Film & Shorts Discussions > Random Comedy Reviews
The Hansom Cabman (1924) - Harry Langdon
Paul Pain:
IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0014967/
THE HANSOM CABMAN can be summarized thusly: reel 1 is Harry Langdon, and reel 2 is Mack Sennett. The first reel is fantastic stuff like we expect from Harry Langdon, and the second is typical Sennett fair.
Now, THE HANSOM CABMAN is basically a giant sequence of misunderstandings leading into chase scenes. It's still Harry Langdon though. Those scenes of him discovering his plight and getting into all sorts of trouble are just classic Harry reactions. No one can make a face of meek confusion like he does. Similarly, his scenes in the jail are great as again his timidity shines.
Then after the jail scene... we see a lot of Sennett tropes, like dangerous vehicle stunts, cop chases, conveniently timed changing of objects to cause confusion, and strange animals. We even get two opium smoking Chinese for further stereotyping a la 1924! They're the kind of routines, though, that separate the silent era from the sound era.
Umbrella Sam:
Another solid entry in the Langdon series. It really does seem by this point that they knew what to do with him. He’s got all those great slow reactions throughout. I especially love the part where he meets the crazy guy in the jail and plays along with meeting his invisible friends. The actual plot is a bit of a mess...not sure why Madeline went along with the money scheme only to not anymore, but that’s OK. Any excuse for Harry to be odd and confused is good enough for me. The second half is a bit more typical Sennett, but Harry’s still incorporated well into it and I do like the large scale stuntwork with the jumping around the cars. He never really acts out of character in it in the way he did in the earliest shorts.
metaldams:
Yeah, I think Sam hits an important point. The end may be Sennett like, but Harry is incorporated into it. Yes, there is a car chase bit with stunt work, but it’s nowhere near as long and fast paced as normal Sennett. Check out the way when Harry is on top of those cars, he is real slow going across them and there’s the held close ups that show up. Not the kind of thing one sees in a Del Lord chase, for example. Of course, Harry is high on opium in this scene which brings up another point - whether it be opium or alcohol, like earlier in the short, a high Harry is only a very slightly exaggerated version of his normal self.
This is another fine Langdon short and yes, Langdon is fully Langdon at this point. His reactions are a scream to watch. The already mentioned part with the invisible friend bit is a highlight for sure. The cell mate is crazy doing the bulk of the work while the joy of Harry is simply watching him react to it all and occasionally following along. He’s simply trying to fit in, no matter what. By the way, the cell mate is Andy Clyde, who also played Marceline Day’s father in this. Double duty.
I also love watching Harry when Charlotte Mineau is berating him for marrying another woman the night before . Look at his reaction, he looks like a little kid trying to get away because he has to use the bathroom.
Another bit of genius is the slapstick confrontation between him and Madeline Hurlock. Harry gets behind Madeline with a glass bottle, takes his time and then levels her. He is then holding her and trying to put her to bed gently, not the normal comic reaction after hitting someone with an object. Madeline then hits Harry with an object and Harry has the most unusual reaction again. Instead of taking a huge pratfall and screaming, he slowly puts himself to bed.
Watching these Langdon shorts truly are like watching another planet in the universe of silent comedy. With I think one exception, I like all these shorts going forward.
Freddie Sanborn:
These early shorts are proof that Harry’s character was fully formed before Frank Capra came on the scene. In his autobiography, Capra laid claim to inventing “The Little Elf’s” persona, but Capra wouldn’t work with Langdon until Harry’s next film, ALL NIGHT LONG. There’s a boatload of evidence that Harry’s persona was fully formed in vaudeville, without any help from Capra.
metaldams:
--- Quote from: Freddie Sanborn on February 27, 2022, 06:54:51 AM ---These early shorts are proof that Harry’s character was fully formed before Frank Capra came on the scene. In his autobiography, Capra laid claim to inventing “The Little Elf’s” persona, but Capra wouldn’t work with Langdon until Harry’s next film, ALL NIGHT LONG. There’s a boatload of evidence that Harry’s persona was fully formed in vaudeville, without any help from Capra.
--- End quote ---
When Capra’s name first shows up, I plan on bringing this up. You’re absolutely right, the release of the Harry Langdon: Lost and Found DVD set, by showing the shorts in order and the with accompanying essays and commentaries, proved beyond a shadow of a doubt Capra was wrong.
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