Frank Capra "Long Pants" (1927)

“Long Pants” (1927) is a silent comedy starring Harry Langdon, Priscilla Bonner and Alma Bennett. Directed by Frank Capra, this is Harry Langdon’s last memorable film. In “Long Pants” (1927), Harry Langdon is Harry Shelby, a compulsive reader of romantic fiction who imagines himself as a Don Juan. Once he gets, with his father’s help, a set of trousers of the appropriate size, he is smitten with desire for a world-weary woman, Bebe Blair, played by Alma Bennett, whose car has a flat tire in front of Harry’s house. Harry performs for her on his own bicycle, and gets her attention, but she goes away. Having read in the paper that Bebe has been arrested, he is determined to save her from the clutches of the law. Since it is his wedding day with his childhood sweetheart Priscilla, played by Priscilla Bonner, Harry feels he must get rid of his unsophisticated bride by killing her. I have to admit that I wasn’t amused by this film; I found it disturbing. Even though Frank Capra’s direction is worthy of acclaim with clever camera angles, the macabre scenes of comedy were influenced by gag writer, Arthur Ripley, who was being favored by Langdon over director Frank Capra. Capra had an amazing ability to convey the human condition with a positive message which is certainly not present in this film. In “Long Pants”(1927), we see Harry Langdon as a terribly lonely and melancholy poor soul lost in a dark world. A lonely, melancholy character was not one that most Americans wanted to watch, much less identify with. I think Harry Langdon wasn’t as successful as the other silent comedians, Chaplin, Keaton, and Lloyd, because he was very depressing to say the least. In contrast, Lloyd, the all-American boy in action, always overcame his limitations while Keaton, the great stone face, was hardworking and optimistic. Even Chaplin’s little tramp offered both the joy and the tragedy of human life. Langdon certainly deserves to be remembered as one of the best comedians of the silent era, but for those who are being introduced to him, it is best to start with “Tramp, Tramp, Tramp” (1926) and “The Strong Man” (1926).

Born in 1884, Harry Langdon grew up in Nebraska. At thirteen, Langdon joined a traveling medicine show. For a couple of years, on the road and in Omaha, he did comedy routines and later joined a circus. Eventually Langdon’s sure-fire act was seen in Los Angeles. Harold Lloyd praised him to Hal Roach, who made an offer which Langdon turned down. Sol Lesser met his demands, then sold his contract to Mack Sennett. Sennett took the Langdon person, still undeveloped, and put it through familiar Sennett situations. Unfortunately, it was mostly a mismatch because a character pattern like Chaplin’s was needed. With no inkling of his future fame as a comedy director, Frank Capra was hired as a gag writer along with Arthur Ripley working on Langdon’s first First National feature length film, “Tramp, Tramp, Tramp” (1926). Capra saw Langdon as the little elf, in contrast to Chaplin’s little tramp. Unlike Chaplin, who might be beset by hopeless odds but could often take arms against a sea of troubles, Langdon was funny because he was unable to take action. He would have things happen to him, and these surprises would be entertaining. The solid success of this hour-long feature fed the confidence of both Capra and Langdon. His conflict with Capra began with the beginning of his second feature film, “The Strong Man” (1926), which was a very big hit and prompted Photoplay magazine to place Langdon in the select company of the top money-making comedians, Chaplin and Lloyd. Langdon’s third feature film, “Long Pants” (1927) was some kind of early film noir-a Ripley film, not a Capra film. When Ripley and Capra had disagreements on the script or the performance, Langdon evidently sided with Ripley. The long-term result was that each of them spread the word around Hollywood that the other one was impossible to work with. Capra was unemployable for months. He managed to direct an independent film in New York, then rejoined Mack Sennett at his old salary as a gag man, until Harry Cohn picked him out of a list of directors to come to Columbia Pictures. Langdon’s three memorable films were not enough to make him rich, but after the failure of the next three, he continued to be in fairly comfortable circumstances through the 1930’s and early 40’s, starring in short subjects for Hal Roach, Paramount, and for Jules White at Columbia.

Frank Capra "That Certain Thing" (1928)

"That Certain Thing" (1928) is a silent romantic comedy starring Viola Dana, Ralph Graves, and Burr McIntosh. Directed by Frank Capra, this film is about a gold digger who is in search of a rich husband. Molly Kelly, played by Viola Dana, is a young woman from the tenements who works in a cigar stand to help support her widowed mother and two younger brothers. Even though she has the opportunity to marry a streetcar conductor, Molly wants to marry a millionaire. Molly's mother, Maggie Kelly, played by Aggie Herring, and the neighbors make fun of her fantasy. One day Molly literally bumps into Andy B. Charles, