Harry Philmore Langdon (June 15, 1884 – December 22, 1944) was an American comedian who appeared in

vaudeville Vaudeville (; ) is a theatrical genre of variety entertainment born in France at the end of the 19th century. A vaudeville was originally a comedy without psychological or moral intentions, based on a comical situation: a dramatic composition ...

silent film A silent film is a film with no synchronized recorded sound (or more generally, no audible dialogue). Though silent films convey narrative and emotion visually, various plot elements (such as a setting or era) or key lines of dialogue may, w ...

s (where he had his greatest fame), and talkies.Obituary ''

Variety Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...

'', December 27, 1944, page 39.

Life and career

Born in

Council Bluffs, Iowa Council Bluffs is a city in and the county seat of Pottawattamie County, Iowa, United States. The city is the most populous in Southwest Iowa, and is the third largest and a primary city of the Omaha-Council Bluffs Metropolitan Area. It is loc ...

, Langdon began working in medicine shows and stock companies while in his teens. In 1906, he entered vaudeville with his first wife, Rose Langdon. By 1915, he had developed a sketch named "Johnny's New Car", on which he performed variations in the years that followed. In 1923, he joined Principal Pictures Corporation, a company headed by producer Sol Lesser. He eventually went to The Mack Sennett Studios, where he became a major star. At the height of his film career, he was considered one of the four best comics of the silent film era. His screen character was that of a wide-eyed, childlike man with an innocent's understanding of the world and the people in it. He was a first-class pantomimist. Harry Langdon

Most of Langdon's 1920s work was produced at the famous Mack Sennett studio. His screen character was unique and his antics so different from the broad Sennett slapstick that he soon had a following. Success led him into feature films, directed by Arthur Ripley and

Frank Capra Frank Russell Capra (born Francesco Rosario Capra; May 18, 1897 – September 3, 1991) was an Italian-born American film director, producer and writer who became the creative force behind some of the major award-winning films of the 1930s ...

. With such directors guiding him, Langdon's work rivaled that of

Charlie Chaplin Sir Charles Spencer Chaplin Jr. (16 April 188925 December 1977) was an English comic actor, filmmaker, and composer who rose to fame in the era of silent film. He became a worldwide icon through his screen persona, the Tramp, and is conside ...

Harold Lloyd Harold Clayton Lloyd, Sr. (April 20, 1893 – March 8, 1971) was an American actor, comedian, and stunt performer who appeared in many silent comedy films.Obituary '' Variety'', March 10, 1971, page 55. One of the most influential film c ...

, and

Buster Keaton Joseph Frank "Buster" Keaton (October 4, 1895 – February 1, 1966) was an American actor, comedian, and filmmaker. He is best known for his silent film work, in which his trademark was physical comedy accompanied by a stoic, deadpan expression ...

. Many consider his best films to be ''

The Strong Man ''The Strong Man'' is a 1926 American silent comedy film starring Harry Langdon. Along with '' Tramp, Tramp, Tramp'', ''The Strong Man'' is Langdon's best known film. Capra would also direct Langdon's next feature, ''Long Pants'' (1927), which ...

'' (1926), '' Tramp, Tramp, Tramp'' (1926), and ''

Long Pants ''Long Pants'' (also known as ''Johnny Newcomer'') is a 1927 American silent comedy film directed by Frank Capra and starring Harry Langdon. Additional cast members include Gladys Brockwell, Alan Roscoe, and Priscilla Bonner. Plot The sile ...

