Film & Shorts Discussions > Random Comedy Reviews

Three's a Crowd (1927) - Harry Langdon

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Dr. Mabuse:

--- Quote from: metaldams on September 11, 2022, 08:03:05 AM ---Buster Keaton’s absolute peak as an artist was unquestionably BATTLING BUTLER.  From there, he made three independent features which were relative commercial failures.  As a result, he had to go to MGM because clearly, those last three films showed an artist who lost the plot and was out of touch with his audience.  Keaton had all the creative control in the world but lost it due to bad artistic decisions.

--- End quote ---

From Tom Dardis' Keaton: The Man Who Wouldn't Lie Down (1979): "United Artists did not promote the Keaton films as forcefully as MGM had. In addition to their poor job of publicity, United Artists ran into open hostility from many of the exhibitors because these exhibitors felt they were being forced to pay far too much for the films and that there was no way to make any money on them. Actually, the exhibitors couldn't afford not to book the films of Chaplin, William S. Hart, the Talmadge sisters, Pickford and Fairbanks: [Joseph] Schenck was perfectly aware he was offering the film trade the very best, and he made them pay for it. The fantastic popularity of Chaplin in the twenties withstood this exhibitor pressure against paying Schenck's price, but in the case of the less-popular Keaton, the exhibitors had the option of not booking his films at all. This may explain the appallingly low grosses. . . . MGM had more clout with the exhibitors than United Artists, as well as better publicity."

This poses an intriguing question:  What if MGM had distributed "The General," "College" and "Steamboat Bill, Jr." instead of UA?

Umbrella Sam:
Hoping to get to this film tomorrow. Like LONG PANTS, this is one of the films I’ve been most interested in seeing, as from my understanding it’s supposed to be this very Chaplin-inspired film. Reading your guys’s thoughts on the Keaton-Langdon critical consensus brings to mind an occasional thought I’ve wondered: if Langdon had lived to see the renewed interest in silent comedy and been around to counter Capra’s negative comments (or better yet, reconcile), would his films and career have been viewed in a better light critically? I would think yes, especially considering that he did actually produce his later features and therefore would have had an easier time than Keaton with regards to rights and redistributing the films.

metaldams:

--- Quote from: Umbrella Sam on September 17, 2022, 11:36:48 PM ---Hoping to get to this film tomorrow. Like LONG PANTS, this is one of the films I’ve been most interested in seeing, as from my understanding it’s supposed to be this very Chaplin-inspired film. Reading your guys’s thoughts on the Keaton-Langdon critical consensus brings to mind an occasional thought I’ve wondered: if Langdon had lived to see the renewed interest in silent comedy and been around to counter Capra’s negative comments (or better yet, reconcile), would his films and career have been viewed in a better light critically? I would think yes, especially considering that he did actually produce his later features and therefore would have had an easier time than Keaton with regards to rights and redistributing the films.

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I really have no clue what Langdon living would have done for his reputation - but it certainly would have been nice to hear Langdon respond to Capra.  Then again, would Capra have even made those remarks if Langdon was living?

Freddie Sanborn:
I think Langdon was a taste too rarified to get in on the nostalgia boom of the 60’s and 70’s. But had he lived into the TV era, I could see him having a second career as a foxy grandpa. The kind of roles that later went to Bert Mustin.

metaldams:

--- Quote from: Freddie Sanborn on September 21, 2022, 09:45:09 AM ---I think Langdon was a taste too rarified to get in on the nostalgia boom of the 60’s and 70’s. But had he lived into the TV era, I could see him having a second career as a foxy grandpa. The kind of roles that later went to Bert Mustin.

--- End quote ---

I looked Mustin up and they do have similar faces.  Even born the same year.

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