It’s difficult for me to decide whether I prefer DOUBLE TROUBLE or HOUSE OF ERRORS, because while I think HOUSE OF ERRORS is funnier and has less problems overall, its one major problem is far worse than any of the problems in DOUBLE TROUBLE: the male romantic lead. How on earth did anyone think this character was a good idea? Like Paul mentioned, the guy is basically a total creep throughout the film that even Harry and Charley don’t like, and he’s the guy we’re supposed to root for. It’s so bad that when he does get framed later in the film, I’m all for it. Any time this guy is on screen when Harry and Charley aren’t, my enjoyment of this film just goes downhill immediately. Even though Harry wrote the story, I highly suspect this problematic character was the result of the writers handling the screenplay.
And of course, this shares a problem with DOUBLE TROUBLE: an incredibly rushed ending that barely resolves anything (does Gordon just die in the end? His body is uncomfortably hunched over in the plane during the final scene). However, much like DOUBLE TROUBLE before it, I can forgive this simply because of the great chemistry Langdon and Rogers have throughout. When I previously reviewed this several years ago, I noted that I thought the comedy in the second half was far superior to the first and while my favorite comic scenes do occur in the second half, I don’t think I gave enough credit to what Langdon and Rogers do throughout the whole film. The whole recurring bit with Langdon writing down everything he observes does become more interesting the more I watch this film, I love the way he writes something down only to react to it immediately afterwards, such as when he sees Gordon kissing Florence. And even though I don’t like the romantic lead, it is funny seeing Langdon and Rogers getting revenge on him multiple times: when they steal all his stuff, when Charley forces him to pass out again so they can revive him with smelling salts, and when Harry (kind of) helps Mr. Randall throw him out of the house.
But yes, I still think the two comic centerpieces are when Harry and Charley are guarding the house and when they’re staying at the flophouse. Starting with the former, while it does initially seem like a standard scare reaction type sequence in the style of HOLD THAT GHOST, Harry and Charley bring their own comic sensibilities to it by not overreacting. They get scared, but they both also try denying what they’re seeing until they basically are confronted with the villains, and I think that’s a funny twist. Harry drawing Florence’s face in the window in particular is a very unique Harry thing to do. That’s what makes these two Langdon-Rogers films so interesting; Harry Langdon is still the Harry Langdon of the silent era in these two movies. Even if they’re cheap, it’s just nice to see him totally in character throughout the entire film, especially considering that once he returned to Columbia after this film was made, his remaining shorts would be kind of an awkward combination of classic Langdon with Jules White-style knockabout.
On the other hand, the flophouse sequence is a nice chance for Harry and Charley to get to interact with some great supporting players, particularly Monte Collins and his flea circus. Collins is absolutely hilarious here, especially with his accusatory remarks whenever he thinks Harry or Charley are trying to steal his act. Vernon Dent is here too, and while he does well, it is a more standard role for him. Just watching this film on its own without knowing about Langdon, you’d never guess these two have such an incredible history together; in fact, this is only the second (and last) time the two would ever share the screen in a feature film. Once again, Harry and Charley are solid; Harry trying to adjust the picture above Vernon Dent calls to mind TRAMP TRAMP TRAMP, and I love Charley’s reactions when the guy in the bed next to him keeps falsely accusing him of throwing stuff at him.
As far as the rest of the cast goes, I think all of them do pretty well except of course for Ray Walker as Fitzgerald. Betty Blythe returns and does well with what she’s given, but isn’t given nearly as much to do as she is in MISBEHAVING HUSBANDS.
Overall, despite the one problematic character, I actually think this is a pretty good way for Harry to end his career as a star in features, definitely better than Chaplin in A KING IN NEW YORK or Harold Lloyd in THE SIN OF HAROLD DIDDLEBOCK (I haven’t seen Keaton’s BOOM IN THE MOON, but considering its reputation, I’d venture a guess that HOUSE OF ERRORS is better than that as well). From here on, Langdon’s career bounces between Columbia shorts and character roles in other Poverty Row films, which I also think he succeeded pretty well at (he’s especially funny in HOT RHYTHM). Oh, what we possibly could have had if he had lived longer, but even taking into account what he did accomplish while he was around, he left us with a very enjoyable body of work overall.