'' (1927). Langdon acted as producer on these features, which were made for his own company, The Harry Langdon Corporation, and released by First National. After his initial success, he fired Frank Capra and directed his own films, including ''Three's a Crowd'', ''The Chaser'', and ''Heart Trouble'', but his appeal faded. These films were more personal and idiosyncratic, and audiences of the period were not interested. Capra later claimed that Langdon's decline stemmed from the fact that, unlike the other great silent comics, he never fully understood what made his own film character successful. However, Langdon's biographer Bill Schelly, among others, expressed skepticism about this claim, arguing that Langdon had established his character in vaudeville long before he entered movies, added by the fact that he wrote most of his own material during his stage years. History shows that Langdon's greatest success was while being directed by Capra, and once he took hold of his own destiny, his original film comedy persona dropped sharply in popularity with audiences. This is likely not due to Langdon's material, which he had always written himself, but due to his inexperience with the many fine points of directing, at which Capra excelled, but at which Langdon was a novice. On the other hand, a look at Langdon's filmography shows that Capra directed only two of Langdon's 30 silent comedies. His last silent film, and the last one Langdon directed, ''Heart Trouble'', is a "

lost film A lost film is a feature or short film that no longer exists in any studio archive, private collection, public archive or the U.S. Library of Congress. Conditions During most of the 20th century, U.S. copyright law required at least one copy ...

", so it is difficult to assess whether he might have begun achieving a greater understanding of the directorial process with more experience. The coming of sound, and the drastic changes in cinema, also thwarted Langdon's chances of evolving as a director and perhaps defining a style that might have enjoyed greater box office success. Harpers Bazaar 1927 Long Pants ad

Transition to sound films

Langdon's babyish character did not adapt well to sound films; as producer

Hal Roach Harry Eugene "Hal" Roach Sr.Randy Skretvedt, Skretvedt, Randy (2016), ''Laurel and Hardy: The Magic Behind the Movies'', Bonaventure Press. p.608. (January 14, 1892 – November 2, 1992) was an American film and television producer, director, a ...

remarked, "He was not so funny articulate." Roach starred Langdon in eight sound shorts in 1929–1930, which were not popular enough to keep the series going. Langdon did land occasional one-shot roles in feature films, including ''See America Thirst'' (

Universal Universal is the adjective for universe. Universal may also refer to: Companies * NBCUniversal, a media and entertainment company ** Universal Animation Studios, an American Animation studio, and a subsidiary of NBCUniversal ** Universal TV, a t ...

, 1930), opposite Slim Summerville, and ''Hallelujah, I'm a Bum'' (United Artists, 1933), opposite Al Jolson. Langdon was still a big enough name to command leads in short subjects. He reunited with his Sennett co-star Vernon Dent for a series of two-reelers with Educational Pictures in 1932-34.

Columbia Pictures Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. is an American film production studio that is a member of the Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group, a division of Sony Pictures Entertainment, which is one of the Big Five studios and a subsidiary of the mu ...

, initiating its own short-comedy unit, hired Langdon away from Educational in 1934. In 1938, beginning with the Columbia short ''A Doggone Mixup'', Langdon adopted a

Caspar Milquetoast Caspar Milquetoast is a comic strip character created by H. T. Webster for his cartoon series ''The Timid Soul''. Webster described Caspar Milquetoast as "the man who speaks softly and gets hit with a big stick". The character's name is derive ...

-type, henpecked-husband character that served him well. He alternated this new character with his established "helpless innocent" character. Langdon was considered to be the live-action role model for Dopey in ''

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" is a 19th-century German fairy tale that is today known widely across the Western world. The Brothers Grimm published it in 1812 in the first edition of their collection '' Grimms' Fairy Tales'' and numbered as ...

'', but

Walt Disney Walter Elias Disney (; December 5, 1901December 15, 1966) was an American animator, film producer and entrepreneur. A pioneer of the American animation industry, he introduced several developments in the production of cartoons. As a film p ...

rejected the idea.

Eddie Collins Edward Trowbridge Collins Sr. (May 2, 1887 – March 25, 1951), nicknamed "Cocky", was an American professional baseball player, manager and executive. He played as a second baseman in Major League Baseball from to for the Philadelphia Athlet ...

played the role instead. In 1938 Langdon returned to the Hal Roach studio for a surprise guest appearance in the screwball comedy feature '' There Goes My Heart''. While at Roach he contributed to comedy scripts as a writer, notably for

Laurel and Hardy Laurel and Hardy were a British-American comedy duo act during the early Classical Hollywood era of American cinema, consisting of Englishman Stan Laurel (1890–1965) and American Oliver Hardy (1892–1957). Starting their career as a duo in t ...

