''The Strong Man'' is a 1926 American silent comedy film 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 ...

, who produced the film. It was 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 ...

in his feature debut. Along with '' Tramp, Tramp, Tramp'', ''The Strong Man'' is Langdon's best-known feature film. Capra would also direct Langdon's next feature, '' Long Pants'' (1927), which would be their final collaboration.

Plot

Paul Bergot is a Belgian emigrant to the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

who has fallen in love with Mary Brown, a blind woman. They met as pen-pals when he was fighting in Europe during

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

. Mary even sent Paul a photo of herself. Paul searches for Mary Brown by asking every woman he meets if she is Mary Brown. By accident he rescues her town from crooks and bootleggers.

Cast

as Paul Bergot * Priscilla Bonner as Mary Brown * Gertrude Astor as Lily of Broadway * William V. Mong as Holy Joe * Robert McKim as Mike McDevitt * Arthur Thalasso as Zandow the Great

Reception

Critical response

The staff at '' Variety'' magazine liked the film and wrote, "A whale of a comedy production that has a wealth of slapstick, a rough-and-tumble finish and in the earlier passages bits of pantomimic comedy that are notable. Harry Langdon has a comic method distinct from other film fun makers. The quality of pathos enters into it more fully than the style of any other comedian with the possible exception of

Chaplin Chaplin may refer to: People * Charlie Chaplin (1889–1977), English comedy film actor and director * Chaplin (name), other people named Chaplin Films * ''Unknown Chaplin'' (1983) * Chaplin (film), ''Chaplin'' (film) (1992) * Chaplin (2011 fi ...

. His gift of legitimate comedy here has a splendid vehicle." More recently, critic Maria Schneider reviewed Langdon's work and wrote, "Not surprisingly, Langdon was most often cast as an oblivious innocent adrift in a corrupt world, a formula that made him terrifically popular in the mid-1920s. Of the three features Kino has released, ''The Strong Man'' (1926) is the best...Crisply timed and almost perfectly paced, it is also notable as Frank Capra's directorial debut." Critic Richard von Busack wrote, "A little tragedy and a lot of laughs can be seen in 1926's ''The Strong Man''... Later, on the crowded bus out west, Langdon demonstrates a sterling silent comedy bit: the one about the goof who mistakes a jar of stenchy Limburger cheese for Vicks' VapoRub. With exquisite deadpan, Langdon keeps the incident from being too sad; he deftly, repeatedly, sucker-punches a bully who protests against the smell. Director Frank Capra's energy and sturdy plot sense counterpoint Langdon's wonderful strangeness." Reviewing Langdon's career and movies, silent film critic and author Dan Navarro wrote, "When Harry Langdon's '' Tramp, Tramp, Tramp'' premiered in March 1926, it was greeted by moviegoers as a worthy challenger to the great films of Charles Chaplin,

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 ...

, and Harold Lloyd. Langdon was hailed as 'the fourth comedy genius.' That heady feeling was reinforced when, in September 1926, Langdon appeared in an even better picture, Frank Capra's ''The Strong Man''... he filmwas Frank Capra's first directorial effort, and his genius shines through."

Awards

In 2007, ''The Strong Man'' was selected for preservation in the United States

National Film Registry The National Film Registry (NFR) is the United States National Film Preservation Board's (NFPB) collection of films selected for preservation (library and archival science), preservation, each selected for its cultural, historical, and aestheti ...

by the

Library of Congress The Library of Congress (LOC) is a research library in Washington, D.C., serving as the library and research service for the United States Congress and the ''de facto'' national library of the United States. It also administers Copyright law o ...

as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant."

References

External links

*
''The Strong Man'' essay
by Bill Schelly at

* * *
Harry Langdon
article at ''Images Journal'' by Gary Johnson
Strong Man'' essay by Daniel Eagan in ''America's Film Legacy: The Authoritative Guide to the Landmark Movies in the National Film Registry''
A&C Black, 2010 , pages 119-120 {{DEFAULTSORT:Strong Man, The 1926 films American silent feature films Silent American comedy films American black-and-white films Films about blind people in the United States Films directed by Frank Capra United States National Film Registry films 1926 directorial debut films 1926 comedy films 1920s American films