O Homem Forte

The peculiar talents of Harry Langdon are displayed to their fullest advantage in the baby-faced clown's best silent feature. Seen today, it's certainly the most accessible of his few surviving films, but Langdon's curious, childlike habits and demeanor, so totally bizarre in a character meant to be a functioning adult, may still leave many viewers scratching their head. The success of this particular film can be credited, in part, to director Frank Capra, who had the patience to nurture Langdon's unique pantomime skills, using long, extended takes in which the comedian could freely improvise. Capra's pious sentimentality can be cloying (the story involves a wholesome small town rescued from gamblers and bootleggers), but he gave Langdon all the elbow room the comedian needed to work his innocent, uncertain magic. Playing the hapless assistant to a vaudeville strong man, Langdon responded with more than one unforgettable routine, proving himself the equal to his better remembered peers in the art of silent comedy.

A shy young Belgian immigrate searches for the American girl who wrote of her love to him during the Great War.

Director Frank Capra and clown Harry Langdon together fashioned THE STRONG MAN, one of the finest comedies of the Silent Era. Moving the action from No Man's Land in Western Europe, to Ellis Island and the hectic streets of New York, and finally to the temporarily corrupted village of Cloverdale, Capra & Langdon expertly mix belly laughs with scenes of great emotional tenderness. If either of them had never made another film, this one would have been enough to have ensured each a footnote in movie history.

Langdon's minimalist style is highlighted in a series of vignettes which perfectly captures his unique adult baby persona: Harry's hilarious encounter with Broadway Lily, which includes his classic up-the-stairs-backward routine; Harry's finding of blind Mary Brown and the incredibly poignant way in which he immediately falls in love with her; Langdon's hapless impersonation of The Strong Man and his single-handed battle against a saloon full of bad guys.

A sturdy cast gives able support: Gertrude Astor as dangerous Lily; saintly William V. Mong as Holy Joe, the Cloverdale minister; Priscilla Bonner as sweet Mary; beefy Arthur Thalasso as The Great Zandow; Robert McKim as Cloverdale's wicked criminal boss; and Brooks Benedict as a tough passenger encountered by Harry on a bus.

A quick caricature of Harry, dressed in his policeman's uniform from the end of the movie, appears courtesy of Walt Disney at the beginning of the animated MICKEY'S GALA PREMIER (1933).

The film begins in WWI and Harry is a Belgian soldier who has an American pen pal. After the war, he comes to America as a sideshow strong man's assistant. However, he thinks it will be easy to find a girl named "Mary Smith"--which it naturally isn't. Eventually, he and the act arrive in a small town where Mary happens to live, but she is avoiding meeting Harry and it looks bad for our intrepid hero.

Years ago, I saw a compilation film about silent comedians (WHEN COMEDY WAS KING) and the film said there were "three truly great comedians of this age--Buster Keaton, Charlie Chaplin and Harry Langdon". Well, I knew this wasn't true, since Arbuckle (before the scandal) was much more famous and during most of the twenties, the most successful (and possibly best) comedian was Harold Lloyd. I truly think the film made this assertion because back in 1960 when it was made, Lloyd's films were not available--being owned by Lloyd and were locked in his safe.

As for Langdon, I've not seen tons of his films, though most are no longer in existence today. However, I've seen enough to know he wasn't one of the greats--perhaps a near-great. This film is supposed to be one of his best films and at no point did it approach the great work of Lloyd, Keaton or Chaplin. In fact, I much prefer Langdon's short films more than his full-length ones because the pacing is much better. In THE STRONG MAN, the film is 75 minutes long, but could easily had 10 minutes snipped off without harming the film at all. Plus, there are a few really good gags, but only a few. Now this doesn't mean that I must have a silent comedy that is constantly funny (after all, the other three greats I mentioned did make some wonderful character-driven full-length films). However, poor pacing undid the film and with this slight trimming, it would have probably earned a 9.

A very good comedy, just not one of the great ones.

I saw this movie tonight at the 11th annual Kansas Silent Film Festival at Washburn Univ., Topeka, KS. Organ music was provided by Dr. Marvin Faulwell with percussion by Bob Keckeisen.

I'd never seen Harry Langdon before and, on the basis of this, would rate him in the company of Chaplin, Keaton, and Lloyd. He has great timing, poignant facial expressions that are somewhat Chaplinesque, with great body control to fit physical comedy.

Frank Capra was the director and I understand from our discussion that Capra's autobiography thoroughly "dissed" Harry, apparently in revenge for Harry having fired the young Capra from directing any more of his films. The two originally had been close until that point but had frosty relations after. Our discussion leader said many people are now beginning to re-evaluate Capra's revengeful pique, the significance of Langdon's contribution, and appreciate him much more.

Not all comedies are made equal. Even as this picture is directed by acclaimed filmmaker Frank Capra, and star Harry Langdon gets mentioned in the same breath as other stars of the silent era, it doesn't necessarily strike the same chord as films of his brethren. Some scenes run a little long in the tooth, and in the first place some gags or story beats rely on a concatenation of circumstances that may be a little too contrived or forced. Sadly, some bits just don't inspire much of a reaction at all, and to be frank, in 2022 the "god-fearing" folks don't come off any better than the ruffians. I suppose all this is the risk one carries with making comedies, of course. On the other hand, even if this specific title isn't perfectly, robustly funny, it's still mildly enjoyable. The root premise is full of great potential, and much of that potential is borne out with situational comedy, sight gags, and physical comedy, earning a few solid laughs. "Strong" is maybe too charged a descriptor, yet 'The strong man' is sufficiently well made to offer a good time.

Langdon demonstrates a swell sense of physicality and expression that shows why he may get mentioned alongside Chaplin, Keaton, or Lloyd. Gratifyingly, not least under Capra's guidance, his co-stars illustrate a like capacity, and their lively displays and willingness to sacrifice their bodies lends to some swell humor. Though some moments may lag at one point or another, more so than not the scene writing is duly stimulating to orchestrate the silliness, or in quieter moments to propel the story. That narrative is perhaps a tad more uneven still - at the same time that the core concept could have been teased out a little more to greater comedic effect, some aspects of the plot that we do get languish in the more dramatic elements, or constitute middling, blasé plot advancement. And, again just to emphasize - call it pacing by way of the feature overall, or timing in regards to where would-be laughs should fit into a scene: there were at least as many instances while I watched in which I thought to myself "Okay, well, moving on I suppose," as instances that sparked joy.

If it seems like I'm being more critical of 'The strong man' than not, well, I guess that's not incorrect. To be clear, I don't dislike it: broadly speaking it's well made, the cast perform admirably, and some moments are especially well done, including the climax. Only - this is a title that suggests "passive amusement" more than "active fun," and I say that as someone who loves silent movies. Some of the best movies ever made hail from the silent era, and this just isn't one of them. I appreciate the work put into it; would that the result were more consistent, and I'd like it more than I do. When all is said and done there are a lot worse things you could spend 75 minutes on, and if you happen across 'The strong man' it's a fair way to pass the time. Just don't go out of your way, and keep your expectations in check.