. When

Stan Laurel Stan Laurel (born Arthur Stanley Jefferson; 16 June 1890 – 23 February 1965) was an English comic actor, writer, and film director who was one half of the comedy duo Laurel and Hardy. He appeared with his comedy partner Oliver Hardy in 10 ...

's contract with Roach expired,

Oliver Hardy Oliver Norvell Hardy (born Norvell Hardy; January 18, 1892 – August 7, 1957) was an American comic actor and one half of Laurel and Hardy, the double act that began in the era of silent films and lasted from 1926 to 1957. He appeared with his ...

's contract was still in force, leading Roach to cast Langdon opposite Hardy in the 1939 antebellum comedy ''

Zenobia Septimia Zenobia ( Palmyrene Aramaic: , , vocalized as ; AD 240 – c. 274) was a third-century queen of the Palmyrene Empire in Syria. Many legends surround her ancestry; she was probably not a commoner and she married the ruler of the cit ...

''.

Comeback

In 1940 Harry Langdon made a comeback as a starring comedian in feature-length films. ''

Misbehaving Husbands ''Misbehaving Husbands'' is a 1940 American comedy film directed by William Beaudine for Producers Releasing Corporation. The film had the working titles of ''At Your Age'' and ''Dummy Husbands''. Harry Langdon, Betty Blythe, Esther Muir, and o ...

'' (1940) was a domestic comedy with Langdon using his henpecked-husband character. It was also a comeback film for the director,

William Beaudine William Washington Beaudine (January 15, 1892 – March 18, 1970) was an American film actor and director. He was one of Hollywood's most prolific directors, turning out films in remarkable numbers and in a wide variety of genres. Life and car ...

, an important silent-film director whose fortunes had declined by the late 1930s. Although ''Misbehaving Husbands'' was produced and released by PRC, the tiniest of the Hollywood studios, Langdon and Beaudine received critical raves for their work: "Preview house rewarded them with practically solid laughter" (''Boxoffice''), ; "Easily angdon'sbest performance in years" (''Motion Picture Daily''). In the trade, the picture was noteworthy enough to re-establish both Langdon and Beaudine, albeit in low-budget features. They soon worked steadily at

Monogram Pictures Monogram Pictures Corporation was an American film studio that produced mostly low-budget films between 1931 and 1953, when the firm completed a transition to the name Allied Artists Pictures Corporation. Monogram was among the smaller studios i ...

. ''Misbehaving Husbands'' turned out to be Langdon's last starring feature; he shared two subsequent leads with co-star

Charley Rogers Charles Rogers (15 January 1887 – 20 December 1956) was an English film actor, director and screenwriter, best known for his association with Laurel and Hardy. He was born in Birmingham, Warwickshire, England. In 1928, he joined the Lau ...

. Langdon continued to play mild-mannered goofs in features and short subjects.

Death and recognition

He suffered a

cerebral hemorrhage Intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH), also known as cerebral bleed, intraparenchymal bleed, and hemorrhagic stroke, or haemorrhagic stroke, is a sudden bleeding into the tissues of the brain, into its ventricles, or into both. It is one kind of bleed ...

during the filming of the

Republic A republic () is a " state in which power rests with the people or their representatives; specifically a state without a monarchy" and also a "government, or system of government, of such a state." Previously, especially in the 17th and 18th ...

musical, ''

Swingin' on a Rainbow ''Swingin' on a Rainbow'' is a 1945 American film directed by William Beaudine and starring Jane Frazee. It includes the final film appearance of Harry Langdon. Plot At a radio station run by Thomas Marsden, a songwriter, Jimmy Rhodes, skip ...

