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| Harry Langdon: Lost & Found | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: Jan 1 2008, 08:26 PM (391 Views) | |
| Laughing Gravy | Jan 1 2008, 08:26 PM Post #1 |
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Although I think The Strong Man is a great silent feature comedy, I've never been impressed by anything else I've ever seen Langdon in. Until now; this collection brings together his best shorts, and I can now see why he's considered so high in the pantomime pantheon by his fans. I guess I just wanted to start a general thread to discuss him. I've been skipping around the set, and just watched Knight Duty (1933), an Educational Short ("The spice of the program!") reuniting Langdon with his ol' pals Vernon Dent and Nell O'Day. Like most Langdon talkies, the pacing is way off, but he's got some bright comic bits that shine, particularly a tussle with a garden hose. Much of the action takes place in a wax museum, but that segment is uninspired to say the least. It's interesting that Langdon has almost no lines in this film; one wonders why he talked at all. I think I'll stick with the silent shorts in the set.... |
| "I'm glad that this question came up, because there are so many ways to answer it that one of them is bound to be right." - Robert Benchley | |
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| Stony Brooke da Mesquiteer | Jan 2 2008, 04:50 AM Post #2 |
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Sapient Balconeer
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Howza 'bout the thread you started in Funny Business with this same title? |
| It's like Rodney King used to say, "Can't we all get a bong." | |
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| Laughing Gravy | Jan 2 2008, 05:53 AM Post #3 |
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Probably belongs here. |
| "I'm glad that this question came up, because there are so many ways to answer it that one of them is bound to be right." - Robert Benchley | |
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| Laughing Gravy | Jan 2 2008, 07:05 AM Post #4 |
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The NY Times reviews the set here: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/01/movies/h...l?ref=homevideo and keep going, they review The Last Man on Earth, too! |
| "I'm glad that this question came up, because there are so many ways to answer it that one of them is bound to be right." - Robert Benchley | |
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| Laughing Gravy | Jan 3 2008, 06:48 AM Post #5 |
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Since the NYT guy specifically mentioned His New Mamma (1924), I watched that this morning. Typical schizo Langdon short; the first part has Harry and his father (Andy Clyde, already playing an old man) meeting Harry's new Mamma, a golddigger after the old man's loot. It's Christmas Eve, and we get some going-nowhere comedy around the Yule Tree, too. Through a mixup, the old guy finds Harry in his wife's (separate) bourdoir, and chases him outside, where we get a romp in the snow (wonder where this was filmed? It's very snowy). Harry is tossed out, moves to California and becomes a cabby, and the film perks up greatly: he ends up getting mixed up with both the Sennett Bathing Beauties (Ha-cha! Hot stuff for '08, let alone '24) and the Keystone Kops. By the way, we've discussed "Who's the FUNNY MANN?" 'round the Balcony before; some of those are included as bonus shorts here, including one in which Cliff Norton has invented a new tire that seals itself when punctured. "It will last FOREVER, and it's guaranteed for two days!" He then goes into a story about his uncle "Taxi Man" and we see the sequence herein. |
| "I'm glad that this question came up, because there are so many ways to answer it that one of them is bound to be right." - Robert Benchley | |
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| Laughing Gravy | Jan 3 2008, 08:07 AM Post #6 |
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After posting the above I watched the short again with the commentary on; it seems that the first few minutes, establishing the new mamma as making a pass at her new stepson Harry and thereby driving Andy Clyde to a fit of jealous rage, is lost, which would've established the Christmas Eve sequence better. The film is just under 16 min. long, meaning it's probably missing 4 or 5 min. of footage. Luckily, the Bathing Beauty sequence at the beach is all intact, right guys? P.S. I have the German DVD of Zenobia (1940), in which Hal Roach tried to squeeze out Stan Laurel by making a Hardy & Langdon comedy team. I saw this film, oh, 20 years ago and remember it as being "okay, but no L&H". I have never watched the DVD. Any fans of this film, which is about an elephant? |
| "I'm glad that this question came up, because there are so many ways to answer it that one of them is bound to be right." - Robert Benchley | |
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| igsjr | Jan 3 2008, 09:28 AM Post #7 |
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Nostalgia blogger
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I've never seen it myself. An elusive film that's been on my must-see list for eons. I got the Langdon set in the mail Wednesday and am watching its contents right now--in any year where a collection called Ford at Fox had not been released, this would be my pick for DVD of the Year. |
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"Life is in color--but black-and-white is more realistic..." -- Samuel Fuller, director So many DVDs...so little time... | |
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| panzer the great & terrible | Jan 3 2008, 03:30 PM Post #8 |
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Mouth Breather
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It is an absolute miracle. I never thought I'd get to find out why there was so much noise about Langdon. It's altogether amazing how much DVD has brought us that we never expected to see. |
| Life is just a bowl of cherries, it's too mysterious, don't take it serious... | |
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| Laughing Gravy | Jan 3 2008, 04:15 PM Post #9 |
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As I think I've mentioned somewhere, I had mixed feelings about that wonderful Fatty Arbuckle boxed set, which was lovingly put together, beautifully restored, impeccably compiled -- and contained a bunch of dreary comedy shorts that nearly always missed the mark and that left me scratching my head as to how this guy was so popular. Harry Langdon, on the other hand, has been rescued from the flames indeed. |
| "I'm glad that this question came up, because there are so many ways to answer it that one of them is bound to be right." - Robert Benchley | |
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| igsjr | Jan 6 2008, 12:21 PM Post #10 |
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Nostalgia blogger
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I finished watching Lost and Found: The Harry Langdon Collection last night and even though I'm sure I sound like a broken record when I say it's a must-own for silent comedy fans, it really is a worthwhile collection. Gravy's stated that Knight Duty wasn't particularly his cup o'tea but I enjoyed it (it's not too far removed from a silent short); Hooks and Jabs (1933) is the one I had trouble generating fondness; despite Vernon Dent's all-too-brief singing and the great checkerboard gag he does with Langdon involving mugs of beer it left me with a feeling of "Eh..." I get a little more longwinded about this set at Thrilling Days of Yesteryear. |
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"Life is in color--but black-and-white is more realistic..." -- Samuel Fuller, director So many DVDs...so little time... | |
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| The Batman | Jan 6 2008, 12:53 PM Post #11 |
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Charter Member
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I was going to bypass this set, thinking "how many silent comedian collections do I need?" But, you guys raved about the Harold Lloyd set, so I picked it up and loved it. And you raved about the release of the Fatty Arbuckle set (LG's less than enthusiastic review of the material itself, aside), so I picked it up and loved it, too. I will let you know if you're 3 for 3, when I pick this set up next week. |
| Always be yourself! Unless you can be Batman...then always be Batman! | |
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| Inspector Carr | Jan 6 2008, 03:08 PM Post #12 |
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Charter Member
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Considering the fact I am pretty stretched thin with all these sales the last month (VCI, the A&E sale this last week and Rodneys yearly blowout, oh yeah Rodney the order is in the works here) I had to rent it from Netflix (they have it ) and I have been burning....Uh I mean watching it and I must admit it is truly a labor of love and it truly has been rescued from the flames or the abyss or whatever....when the finances tighten up or should I say loosen up I will spring for the set......but it is a wonderful collection so far.... |
| "Life is a Crapshoot however you need a pair of dice to participate" | |
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11:09 AM Jul 11