Film & Shorts Discussions > Random Comedy Reviews
Picking Peaches (1924) - Harry Langdon
Paul Pain:
PICKING PEACHES was not only the first Harry Langdon starring film, it was his first film period! And Harry... isn't Harry... here, he's a shameless womanizer who goes on the warpath when he thinks his wife is cheating on him. In short, he's unlikable.
The first third shows how he's a rotten husband and then his job as a shoe salesman. There are all sorts of gags scattered throughout, but the plot revolves around this premise of cheating. First, he lies to go out with another woman; then he gets involved in adult games; then he goes to a swimsuit contest. Then he has a run-in with his side chick's girl; then his boss. There are funny physical gags typical of this period of Sennett, but the plot is distasteful.
In summary: Ignore the plot except to enjoy the gags it causes.
7/10 [poke] [poke] [poke] [poke] [poke] [poke] [poke]
Allen Champion:
Harry made two or three films for producer Sol Lesser before Sennett. A snippet of one film is extant, but I can't remember the name of it right now.
metaldams:
--- Quote from: Allen Champion on January 12, 2022, 11:03:35 PM ---Harry made two or three films for producer Sol Lesser before Sennett. A snippet of one film is extant, but I can't remember the name of it right now.
--- End quote ---
It’s on the 4 DVD Langdon set and you’re right, it’s only a few minutes of footage. I’ll check it out after work tonight for the title and watch it, I seem to remember a western setting and a chase sequence, but maybe I’m confusing it with something else.
HomokHarcos:
Seeing Harry Langdon with his regular look, but as a womanizer is very odd. The short is entertaining, but split into different sections. The first part I think actually fits Harry the most. The woman blaming Langdon for the what the cat doing and the scene where he's hanging out of the wall would make sense in later Langdon films. Also, Vernon Dent is his boss! Then there is the womanizing part that is totally unlike the Harry we usually knew. He likes going around with different women, including the Sennett Bathing Beauties. The third section is the marriage mixup part that is very much the type of humor Jules White loved doing.
Entertaining for what it is, if not entirely fit for Harry Langdon. IMDB says Pinto Colvig was the writer for this short, is that true? He was the guy that voiced Disney's Goofy.
Umbrella Sam:
--- Quote from: HomokHarcos on January 13, 2022, 07:21:08 AM ---Entertaining for what it is, if not entirely fit for Harry Langdon. IMDB says Pinto Colvig was the writer for this short, is that true? He was the guy that voiced Disney's Goofy.
--- End quote ---
Colvig was indeed working as a gag writer for Mack Sennett around this time, so it’s possible. Hoping to watch this either tonight or tomorrow night.
Navigation
[0] Message Index
[#] Next page
Go to full version