'', and died on December 22, 1944. All funeral arrangements were handled by Langdon's old friend Vernon Dent. Ted Okuda and Edward Watz; (1986). ''The Columbia Comedy Shorts'', pp. 115–123, 221–222, McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers. Langdon was cremated and his ashes interred at

Grand View Memorial Park Cemetery Grand View Memorial Park and Crematory is a historic cemetery located in Glendale, California, Glendale, California, in the United States. Established in 1884 as Glendale Cemetery, it changed its name to Grand View Memorial Park in 1919. The ceme ...

Glendale, California Glendale is a city in the San Fernando Valley and Verdugo Mountains regions of Los Angeles County, California, United States. At the 2020 U.S. Census the population was 196,543, up from 191,719 at the 2010 census, making it the fourth-larges ...

. At the height of his career, Langdon was making $7,500 per week, a fortune for the times. Upon his death, ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'' wrote, "His whole appeal was a consummate ability to look inexpressibly forlorn when confronted with manifold misfortunes—usually of the domestic type. He was what was known as 'dead-pan'...the feeble smile and owlish blink which had become his stock-in-trade caught on in a big way, and he skyrocketed to fame and fortune..." In 1997, his hometown of Council Bluffs celebrated "Harry Langdon Day" and in 1999 named Harry Langdon Boulevard in his honor. For his contribution to the motion picture industry, Harry Langdon has a star on the

Hollywood Walk of Fame The Hollywood Walk of Fame is a historic landmark which consists of more than 2,700 five-pointed terrazzo and brass stars embedded in the sidewalks along 15 blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street in Hollywood, Calif ...

at 6925 Hollywood Boulevard. Langdon is briefly depicted in the biographical film '' Stan & Ollie'', played by Richard Cant, where he is preparing for the shooting of ''Zenobia'' with

. Langdon's son, Harry Langdon Jr., went on to a successful career as a Hollywood photographer.

Critical appraisal

Film historian Richard Koszarski offers this assessment of Langdon's career:

Partial filmography

† – denotes entry part of the

short subject series * '' The Sky Scraper aka The Greenhorn'' (1923) * '' A Tough Tenderfoot aka Horace Greeley, Jr.'' (1923) * '' A Perfect Nuisance aka The White Wing's Bride'' (1923) * ''

Picking Peaches Picking or Pickings may refer to: Activities * Fruit picking * Guitar picking, various techniques for playing a guitar * Lock picking, the art of unlocking a lock without the original key * Nose-picking, the act of extracting mucus and/or foreign ...

'' (1924, Short) as Harry - A Shoe Clerk * ''Smile Please'' (1924, Short) as Otto Focus - the Hero * '' Scarem Much'' (1924, Short) as Ringside Spectator (uncredited) * '' Shanghaied Lovers'' (1924, Short) as A Shanghaied Sailor * '' Flickering Youth'' (1924, Short) as Gus Guitar * ''

The Cat's Meow ''The Cat's Meow'' is a 2001 historical drama film directed by Peter Bogdanovich, and starring Kirsten Dunst, Eddie Izzard, Edward Herrmann, Cary Elwes, Joanna Lumley, and Jennifer Tilly. The screenplay by Steven Peros is based on his 1997 play ...

'' (1924, Short) as Eddie Elgin * '' His New Mamma'' (1924, Short) as The Farmer Boy * '' The First Hundred Years'' (1924, Short) as A Newly-Wed * ''

The Luck o' the Foolish The Luck O' The Foolish is a 1924 silent black and white short American film starring Harry Langdon directed by Harry Edwards and produced by Mack Sennett. It was the first time Edwards directed Langdon. The title is a pun on "The Luck O' The ...

