Film & Shorts Discussions > Random Comedy Reviews
All Night Long (1924) - Harry Langdon
metaldams:
--- Quote from: Freddie Sanborn on March 13, 2022, 01:50:30 AM ---You are correct! I checked Brent Walker’s filmography in Mack Sennett’s Fun Factory and here are the production credits:
All Night Long [MS-135] (November 9, 1924) 2r. D: Harry Edwards. Sup: F. Richard Jones. ST: Vernon Smith and Hal Conklin. T: John A. Waldron. PH: William “Billy” Williams and Leland Davis. Spec PH: Ernie Crockett. ED: William Hornbeck.
Brent was able to consult the Mack Sennett studio records which are held by the Academy’s Margaret Herrick Library, so that’s authoritative enough for me.
--- End quote ---
Thanks Freddie! I remember that Sennett book was always expensive which is why I never bought it, but is excellent from what I hear. Agreed, if Walker used Sennett’s studio records - good enough for me.
Not only does IMDb.com have Capra working on this short, so does www.silentera.com.
Freddie Sanborn:
In fairness, Capra may have been among the gaggle of gag men working on All Night Long. They rarely got credit. But that’s several magnitudes smaller than being the creative force who instinctively knew what Harry’s character should be and brought it to fruition.
Umbrella Sam:
I’d like to note that HARRY LANGDON: KING OF SILENT COMEDY says that Capra may have been in the picture as early as THE LUCK O’ THE FOOLISH and even cites Capra as mentioning that film in his memoir (although knowing Capra’s unreliability when it came to this kind of information, it’s kind of hard to trust that). In the notes section, the author quotes Bill Schelly’s Langdon biography (which also apparently is based off of research from the Sennett collection) and he has ALL NIGHT LONG as being Capra’s first contribution to a Langdon short.
Freddie Sanborn:
I’ve been meaning to post this interview excerpt from Theodore Drieser’s interview with Mack Sennett in the August 1928 issue of Photoplay. It suggests that there was a consensus forming about Langdon long before Capra started to pile on. Of course, Sennett might have been steamed about Langdon’s departure, but if so, it would have been untypical of Sennett, who usually wished his former stars the best of luck while taking credit for “discovering” them.
Sennett: “Then Harry Langdon, who I
consider the greatest of them all."
"Greater than Chaplin?" I interpolated.
"Yes, greater than Chaplin," he replied. "Well, Langdon suggests a kind of baby weakness that causes everybody to feel sorry for him and want to help him out. He's terribly funny to me. On the other hand, Langdon knows less about stories and motion picture technique than perhaps any other screen
star. If he isn't a big success on the screen, it will not be because he isn't funny, but because he doesn't understand the many sides to picture production. He wants to do a monologue all the time; he wants to be the leading lady, cameraman, heavy and director all in one. So far in my experience that attitude has never proved successful."
metaldams:
--- Quote from: Freddie Sanborn on April 08, 2022, 04:16:34 PM ---I’ve been meaning to post this interview excerpt from Theodore Drieser’s interview with Mack Sennett in the August 1928 issue of Photoplay. It suggests that there was a consensus forming about Langdon long before Capra started to pile on. Of course, Sennett might have been steamed about Langdon’s departure, but if so, it would have been untypical of Sennett, who usually wished his former stars the best of luck while taking credit for “discovering” them.
Sennett: “Then Harry Langdon, who I
consider the greatest of them all."
"Greater than Chaplin?" I interpolated.
"Yes, greater than Chaplin," he replied. "Well, Langdon suggests a kind of baby weakness that causes everybody to feel sorry for him and want to help him out. He's terribly funny to me. On the other hand, Langdon knows less about stories and motion picture technique than perhaps any other screen
star. If he isn't a big success on the screen, it will not be because he isn't funny, but because he doesn't understand the many sides to picture production. He wants to do a monologue all the time; he wants to be the leading lady, cameraman, heavy and director all in one. So far in my experience that attitude has never proved successful."
--- End quote ---
Thanks for posting this - very fascinating.
That interview was released the month HEART TROUBLE came out, so it was definitely towards the end of Langdon’s production days and when Langdon was down. It is very possible Langdon tried to do too much and I’m sure the real answer lies somewhere between Langdon was clueless without Capra and Langdon was an auteur in total control. But yes, a fascinating quote. I wonder if anyone else commented on Langdon who worked with him during his producer days? Joan Crawford, like Capra, obviously grew much bigger than Langdon (I know she’s commented on Chaney), but I’d love to hear other points of view.
All I know is as much as I’m enjoying talking about the shorts now, things will get real interesting when we get to LONG PANTS and THREE’S A CROWD.
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