Really great job covering this one, guys, so much to the point that my review is probably mostly just going to be agreeing with your assessments. I’m not going to share my blog review because, much like with TRAMP, TRAMP, TRAMP, I feel it doesn’t really accurately reflect my views on the film anymore, given how much more I enjoy Langdon and the film now. Again, if I was still doing rankings, this would be a 10.
One point Paul pointed out that I really like is the comparison to EASY STREET. The idea of Harry inadvertently saving a town and earning their respect simply by just being Harry is perfect for him. It’s the same concept used in SOLDIER MAN, and was also later used to great effect in THE FIGHTING PARSON. There’s just such a mythical quality to Harry’s character, some sort of magic he just happens to possess. I don’t normally like to quote Capra in the context of Langdon given what he did to his reputation, but I think his idea of the world looking out for Harry is correct, and a really good way to look at it. Such a fantastic setup, and they definitely handle the execution better than EASY STREET, where it basically just feels like the same town pretending to be less corrupt. When I see the shot at the end with the kids roaming the streets in THE STRONG MAN, I truly believe that town is happy again, something I don’t entirely get in EASY STREET. I also agree with metaldams on the plot structure; if they had started with the plot and then done the Harry comedy sequences, I don’t think it would have worked as well. However, handling it the way they did, it actually does feel like it has a proper story flow; we’re being introduced to the town Harry is going to save, and we can infer that’s what will probably happen. If they had done it the opposite way, I would have assumed it was the wrong movie.
Another thing I agree on is Priscilla Bonner’s performance. In TRAMP, TRAMP, TRAMP, Joan Crawford’s character kind of just falls for Harry suddenly and the relationship is never really developed. I get why they did that, and I’m not necessarily saying it’s a bad thing given how well that movie works, but Priscilla brings an extra dimension not really present even in the silent shorts. For one thing, her character already has a history with Harry, so them meeting and falling right away for each other does make sense. And there’s just something about the way she smiles and laughs at him that just seems right; it really feels like they’re actually meant for each other, which is not something I can really say for some of the other silent comedy features of that period. Chaplin, Keaton and Lloyd could write good romances, but outside of maybe Lloyd and Mildred Davis, I just don’t feel quite as convinced that the relationships in the context of the story are as meaningful as the one between Langdon and Bonner here.
All that, and I haven’t even talked about the comedy. As expected, it’s fantastic. The bits with Gertrude Astor, which I pointed out in my initial review as standouts, are still great. I did note that I found it odd that Langdon had a photo of Mary and couldn’t really differentiate between the two, and, yeah, it still is a bit odd. But, again, it is a pretty bad quality photo and, given how I consider Langdon almost like a character from a different world, I think I could let that slide. After all, Astor even stops him before he can have a chance to review the photo, so they clearly tried to account for that. The stair bit is great, Langdon’s horrified reactions as he realizes who Gertrude Astor truly is are fantastic…just a solid set of scenes right there.
In my original review, I pointed out that I didn’t like the bus scene, but now I can safely say I do. Sure, it is him annoying random people, but…hey, I wouldn’t want to sympathize with a guy who threatens to beat up a sick man. Once again, just some fantastic, slow reactions from Langdon as he’s starting to regain his smell thanks to the smelly cheese.
The climax may very well be one of my favorite climaxes in any film. Metaldams compares “the strong man” act to THE CIRCUS; I actually much prefer this to the high wire act in THE CIRCUS. There’s so much more variety to it, whereas the Chaplin one kind of feels a bit drawn out at times. I absolutely love that little “ta-da” thing Langdon does with his hands every now and then when he just doesn’t know what to do. And then it descends into this fantastic bar fight, with Langdon swinging around in the air, taking out the bad guys. I just noticed this too, but him firing the cannon near the end is a nice complement to the beginning when he’s failing to hit the can with the machine gun; now he’s on a much larger scale and much more successful, a rare sign of growth for his character.
Finally, one thing I’ll compare to is something I remember metaldams talking about in one of our previous Langdon discussions (don’t remember which one). He mentioned that he could hear Langdon’s distinctive voice in certain scenes despite it being a silent film. I feel the same way. That part where he’s yelling at the baggage man for the benefit of Zandow…I can totally hear his actual voice in my head and think of it as fitting. Which leads me to a possible, controversial point I’m about to make: of all the major silent comedians, I think Langdon is the only one whose silent output could have very well been made with sound, and they would have played just as well. Even at Columbia, despite not all of the shorts being perfect, his voice did fit with the established personality he had come up with.
So, yeah, a fantastic movie, one I’ve grown to appreciate more over the years. I was all ready to make an argument for why this film should be included in the National Film Registry until I happily discovered that it actually is in the National Film Registry. A very solid effort, one I look forward to revisiting again and again in the future.