'' (1924, Short) as Mr. Newlywed * '' The Hansom Cabman'' (1924, Short) as Harry Doolittle * '' All Night Long'' (1924, Short) as Harry Hall - the Boy * '' Feet of Mud'' (1924, Short) as The Boy - Harry Holdem * '' The Sea Squawk'' (1925, Short) as Sandy McNickel - an Immigrant * '' His Marriage Wow'' (1925, Short) as The Groom - Harold Hope * '' Boobs in the Woods'' (1925, Short) as The Boy - Chester Winfield * '' Plain Clothes'' (1925, Short) as Harvey Carter * '' Remember When?'' (1925, Short) as Harry Hudson * '' Lucky Stars'' (1925, Short) as Harry Lamb * '' There He Goes'' (1925, Short) as Harry * '' Saturday Afternoon'' (1926, Short) as Harry Higgins * '' Tramp, Tramp, Tramp'' (1926) as Harry Logan * '' Soldier Man'' (1926, Short) as The Soldier / King Strudel the 13th of Bomania * '' Ella Cinders'' (1926) as Harry Langdon (uncredited) * ''

'' (1926) as Paul Bergot * ''

'' (1927) as Harry Shelby * '' His First Flame'' (1927) as Harry Howells * '' Three's a Crowd'' (1927) as Harry - the Odd Fellow * ''

Fiddlesticks Fiddlesticks are traditional instruments used to add percussion to old-time and Cajun fiddle music, allowing two people to play the fiddle at the same time. While the fiddler plays in normal fashion, a second person uses a pair of straws, stick ...

'' (1927, Short) as Harry Hogan * ''

The Chaser The Chaser are an Australian satirical comedy group, best known for their television programmes and satirical news masthead. The group take their name from their satirical newspaper, a publication known to challenge conventions of taste. Th ...

'' (1928) as The Husband * '' Heart Trouble'' (1928, director) as Harry Van Housen * '' Hotter Than Hot'' (1929, Short) * '' Sky Boy'' (1929, Short) * '' Skirt Shy'' (1929, Short) as Dobbs, the butler * '' The Head Guy'' (1930, Short) as Harry, Temporary Station Master * '' The Fighting Parson'' (1930, Short) as The Banjo Player * '' The Big Kick'' (1930, Short) as Harry * '' The Shrimp'' (1930, Short) as Harry * '' The King'' (1930, Short) as The King * '' A Soldier's Plaything'' (1930) as Tim * ''

See America Thirst ''See America Thirst'' is a 1930 American pre-Code comedy film produced and distributed by Universal Pictures and directed by William James Craft. Silent comics Harry Langdon and Slim Summerville star along with Bessie Love. Though released late ...

'' (1930) as Wally * '' The Big Flash'' (1932, Short) as Harry * '' Tired Feet'' (1933, Short) * ''

Hallelujah, I'm a Bum "Hallelujah, I'm a Bum" (Roud 7992) is an American folk song, that responds with humorous sarcasm to unhelpful moralizing about the circumstance of being a hobo. "Hallelujah! I'm A Bum" Was the Marching Song of the IWW. (Harry McClintock song ...

'' (1933) as Egghead * '' The Hitchhiker'' (1933, Short) as The Hitchhiker * '' Knight Duty'' (1933, Short) as Harry * '' Tied for Life'' (1933, Short) as The Groom * '' Marriage Humor'' (1933, Short) * '' Hooks and Jabs'' (1933, Short) * ''The Stage Hand'' (1933, Short) as Harry * '' My Weakness'' (1933) as Dan Cupid * '' On Ice'' (1933, Short) * '' Roaming Romeo'' (1933, Short) * '' Circus Hoodoo'' (1934, Short) * '' Petting Preferred'' (1934, Short) * ''

Counsel on De Fence A counsel or a counsellor at law is a person who gives advice and deals with various issues, particularly in law, legal matters. It is a title often used interchangeably with the title of ''lawyer''. The word ''counsel'' can also mean advice g ...

'' (1934, †, Short) as Darrow Langdon * '' Shivers'' (1934, †, Short) as Ichabod Somerset Crop * '' His Bridal Sweet'' (1935, †, Short) as Himself * '' Love, Honor, and Obey (the Law!)'' (1935, Short) as Harry * '' The Leather Necker'' (1935, †, Short) * '' Atlantic Adventure'' (1935) as Snapper McGillicuddy * '' His Marriage Mix-Up'' (1935, †, Short) * ''I Don't Remember'' (1935, †, Short) as Harry Crump * ''

Block-Heads ''Block-Heads'' is a 1938 comedy film directed by John G. Blystone and starring Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy. It was produced by Hal Roach Studios for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. The film, a reworking of elements from the Laurel and Hardy shorts ''We ...

