Harry Langdon(1884-1944)
- Actor
- Writer
- Director
Langdon first performed when he ran away from home at the age of 12-13
to join a travelling medicine show. In 1903 he scored a lasting success
in vaudeville with an act called "Johnny's New Car" which he performed
for twenty years. In 1923, he signed with Principal Pictures as a
series star, but transferred to the Mack Sennett Studio when Mack Sennett bought the
contract. Early in his film career, he had the good fortune to work
regularly with the young Frank Capra. The two developed a unique character
of an innocent man-child who found himself in dramatic and hazardous
circumstances with only providence and good luck making him come out on
top. This character clicked with the public and Langdon enjoyed a
streak of artistic and commercial successes using it with Capra's
direction. Unfortunately, he began to take the praise of his talent too
seriously and broke with Capra so he could hog all the glory himself
with his films. This proved to be a disastrous mistake as his first
film "Three's a Crowd", a sickeningly sentimental film that plainly
showed that he did not even approach the talent and skill of Capra
which was needed to keep his character style viable. It has been also
speculated the public was getting tired of Langdon's character, which
contributed to Langdon's first solo film being an artistic and
commercial failure. That film was the first in a series of bombs that
ruined Langdon's career and relegated him to minor films from third
string companies for the rest of his life.
