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Title: Harry Langdon (FILMMAKERS SERIES) by William Schelly ISBN: 0-8108-1567-2 Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield Pub Inc Pub. Date: 01 October, 1982 Format: Hardcover List Price(USD): $32.00

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Average Customer Rating: 3 (4 reviews)

Rating: 4
Summary: Little Harry Gets a Long-Overdue Biography
Comment: William Schelly's 1982 biography of one of the greats of silent comedy---Harry Langdon--- is a well-researched, if somewhat thin, tribute to the "little clown." A number of critics have complained that Schelly's book does not delve deeply enough into Langdon's private life or his talkie period. This is an unfair criticism. To begin with, Schelly's book is the first attempt ever at a full-blown Langdon biography and Schelly had to conduct research into limited archival data since Langdon's clippings, studio records, and even a number of his films are no longer available---literally lost in the dustbin of history. For various reasons, Langdon memorabilia were not salvaged and preserved through the years as were those of the other four giants of silent comedy---Fatty Arbuckle, Buster Keaton, Charlie Chaplin, and Harold Lloyd. Harry always suffered from a lack of industry respect. Even his immense popularity in the 1924-1927 period is derided by critics as simply the result of relative innactivity on the part of the other silent clowns. In other words, Langdon was simply filling a gap until the others released their next films. Others opine that Langdon was an acquired taste and a novelty at that, which in two or three short years grew tiresome. But both of these criticisms sell Harry Langdon short (no pun intended). From the 1910s forward Langdon was a widely acclaimed headliner in the grandest vaudeville houses (including the famed "Palace"). During these years he developed his pantomime skills to a superb level. Harry could say more with facial expressions and body language than most other commedians conveyed in a thousand word dialogue. By the time he entered silent films in the early 1920s, the other great commedians had already been established screen stars. Langdon had to be incredibly good at his trade to have broken into this elite coterie. By 1924, Arthur Ripley and Frank Capra assisted Langdon in putting the finishing touches on his sad little clown personna, but it was Harry himself who brought this elfin character to life. In his three acknowledged classics, "Long Pants," "Tramp, Tramp, Tramp," and especially "The Strong Man," Langdon demonstrated an uncanny ability to make people laugh while at the same time creating a pathos that was heart-rending. He was always betwixt and between, with a heart of gold and a childlike naivete that evoked audience sympathy even as their bellies shook with laughter. Indeed, it wasn't lucky timing or mere novelty that made Harry Langdon a silent screen legend, it was an incredible talent to emote and induce a catharsis that was very real. As opposed to Harold Lloyd, whose comedy was contingent upon situational happenstance, Langdon was funny in and of himself. The decline of Harry Langdon was certainly not due to any lack or diminution of talent. Instead, Harry's decline resulted from two factors: First, as a genius at the art of pantomime, the dawn of talkies diminished Langdon's artistry and rendered him virtually impotent against a sea of new commedians whose comedy was based on the spoken word. Langdon was not alone in suffering such an undermining of his status as talkies took over---the great Buster Keaton's popularity and critical acclaim also took a nose dive in the late 1920s. Indeed, it might be argued that the greater the silent comedic actor the more likely he or she would become a casualty of sound movies. It is also a well-known fact that the great Frank Capra fueded with Langdon in 1926 when Harry was at the top of the heap. Langdon wanted more pathos and less overt slapstick in his films while Capra believed the opposite course was the wiser one. After one particularly acrimonious verbal joust, Capra called Harry a lot of names in the press and spread the word around Hollywood that Harry Langdon was an unreasonable ego-maniac. Capra insisted that it was he, not Harry, who created the "sad sack" Langdon character. Whether or not Harry would have been able to adjust successfully to talkies became a moot point once a rising and respected star gagwriter-director like Capra painted Langdon as industry poison. Langdon did assume virtual control of his next few features, with mixed results. His first post-Capra film ("Three's A Crowd") bombed, and critics attributed its failure---as Capra had predicted--- to too much pathos and not enough laughs. This failure also occurred at a precipitous time, since talkies were replacing silents and even the most loved stars found it near impossible to bounce back from a disastrous talkie debut. Langdon's next film was technically better ("The Chaser"), but not nearly popular enough for the actor to regain his previous exalted status. Ironically, his next feature, "Heart Trouble," was a critical success and marginally more popular than his previous two, but it was too little too late. Many viewers and critics at the time believed "Heart Trouble" initiated a return to Langdon's stellar standards, but the film did not receive wide distribution. Furthermore, as bad luck would have it, soon after its release and its aborted run in the theatres, the film was lost forever. No copy exists today). No matter. By that time (1928), Langdon's popularity had already taken a critical downward turn. To Capra's credit, in later years the director expressed sorrow for having maligned Langdon's character. Capra recalled with obvious sadness and remorse how he once inadvertantly saw the over-the-hill Langdon performing a tired, old comedy routine in the early 1940s in a second-rate vaudeville house. Up until his death in 1944, Langdon dreamed of making a comeback. While a comeback was not to be, a crical appraisal of the great comic's work has occurred. All in all, Schelly does an admirable job in tracing the life and times of a once great commedian, perhaps the greatest of the pantomimists. Of course, there is so much more than can be researched and written about Langdon. Hopefully Schelly's work will spur on others to take up this task. But as it stands, Schelly's biography of the little clown is doubtless a step in the right direction. Harry was one of a kind.

