to the surrealists. His persona is dream-like, subconsciously other world. Langdon's man-child seems to exist within an elfin id. Silence and make-up were existential turpentine for Langdon, removing him, layer-by-layer, from the world, as we so readily know it. Of course, for many, turpentine is unbearable and Langdon haters will pull out their hair, waiting for him to do something. Even his blink was lethargic. Frank Capra, Langdon's one time director and permanent detractor once bitched, "It takes him an hour to get started". Langdon was the master of anti-reaction and he did more with less than anyone, Keaton included. That's the magic of the Langdon persona. With the barest minimum, he was able to finely etch a characterization so vivid; it is second only to Chaplin in identifiable personality. It was Langdon's abundance of unique personality that so accelerated his stardom.

Langdon's equally quick fall, after a mere three years, is theoretically debated. Certainly, that same personality, combined with his admirable risk-taking, ego, and poor business skills, was partially responsible. But, after he left Sennett for the fascistic First National, with both studios releasing a plethora of his films, the result was an onslaught of Langdon product in 1927 and his considerable fan base went into massive overdose.

This stands in direct contrast to Capra's self-serving claim that he alone fashioned Langdon's screen persona. Capra further claimed that the actor had no true understanding of his own persona and when Langdon ventured into edgier territory, over Capra's populist-minded objections, the star simply imploded. With sound inevitably around the corner, combined with Langdon's advanced age in comparison to younger rivals, his desire for rapid experimentation is understandable. The risk was an artistic triumph, but a commercial disaster.

Steve Martin tried something similar with a brief series of films that pushed his own boundaries. When the payoff proved popularly lackluster, Martin predictably receded back into the safety of the mainstream. Langdon received no chance for reprieve with First National.

He alone was blamed for the disappointing box office results of Three's a Crowd (1927) and The Chaser (1928). His third directed feature for the studio, Heart Trouble (1928), was never released and reportedly was destroyed. By most accounts, it would have proven to be his commercial rebound effort, but lamentably the film seems to be forever lost.

Harry Langdon was and remains an idiosyncratic, enigmatic, minimalist "anti-clown". For many a novice, he appears a sort of inexplicably surreal forerunner to the Stan Laurel child-like persona. Yet, unlike Stan, Harry's character had an amorous nature, which became progressively dark-hued, reaching the breaking point, for early fans at least, when he fantasized about murdering his fiancée in the Capra directed Long Pants (1927) and in his own much maligned, masterpiece of existential pathos, Three's a Crowd.

When Mack Sennett landed a contract with Langdon in 1924, formulaic slapstick had run its course. Sennett, ever the shrewd businessman, knew he desperately needed a breath of fresh air and got it in spades with Langdon. Langdon was already forty, considerably older than the energetic, youthful Chaplin, Keaton or Lloyd and already had an impressive critical, popular reputation from his vaudeville act.

Since several studios were vigorously courting Langdon, Sennett was lucky to nab him and did not intend to waste his investment. This beautifully re-mastered and essential collection from All-Day Entertainment/ Facets Video contains the surviving Sennett films, along with a good, but repetitive documentary and a few random, painfully wretched, depressing sound shorts on a bonus disc.

The first disc in this collection shows Langdon's character quickly evolving and, within a mere six months, that characterization is richly molded. The second and third discs contain the treasure trove. Giving lie to Capra's claim All Night Long (1924) is the first Langdon masterpiece, with his character firmly in place, directed by the underrated Harry Edwards, not Capra. As one commentator states, these shorts, so detailed in personality and plot, seem very much like feature films. All Night Long pairs Langdon with his two best co-stars; Vernon Dent and Natalie Kingston. These actors were perfect, complimentary foils for Langdon and both remain horribly underrated.

Dent might be likened to an Oliver Hardy type sidekick, except that Dent was a far more versatile actor than Hardy ever was (that is no swipe on Babe). Dent typically played Langdon's burly Bluto-like bully, but resonated far more character actor depth in his portrayal of Professor McGlumm in His Marriage Wow (1925). Dent's pessimist professor is downright creepy, matching Langdon's paused, minimal expressiveness with priceless, under the skin glances. Dent's McGlumm bares an uncanny, eerie resemblance to Robert Helpmann's Child Catcher from Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (1968) and, at the end, he reveals himself to be none other than the infamous Barney Google of the 1920's comic strip.

Kingston is equally priceless: tall, stylishly dark, incredibly sexy, and evoking true, expressionistic danger. She is both Jezebel and Delilah, seducing and attempting to murder Langdon in both Lucky Stars (1925) and Soldier Man (1926). Langdon, Dent and Kingston make for a unique trio in all of their films together. Kingston is Sgt. Dent's girl in All Night Long, but only until lowly K.P private Langdon unwittingly steals her away.

