Topic: A Soldier's Plaything (1930) - Ben Lyon & Harry Langdon

[Paul Pain]

IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0022409/

Another Langdon film, another film panned by the Capra bootlickers for Langdon being typical Langdon instead of Langdon with Capra's fantastic eye for art (note I intentionally word it that way to emphasize that Harry's persona is independent of Capra's influence).

Ben Lyon had a fantastic career.  He worked with Jean Harlow.  He was married to Bebe Daniels (together they moved to London in part to escape a psychotic stalker) for 40 years.  He helped discover Marilyn Monroe.  And in A SOLDIER'S PLAYTHING he plays the straight comic to Harry Langdon's funny man with a cast that includes Richard Cramer, Noah Beery, and June Gittelson (Yes, Flora Belle).  Sounds great, right?

Guess again.

A SOLDIER'S PLAYTHING was filmed too late.  When sound came around, musicals were all the rage.  Production was slow, and by the time this film was released musicals were considered passé in America but not in Europe.  Two versions were made, and only the American one is known to survive.  This surviving version cuts out all musical bits except for a couple piano songs, one sung by Ben Lyon and one by Harry Langdon.

The premise is simple: Tim (Harry) and Georgie (Ben) are friends.  Tim joins the army in World War I.  Georgie, thinking he has killed a man in a brawl over a card game, tags along to hide.  Shenanigans happen in Europe, with Georgie falling in love.  The premise is flawed because World War (1 or 2) occupations were in reality miserable affairs.  Occupying forces abused locals and more often than not left mass destruction in their wake.

Harry is in prime form here in his first talkie feature.  Unfortunately, he just get small bits of comic professionalism that don't suit his slow style too well.  In spite of this, he does a fine job with what he has.  Blame the material and poor direction, not Harry.

Ben plays the straight likable protagonist.  He gets his own comic bits that he does well with, but he mostly is driving the plot with his acting skills as he has little to work with.  He had potential to be something great, but his career never took off.  In this film, he's solid start to finish.

The comic scene with Harry and Ben shoveling hay while "You're in the Army Now" is sung makes a nice segue between adventures in this, and each time, if you pay attention, the hay pile gets a little bigger.  Mostly this schtick serves to emphasize that Harry is wearing pants about 12 sizes too large for him.

The best moment of the film is in the bar.  Harry is great here and dominates this part with his comic timing.  He also does a great job throwing a tantrum when he learns the girl he just sang for is deaf and didn't hear him.  This plays up to a funny climax in its own right.

The ending is just another great moment for a childish Harry.  June Gittelson (a.k.a Hercules) is a good deal lighter and is just there to be Harry's girl that wants Harry to take her on the merry-go-round.  I won't spoil the ending, but it's Harry for sure.

[metaldams]

I saw this on YouTube a few years ago and really enjoyed it.  I’ll give this a fresh view and review soon - I just ordered the DVD too - it’s going cheap.

[Umbrella Sam]

Coming in to this, I was aware that the only existing print was one that was significantly cut down, but I didn’t think cutting all those musical numbers would affect the pacing as much as they did. A SOLDIER’S PLAYTHING plays less like a full coherent feature and more like a series of comic vignettes, some of which have much more frantic pacing than others. It’s a bit distracting, but not too much to distract from what’s a fairly entertaining hour of mild humor. I say mild in that this is not a constantly laugh out loud type of comedy, but it does have its moments and it doesn’t ever feel like the dramatic elements get too in the way.

As far as Harry goes, his performance is pretty much the Harry we all love for the majority of it. The part where he lands on the helmet is really the only part I felt was a bit off, but otherwise, he gets enough moments to do little mannerisms and expressions that show he was allowed more control on those aspects than, say, Keaton at MGM. My favorite part of the movie is the drill exercise. Harry moves in the wrong direction from the older soldiers and gets yelled at for it. As the instructor is describing making Harry fly and swim, Harry uses his hands to make little gestures imitating what he says, and I thought that was quite funny. I also like getting to see him do a musical number, and as far as the musical style goes, it’s one that really fits him well.

As far as everything else goes, Ben Lyon turns in a good performance. Outside of that, none of the cast is super memorable, but there’s nothing really wrong with them either; as far as I can tell, they all fit what they’re supposed to be playing, and the only major problems has to do with the rushed pacing of the story...which, again, probably has more to do with the fact that this is a cut down version than anything.

In the end, it’s just another excuse to see Harry Langdon in a feature, and that’s good enough for me.

[metaldams]

 
      A SOLDIER’S PLAYTHING is an interesting film for sure…..and the backstory about the film having two different versions sure as heck might explain a few things.  My main observation of the film is that it felt like a two hour feature crammed into fifty six minutes.  There were so many scenes going on and the plot moved so fast that there was hardly any time for any scenes to really develop.  The biggest sin is they showed Harry with a dummy for about ten seconds, only for nothing to happen.  The dummy scene ends abruptly.  Harry Langdon and a dummy is like peanut butter and jelly and when the two meet, it calls for an extended comic sequence - not here.  Another example is the Harry and Ben Lyon in the horse outfit.  Once things got surreal with the horse outfit stretching out and the car running breaking it while driving by, I’m thinking it’s Sennett chase time.  But no, the scene just - ends.  Even the plot feels rushed along with silent film style title cards.  Most early talkies are accused of being too slow, but this is a real fast one.  That speed, when honed in, will serve Michael Curtiz well in future productions.  Is there any film he didn’t make at Warner Brothers?

      As far as Harry, yes, it’s great seeing Langdon basically being Langdon.  Big problem aside in that he doesn’t have time to develop many routines, the mannerisms are all there and his talking voice is fine - really does fit his character.  While I’m used to their voices now, my first time hearing Lloyd and Keaton I definitely did some double takes, but not with Langdon.  Exactly the voice I had in mind and it suites his character.  The Langdon highlight is definitely the musical “Oui, Oui” number.  Simply wonderful getting the opportunity to see Langdon do a cheeky, somewhat innuendo laced comic song and the scene at the table with the father and the “deaf” French girl (the anti Mary Brown?) works well for Langdon and us one of the few scenes in the film that breathes. 

      The beginning of the film in New York had a pre-code bowery feel to it.  I mean heck, a pretty female character is introduced by showing her legs.  I’ve watched enough movies to know women didn’t have legs from 1934 - 1968, but this film predates that.  Speaking of being of its time, the whole World War I thing I’m sure was in vogue due to the success of ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT.  Not that I have a huge list of favorite war movies, but that one is my favorite.  Another 1930 WWI comedy is Keaton’s DOUGHBOYS, so pair that fit up with A SOLDIER’S PLAYTHING for a nice double feature.

      Not a perfect movie by any stretch, but for this big Langdon and older comedy fan, still a lot of fun.  Like Sam said, an excuse to see Langdon in a feature is also good enough for me.  I really think he could have done great with more comic relief roles in big films.