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Harry Langdon ...The Forgotten Clown
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Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Binding: DVD
EAN: 0738329017323
Format: Black & White, Color, DVD-Video, NTSC
Label: Kino Video
Languages: English (Original Language),
Manufacturer: Kino Video
MPN: 173
Number Of Items: 1
Publisher: Kino Video
Region Code: 1
Release Date: September 02, 2003
Running Time: 193 minutes
Studio: Kino Video
Theatrical Release Date: September 19, 1926
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Editorial Review:
In an exceptional case of good timing, Harry Langdon emerged as a silent-comedy clown just as the careers of Harold Lloyd, Buster Keaton, and Charlie Chaplin were stagnant or (in the case of Chaplin) on extended hiatus. Along came Langdon with his own screen persona--a cherubic, innocent man-child in ill-fitting clothes, his weathered hat at a permanent tilt--and by the mid-'20s he was a critical and box-office smash. The three short features offered here represent the best work of this "forgotten clown," and although Langdon's slapstick was gentler and somewhat derivative, his endearing character was featured in delightful stories that earned his place in the silent-comedy hall of fame.
The Strong Man (1926) was Langdon's second and finest film; it's bracingly ambitious in both scope and story, and marked director Frank Capra's feature-film debut. Harry plays an unlikely World War I hero who immigrates to America to find his pen-pal sweetheart, posing as a vaudeville strongman as his love-struck odyssey spins through a series of increasingly audacious comedy set pieces. Langdon's debut feature, Tramp, Tramp, Tramp (1926), costars Joan Crawford as the woman who's captured Harry's fancy, and he joins a cross-country walking race in an adventurous effort to impress her. The film's climactic cyclone scene is as impressive for its time as anything in Twister--and a whole lot funnier. Finally, 1927's Long Pants follows the familiar formula: Harry's misguided attraction to a brazen vamp (which tempts him to dispatch his unsuspecting fiancée) leads to a series of misadventures, but as always, Harry's innate goodness wins out in the end.
Langdon's career was never again as bright; he directed himself in subsequent, lesser films and his popularity rapidly faded. That makes this collection essential for silent-comedy aficionados; these films are the enduring legacy of Langdon's brief but shining time in the spotlight, and they should not be forgotten. --Jeff Shannon
Three complete features from the rediscovered genius of silent comedy! These classic silent slapstick films are the high points in Harry Langdon and Frank Capra's collaboration during 1926 and 1927, culminating in some of the finest American comedies of all-time! "The Strong Man" (1926, 74 min.) - After a tour of duty in World War I, Paul, a witless young Belgian, comes to America and seeks out the dedicated pen pal (Priscilla Bonner) whose letters lifted his spirits during the heat of battle. But to Paul, the land of opportunity turns out to be a world of confusion, as his quest for Mary Brown leads him from mishap to comic disaster. "Tramp. Tramp, Tramp" (1926, 61 min.) - In an effort to save the family business, a shoemaker's son enters a cross-country foot race with hopes of walking away with the $25,000 prize. During the course of his westward hike, Langdon woos Joan Crawford, is thrown in a chain gang, dangled from the edge of a cliff and caught in a violent tornado. "Long Pants" (1927, 58 min.) - When a sheepish young man yearning for romance is given his first pair of grown-up trousers, he springs into adulthood and is immediately smitten by the wrong woman. When his queen is jailed, Harry abandons his small-town sweetheart and comes to the brazen woman's rescue, ushering his fugitive moll through a series of riotous scrapes.
Customer Reviews
Average Rating: 
Rating:  - Wild about Harry
Quite simply, a beautiful collection. Not only hilariously funny, but a fascinating look back in time to another America.
Rating: - This great presentation leaves you wanting more.
I'm glad that Kino has re-issued the 1997 Laserdisc collection "Harry Langdon...The Forgotten Clown" on DVD for more fans to discover Harry and enjoy the best three films he did.
The film transfers are great, sharp & clear. The master prints may have some wear but they are still in decent shape.
My only disappointment is that the original Laserdisc set included three 20-30 minute shorts from Harry's Mack Sennett films. Fortunately two of these missing shorts have been ... Read More
Rating:  - Horray! A Langdon Collection!
This collection is a wonderful way to experience the comedy of the man often referred to as the fourth genius of the silent cinema. It includes three of his best silents in excellent prints with great soundtracks.
The Strong Man is perhaps the best Harry Langdon film to watch to see the genius of the comedian. Many trademark jokes are included in the film including his climbing the stairs bit. Also, we get to see the best of his humor, some of the more wholesome jokes (as opposed to finding ... Read More
Rating: - A Must Have for your Silent Comedians Collection
I purchased this not having ever seen Harry Langdon on film, I had seen photos and read about him and I found him intriguing. I have to say that I did not fall about the room laughing at these comedies, but I really enjoyed these movies. I highly recommend them. They have a surreal and distant feeling about them and you can only lament that Harry did not go on to better things. I liked The Strong Man the best of the three. I found parts of "Long Pants" very strange, especially the attempted murder scene, ... Read More
Rating: - A Fascinating Silent Star
I basically agree with the other reviews here: Harry Langdon was a marvelous comedy talent, totally unique, and quite loveable, and these three films are generally excellent. And yes, it's true that Harry's an acquired taste. Not everyone will "get" him. In that respect he may be the first "cult" comedy figure in film history. Those of us who love Langdon *really* love him, and most of us first saw him in one of these three films. Personally, I don't see any particular stamp of genius in Frank Capra's direction; ... Read More
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