This is a very odd Harry Langdon short because the plot manages to go practically everywhere--almost like several stories all combined into one short film. Initially, the film looks a lot like a railroad comedy--similar to the later Laurel and Hardy effort BERTHMARKS. Harry bumbles around--stomping on people while getting into his upper berth, getting poked with needles, etc.. However, this part got pretty weird when a criminal was brought on board the train, as the detective spotted the man's accomplice and then handcuffed the prisoner to civilian Harry!! Sure, cops do that all the time! Then, when the prisoner happens to have some concealed guns, there's a gun battle and poor Harry is stuck in the middle. During this shootout, the bad guy escapes and another criminal steals Harry's wallet--which was filled with his and his wife's life savings.
Now with his nest egg gone, you find Harry is a cop walking the beat. And, oddly, the film makes reference to this having been his old job that he'd just quit--apparently, he and the wife were planning on doing something with the money (a new career and life) but this isn't explained in the film. Because of this and some other gaps, I really think that the people who recently assembled the "Harry Langdon: Lost and Found Disc 1" had pieced the film together and were perhaps missing a few pieces. This DEFINITELY was true with at least one other short on this disk (THE FIRST HUNDRED YEARS).
Still, regardless of how strange it was to find Harry as a cop, in the end of the film he stumbles into the hideout where the escaped criminal from the train AND the guy who stole his wallet happen to be. In a very cute ending, Harry saves the day--his nest egg is recovered and the criminals are caught.
The film is different from some earlier Langdon films because it seems more plot-driven and less designed for cheap laughs. A very good film.
Now with his nest egg gone, you find Harry is a cop walking the beat. And, oddly, the film makes reference to this having been his old job that he'd just quit--apparently, he and the wife were planning on doing something with the money (a new career and life) but this isn't explained in the film. Because of this and some other gaps, I really think that the people who recently assembled the "Harry Langdon: Lost and Found Disc 1" had pieced the film together and were perhaps missing a few pieces. This DEFINITELY was true with at least one other short on this disk (THE FIRST HUNDRED YEARS).
Still, regardless of how strange it was to find Harry as a cop, in the end of the film he stumbles into the hideout where the escaped criminal from the train AND the guy who stole his wallet happen to be. In a very cute ending, Harry saves the day--his nest egg is recovered and the criminals are caught.
The film is different from some earlier Langdon films because it seems more plot-driven and less designed for cheap laughs. A very good film.