'' (1938, writer) * '' A Doggone Mixup'' (1938, †, Short) as Himself * ''

Stardust Stardust may refer to: * A type of cosmic dust, composed of particles in space Entertainment Songs * “Stardust” (1927 song), by Hoagy Carmichael * “Stardust” (David Essex song), 1974 * “Stardust” (Lena Meyer-Landrut song), 2012 * ...

'' (1938) as Otto Schultz * '' Sue My Lawyer'' (1938, †, Short) as Himself * '' There Goes My Heart'' (1938) as Minister (uncredited) * ''

'' (1939) as Professor McCrackle * '' The Flying Deuces'' (1939, writer) * ''

A Chump at Oxford ''A Chump at Oxford'' is a Hal Roach comedy film produced in 1939 and released in 1940 by United Artists. It was directed by Alfred J. Goulding and was the penultimate Laurel and Hardy film made at the Roach studio. The title echoes the film ''A ...

'' (1940, writer) * '' Saps at Sea'' (1940, writer) * '' Goodness! A Ghost'' (1940, Short) * ''Cold Turkey'' (1940, †, Short) as Himself * ''

'' (1940) as Henry Butler * '' Sitting Pretty'' (1940) * '' Road Show'' (1941, writer) * '' All-American Co-Ed'' (1941) as Hap Holden * '' Double Trouble'' (1941) as Albert 'Bert' Prattle * '' What Makes Lizzy Dizzy?'' (1942, †, Short) as Harry * '' House of Errors'' (1942) as Bert * '' Tireman, Spare My Tires'' (1942, †, Short) as Himself * '' Carry Harry'' (1942, †, Short) as Harry * '' Piano Mooner'' (1942, †, Short) as Harry * '' A Blitz on the Fritz'' (1943, †, Short) as Egbert Slipp * '' Blonde and Groom'' (1943, †, Short) as Harry * '' Here Comes Mr. Zerk'' (1943, †, Short) as Egbert Slipp * '' Spotlight Revue'' (1943) as Oscar Martin * '' To Heir is Human'' (1944, †, Short) as Harry Fenner * '' Defective Detectives'' (1944, †, Short) as Harry * ''

Hot Rhythm ''Hot Rhythm'' is a 1944 American musical comedy film directed by William Beaudine and starring Robert Lowery, Dona Drake, and the radio and vaudeville team of Tim and Irene ( Tim Ryan and Irene Ryan). Plot J. P. O'Hara (Tim Ryan) owns the Beaco ...

'' (1944) as Mr. Whiffle * '' Mopey Dope'' (1944, †, Short) * ''

Block Busters ''Block Busters'' is a 1944 American comedy film directed by Wallace Fox and starring the East Side Kids. Plot After an afternoon of playing baseball, Muggs McGinnis and the East Side Kids gang arrive at the door of their clubhouse, where a man ...

'' (1944) as Higgins * '' Snooper Service'' (1945, †, Short) * '' Pistol Packin' Nitwits'' (1945, †, Short) as Harry * ''

'' (1945) as Chester Willouby (final film role)

Gallery

File:Olsen and Johnson with Harry Langdon.JPG, Langdon (center) with the comedy team of Olsen and Johnson.

References

External links

* *
Harry Langdon
at Film Reference
Photographs and literature
{{DEFAULTSORT:Langdon, Harry 1884 births 1944 deaths American male film actors American male silent film actors Silent film comedians Vaudeville performers Male actors from Iowa People from Council Bluffs, Iowa Hal Roach Studios short film series Slapstick comedians 20th-century American male actors 20th-century American comedians American male comedy actors Columbia Pictures contract players Burials at Grand View Memorial Park Cemetery