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To Heir Is Human (1944) - Harry Langdon & Una Merkel

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Paul Pain:




https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0037383/

This is a double-pairing done by Columbia to try to revive the failing Una Merkel series.  The hope was that Harry Langdon being with Una would draw eyes for him and thus attract interest in Una.

Check out this other review here: http://planninecrunch.blogspot.com/2016/05/harry-langdon-in-to-heir-is-human.html

What more could one want in a supporting cast: Christine McIntyre, Lew Kelly (Professor Dunkfeather in SPOOK LOUDER) and Eddie Gribbon (CORN ON THE COP)?  The supporting cast is perfect in this one.  They are all worthy of accolades, but how many times shall I praise these same folks again and again?   [pie]  The stars, on the other hand...

This short is an amalgam of IF A BODY MEETS A BODY and PARDON MY TERROR (Schilling & Lane).  The plot has elements of both: kill the long-lost missing heir, electrifying chair, etc.  The plot is an old workhorse, but there are some unique parts as well.  Everything serves to advance the plot, which is unusual for a Columbia short!

Una and Harry are fine.  But Harry's age shows terribly... to the point that it's sad.  However, he still delivers that same chipper attitude he always had on the screen.  Una can take some serious punches, and you can tell pretty clearly when she takes the dump as opposed to the dummy.  Harry's dummies are a bit more obvious  [3stooges].

The electric bed is funny, but not as funny as watching Kenneth MacDonald fry his rear in PARDON MY TERROR.  Nevertheless, Lew and Una both are funny with it though, and each delivers an unique reaction as the dummy flies away.  Similarly, the noose gag is unique, but somehow doesn't like up to its potential.  Harry, however, handles the toxic drink jokes very well.

Everything else here is pretty much stock.  Stock jokes that could be handled by any decent comedian fill up most of this.

7/10 [poke] [poke] [poke] [poke] [poke] [poke] [poke]

7/10

HomokHarcos:
I'm happy to see Una Merkel in a Columbia comedy, I liked her from the 1930s and 1940s I've seen of her. Surprisingly, she seems to take much more slapstick abuse in this short than Harry Langdon. I know there are people who don't like seeing women do this kind of slapstick, but I'm for it. I'd like to see more of her shorts.

I thought Christine McIntyre's character in this short was Thelma, and I told myself "that's got to be a tribute to Thelma Todd". Then I looked at IMDB and it turns out she is actually Velma. This short is notable for another reason, it has a background score. Usually the Columbia comedies didn't use any background music. The content itself is a enjoyable Columbia comedy. It does use several of the studio cliches, but that's what we watch these for. I liked the bed scene, where the switch makes one fly like in a cartoon. The main problem was the print quality, but this is what we have to work with sometimes. By the way one of the reviews on IMDB says that Snub Pollard appears in this film, but is not listed in the credits. I didn't see him so I can't confirm this.

Umbrella Sam:
A pretty odd short from a historical standpoint. In addition to HomokHarcos’s point about the background music, this is also the only Columbia short directed by Harold Godsoe (and assuming IMDb is correct, it’s also one of only 2 films total he directed by himself). You’d think this plus the unique pairing would lead to something completely different, but it’s another haunted house story. We’ve seen this done so many times at Columbia.

Una Merkel is good in this. Looking at her filmography, the only film I recall seeing was ABRAHAM LINCOLN, and I haven’t seen that in years, so I don’t really even remember much about her in that. Judging from this, she does seem like a good fit for the Columbia style of comedy. She’s very over-the-top and she seems to be able to deal with the physical comedy just as well as any of the other short subject stars at Columbia. As far as the pairing with Harry goes, there’s not a whole lot to it. They’re separated for a good portion of it, which I think is good as they don’t really seem like a good pairing. Both have good styles of comedy, but they’re styles of comedy that don’t really fit together that well, one being more over-the-top and the other being more quiet and slow.

Harry himself is indeed really showing his age in this short. It is sad to watch, but even here you can tell that there was still at least some understanding of what style of comedy he was most comfortable with, especially when he’s reacting to the poisoned drinks. I also really like his confusion during the scene where he briefly runs into the bad guys while they’re discussing whether they’ve found him. To me, that also felt like a true Harry gag.

Overall, a decent short and both leads do well with their material; Una with more scared reactions and physical comedy and Harry whenever he has quieter moments. But it’s just another random pairing without much thought as to how to properly pair them, unlike Langdon and Rogers (strangely enough, they never did a short together at Columbia, even though Rogers did eventually appear in a few Columbia shorts. I wonder why they never considered that?).

7 out of 10

Paul Pain:

--- Quote from: HomokHarcos on February 21, 2021, 07:52:29 AM ---By the way one of the reviews on IMDB says that Snub Pollard appears in this film, but is not listed in the credits. I didn't see him so I can't confirm this.

--- End quote ---

The janitor who Una keeps running over while chasing Harry is Snub Pollard.  He's barely recognizable without his trademark mustache.

metaldams:
OK, so I finally found some time and mental peace.  Yay.

Anyway, I really enjoyed this one.  I too noticed - Harold Godsoe?  Yes, I too noticed the background music in this one, very unusual for a Columbia short.

You guys hit most of it, but I’ll add a few things.  As far as Christine McIntyre, wow-wee.  Looks likes she’s a brunette here (unless if the print is betraying me, she deserves high definition), but either way, she looks real good.  I believe she was a natural brunette and know she was one on the ton of b westerns she was in.  But she looks and acts very sexy here which was the point of the role, so mission accomplished.  Kind of like a combination of the Cousin Basil bit and the evil seductress in WHO DONE IT?  Love the acid as the poison drink gag but as far as Christine, is it any wonder she was a regular in these Columbia shorts for so many years?  Talent and beauty both on high display here.

I did get a few genuine laughs, mainly with the electric bed gag and that multi layered slapstick gag toward the end where Christine gets konked on the head.

Harry is OK in this one, the main Langdon like parts being where he does his unmistakable running style throughout the hallway.  Running back and forth, side to side like a confused kid.  Una Merkel is a trooper in this one, taking tons of slapstick.  God bless her, she was pushing 40 and I guess needed the work.  As far as Una goes, most famous for playing W.C. Fields daughter in THE BANK DICK and also Harold Lloyd’s leading lady in THE CAT’S-PAW.

One more thing I want to point out is that the close up of Langdon’s face where he’s holding a match in the dark is a genuinely effective and atmospheric horror film shot.  Well done.  All the more effective as it’s interrupted by a sexy Christine call to him.  Love the contrast.

Fun short overall.

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