IMDB:
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0018484/THREE'S A CROWD is perhaps the most unfairly panned film I have ever reviewed. Again, we are dealing a very demented crowd with the Frank Capra fan club, who will do anything to destroy the reputation of other people to prop up Capra (why I do not know). Heck, people pan this just because a relatively unknown actress was chosen as the female lead in spite of the fact that she's just there to look pretty and does just thatl
There is a bizarre hypocrisy in the reviews on the IMDB page. Almost every hater of this film hates it because of the very things that made Keaton, Lloyd, and Chaplin the legends they are: storytelling. This film particularly goes down the Chaplin route. Thus, this film is panned for "not being funny enough" when it tells a complete and touching tale.
Pathos, the thing that Chaplin is so praised for, is the key to this film. Atmosphere, the thing that makes so many Keaton films so famous, complements the pathos. No, there's no Harold Lloyd here, but Harry tells a very sad tale in this film.
Harry is an ordinary man who just wants a family. It's a tale I relate too as I realize that I too will age out of fatherhood much as the character in this film did. When fatherhood lands on his doorstep (almost literally), everyone is happy for the circumstances that Harry has lucked into, but then it's ripped away from him.
A lovable but dim-witted character is when Harry is at his best. Sometimes he gets kind of pervy, but his best is when he's innocently charming yet too immature to ever reach the goal. Here, Harry plays that too perfection in what was apparently a very limited set for a very expensive film.
Not every film needs to be the Marx Brothers or Abbott & Costello where the comedians are the idiots who by dumb chance drive the plot to a magical and happy conclusion. The great comedians drive their own plot, and Harry drives it here for sure.
It is undoubtable that Harry was taking from Chaplin's book. The entire setup to make sympathize with Harry leads to him finding the pregnant mother just so we can stand in darkness and feel the sadness he feels at the conclusion of the film. That street light scene is a hint of genius, but the film ends on the kind of note that is signature Harry Langdon.
The snowstorm is a perfect illustration of this. The people running in panic. The slippery stairs. The dilapidated shanty that hangs perilously near its doom. The windstorm.
The carpet scene and the dream sequence are classic Harry Langdon.
In the former, as he hangs over Arthur Thalasso's truck while flailing his legs, we see Harry's physical comedy at its best. Lloyd would have bravely swung to the rafter. Keaton would have brilliantly lowered himself to a safe height. Chaplin would have guiltlessly and gracefully leapt onto the truck. Harry Langdon keeps climbing up until the rug literally falls out from under him.
In the latter, his villainous vision of the husband the resulting boxing match are so typical. Even in a dream, he's still Harry, gets knocked out in a single blow in spite of having super-human strength, and decides to take a nap instead.
There are clear directorial flubs in this, such as the poor splicing of the retained film (much was cut from this) and some poor choices in camera angle. In addition, Langdon ordered many expensive and possibly unnecessary retakes.
One of the amazing things about Harry is how little he depends upon title cards. Instead, we must infer what the players are saying by reading their lips or using our imaginations. This further forces the viewer to immerse themself into an emotionally driven film.
Praise this for what this is; don't knock it for what you wish it was. This is by no means perfect, but THREE'S A CROWD receives an undeservedly negative reputation at the hands of a very toxic group of people.
I am going to venture a guess that metaldams thinks very highly of this even he also sees it as flawed.