For his betrayal, Langdon's private is banished to the war front of the surreal No Man's Land, only to triumphantly shift through the inexplicable circumstances he finds himself thrown into, something akin to Betty Boop's Minnie The Moocher or Peter Sellers' Chance the Gardener, and winning Kingston in the process.

Another, unaccredited co-star might be the dummy in Feet of Mud (1924), which again co-starred Dent (as his football coach) and Kingston (as the rich girlfriend). Through elongated, almost plastic, repetitive reactions, Langdon interacts with a mannequin, mistaking it for a real person. It is a surreal bit of business Langdon explored time and again.

Along with All Night Long, Lucky Stars and Saturday Afternoon (1926) may be the best of the distinguished lot. In the richly plotted Lucky Stars, Langdon pursues his astrological sign and joins a medicine show. Little doubt, Langdon's own background colored the tale since he ran away from home to join an Indian medicine show at the age of twelve. Dent is marvelous here as Langdon's seasoned quack instructor. Dent is equally impressive in Saturday Afternoon; a precursor to many a Laurel & Hardy plot, as Langdon's good old union boy date buddy, ambitious to secure an afternoon with a couple of those "tomatoes with the gorgeous lamps". Langdon's charming, little boy lost reaction to a kiss shared between Dent and his date is expressively sublime.

In the enormously popular Fiddlesticks (1926) Dent takes on two roles as Langdon's fragile fatalism soars the heights that would come to crystallization in Three's a Crowd. Langdon propels the viewer deep into the discomfort zone when he dons drag in The Sea Squawk (1925). Pee Wee Herman masturbating in an adult theater or wearing mirrors on his shoes to look up girls' dresses has nothing on the disturbing sight of a transvestite Harry.

The pristine His First Flame (1927) reunites Langdon, Dent and Kingston in Langdon's first feature, which was released after his second feature, Capra's The Strong Man (1926). The Strong Man remains Langdon's most popular film and the film for which he is best remembered.

Langdon took Edwards, Capra, and writer Arthur Ripley to First National with him. The second feature, Tramp, Tramp, Tramp (1926) went over deadline and over budget for which, unfortunately, Edwards was blamed and fired. All three of these features did well with audiences and critics alike, but it was in the third, Long Pants (1927) that the idyllic working relationship between Capra, Langdon, and Ripley became unraveled.

Capra objected to the film's darker elements. His view of the Langdon character was as an innocent child, inexplicably protected by God. But, Langdon, Ripley and Edwards, as seen in the pre-Capra All Night Long, had already developed that character concept. In Long Pants, Ripley and Langdon retained the wonder of Langdon's man-child, but jettisoned innocence in favor of less sympathetic character flaws. Langdon was selfish, vain, obstinate, stubborn, and even contemplated murder. It was Langdon and Ripley's two against Capra's one. The result was Capra's dismissal, for which the director never forgave the star.

Actually, Capra and Langdon, despite doing good work together, were aesthetically mismatched. Capra always filtered audience taste through his sensibilities, which, of course, helped him become enormously successful. Considering audience taste rarely, if ever, even occurred to Langdon, who simply forged ahead, despite the odds, much like his character.

In Three's a Crowd, Ripley and Langdon pulled on another rug. Here, Langdon transforms into something resembling Charles Schultz' perennial loser and removed any hint of divine intervention. No matter how much we may root for Harry, his character walks away with absolutely nothing. No girl, no future, no promise of Eden. If there is a God, then God mocks Harry. Harry seems to realize this and the film ends with him sending a hurling rock through the storefront window of a local soothsayer, a bit like the unjustly cursed Saul. It was too much for 1927 audiences.

The First National Features that followed are available on two Kino collections; The Forgotten Clown and Three's a Crowd. Together, these three volumes, along with the pricey, but indispensable Georges Melies box set and the sparse release of Louis Feuillade serials amount to a near gold mine in recently restored silent cinema.

* My review was originally published at Raging Bull movie Reviews

It plainly obvious that everyone here that has reviewed this set is a fan of Langdon's, look at all those stars! I too am going to add 5 stars to the rest. This set is worth every cent. My introduction to Harry was through Buster Keaton, I wanted to know who else was out there at the time of Chaplin, Keaton and Lloyd and saw Harry's face staring at me through time, and I just had to know more. I purchased The Forgotton Clown and after having watched them time after time I had to know more. I was so excited to see this set. 6 hours of stuff to watch. There is a brilliant documentary that discusses his rise and fall and the many reasons for it. You get to see Harry's Roach talkies which help demostrate why Harry didnt succeed and so many extras. The home movies are both profound and funny. I would not be without this now, I cant wait for the Threes and Crowd and The Chaser set coming out later this year. Yeah Harry is not for all, but if he's for you then so is this set.