''Long Pants'' (also known as ''Johnny Newcomer'') is a 1927
American
American(s) may refer to:
* American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America"
** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America
** American ancestry, p ...
comedy film
The comedy film is a film genre that emphasizes humor. These films are designed to amuse audiences and make them laugh. Films in this genre typically have a happy ending, with dark comedy being an exception to this rule. Comedy is one of the o ...
directed by
Frank Capra
Frank Russell Capra (born Francesco Rosario Capra; May 18, 1897 – September 3, 1991) was an Italian-American film director, producer, and screenwriter who was the creative force behind Frank Capra filmography#Films that won Academy Award ...
and starring
Harry Langdon
Henry Philmore "Harry" Langdon (June 15, 1884 – December 22, 1944) was an American actor and comedian who appeared in vaudeville, silent films (where he had his greatest fame), and talkies.Obituary ''Variety Obituaries, Variety'', December 27 ...
. Additional cast members include
Gladys Brockwell
Gladys Brockwell (née Lindeman; September 26, 1894 – July 2, 1929) was an American actress whose career began during the silent film era.
Early life and career
Brockwell was born Gladys Lindeman in Brooklyn, New York, on September 26, 1894. ...
,
Alan Roscoe
Alan Roscoe (born John Albert Rascoe; August 23, 1888 – March 8, 1933) was an American film actor of the silent and early talking film eras. He appeared in more than 100 films between 1915 and 1933.
Roscoe was born John Albert Rascoe o ...
, and
Priscilla Bonner
Priscilla Bonner (February 17, 1899 – February 21, 1996) was an American silent film actress who specialized in portraying virginal, innocent heroines.
Early years
Priscilla Bonner was born in Washington, D.C. on February 17, 1899. Her fat ...
.
Plot
Harry Shelby has been kept in knee-pants for years by his mother. One day, however, Harry finally gets his first pair of long pants.
Immediately, his family expects him to marry his childhood sweetheart Priscilla. Yet, Harry soon falls for Bebe Blair, a ''
femme fatale
A ( , ; ), sometimes called a maneater, Mata Hari, or vamp, is a stock character of a mysterious, beautiful, and Seduction, seductive woman whose charms ensnare her lovers, often leading them into compromising, deadly traps. She is an archetype ...
'' from the big city who has a boyfriend in the mob.
Harry thinks that Bebe is interested in him as well, so he risks everything when Bebe ends up in jail. This leads to a lot of trouble for Harry. Throughout the whole ordeal Priscilla waits for Harry to face reality.
Mama's Boy Harry Shelby has at last taken notice of the opposite sex. But he becomes fixated on terminal "bad girl" Bebe Blair, temporarily stranded in town by a flat tire. Harry attempts to impress her with trick bicycle riding, to absolutely no effect.
Harry's parents decide to counter Bebe's influence by marrying him off to the nice girl next door, Priscilla. But when Harry reads Bebe has been jailed for smuggling narcotics, he decides he must rush to her side. But there is a wedding to squirm out of. Just before the ceremony, Harry lures Priscilla into the woods, intending to shoot her. But his top hat becomes jammed down over his eyes. He loses the gun in thick leaves and he becomes tangled in a barbed wire fence. Priscilla then finds the gun and takes target practice with it, terrifying Harry. He flees to the big city.
Upon arrival, Harry bumps into Bebe on the street...she has escaped jail on her own. Bebe allows herself to be sealed into a packing crate, which Harry publicly lugs through a crowded downtown. Harry stops to rest in front of a theatre. A dog steals his shoe. While Harry chases the dog, a stagehand places a realistic mannequin of a policeman atop the crate. Harry fakes a fire, a hold-up, and a heart attack to get the "policeman" to move. The last one gets him doused with water buckets by a Good Samaritan. Then a stagehand claims the mannequin and an actual cop takes its place. Harry skulls the "mannequin" with a brick. While Harry outruns the law, the crate catches onto the back of a truck and is dragged several blocks. Harry returns and takes a different crate that contains a live alligator. He quickly discovers his mistake.
Bebe commits a series of well-publicized stick-ups, each time with Harry as the dupe lookout. Bebe decides to go backstage at a disreputable theatre and settle scores with an old romantic rival. Bebe and the other woman's boyfriend end up shooting each other dead. The shots stampede the nightclub crowd...right over Harry.
With one arm in a sling, Harry returns home and walks in on the family saying "Grace" at dinner. He silently joins them.
Cast
Critical reception
When it was released, film critic
Mordaunt Hall
Mordaunt Hall (1 November 1878 – 2 July 1973) was the first regularly assigned motion picture critic for ''The New York Times'', working from October 1924 to September 1934.Charles Spencer Chaplin's sincerest flatterer. His short coat reminds one of Chaplin, and now and again his footwork is like that of the great screen comedian."
Film historian David Kalat reports that
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 films during the 1920s, in which he performed physical comedy and inventive stunts. He frequently ...
, a long-time fan of Langdon's known for his own morbid jokes about death and killings, criticized a scene in which Langdon's character tries to kill Priscilla as "going too far" in making light of murder.
More recently, critic Maria Schneider reviewed Langdon's work and wrote, "''Long Pants'' (1927), also directed by Capra, was a peculiar change of pace for Langdon, and possibly an attempt to poke fun at his baby-faced image by casting him as a would-be lady-killer; sporting little of the ingenuity of ''The Strong Man,'' it was a box-office failure that set off the comedian's quick decline into obscurity. An acquired taste, Harry Langdon's gentle absurdities and slow rhythms take some getting used to, but patient viewers will be rewarded."Schneider, Maria ''AV Club,'' DVD/film review, March 29, 2002. Last accessed: February 19, 2008.
See also
*
List of United States comedy films
This is a list of American comedy films.
Comedy films are separated into two categories: short films and feature films. Any film over 40 minutes long is considered to be of feature-length (although most feature films produced since 1950 are co ...