Rating: 4
Summary: Schelly Does An Admirable Job On Harry Langdon Biography
Comment: I've just completed reading William Schelly's 1982 biography of Harry langdon, and I must say that the author did a fine job with a rather obscure subject. By "obscure," I mean simply that source material on Harry Langdon is not (and certainly was not in 1982) as abundant as that of the three other great silent comedians (Keaton, Chaplin, and Lloyd).

I say this with a great fondness for Harry Langdon, the neglect of whom has resulted in this dearth of original source material. Sadly, unlike the wealth of information available on Chaplin, Lloyd and Keaton, Langdon and his work have never experienced the popular resurgence of the aforementioned silent clowns. Hence, by 1982 when Mr. Schelly wrote his book, certain original material (which no one in the mid to late 1920's thought important enough to salvage) as well as most of Langdon's peers, were all long gone. Harry, himself, was already dead for 38 years. Yet despite these elemental research obstacles, Mr. Schelly manages to provide the reader with much original, interesting and significant information on the "little elf." For instance, Langdon's unhappy romantic life prior to his last marriage, his close relationship with Laurel and Hardy, and his myriad artistic talents as a musical composer, sculptor, gag writer, etc., were covered quite adeptly and to a greater extent than in any previous written account of Harry (i.e., Walter Kerr, Kevein Brownlow, etc).

I also disagree with those critics of the book who claim that Schelly's work is "uneven." The greatness of Harry Langdon was achieved in the silent era when his little elf character was developed and perfected. His three masterpieces ("Tramp, Tramp, Tramp," "The Strong Man," and "Long Pants")were silent films-not talkies. It was the medium of silent film which allowed Langdon to do what he did better than anyone else before or since, pantomime. No doubt his work in talkies was far better than many critics over the years have claimed; yet, Harry is not remembered for the films he made after 1927. Accordingly, I think Mr. Schelly was correct in emphasizing the early work of Harry Langdon-the work that justified his being placed on the same level of comic genius as Chaplin, Lloyd and Keaton.

Finally, the reader must remember that Mr. Schelly made the very first attempt at writing a biography of Langdon. The personal and professional biographical information provided in his work is far more extensive than anything I had previously read about Langdon. For this fact alone, Mr. Schelly should be praised.

In conclusion, I highly recommend Mr. Schelly's book, as it was written in 1982, to all fans of Harry Langdon. I'm sure I speak for many admirers and fans of the sad, little clown by asserting that if there is someone out there who believes he or she can add something of original value to Mr. Schelly's book, go ahead and give it a try. In the meantime, do yourself the following favor: disregard the tenuous criticism and purchase Mr. Schelly's book. It's a good one.

Rating: 2
Summary: This book deserves a rewrite
Comment: Dear Mr. Schelly, I certainly respect your efforts. I wish they were better. Erich Von Stroheim said that authors should never talk about their own work, because they make excuses. Instead of excuses, why not update it? With the wealth of Langdon material available these days, and the availability of many more films, you could do yourself and the subject proud. Scarecrow has issued revised books; why not polish yours up? This is meant as constructive criticism. Harry Langdon does deserve something fitting.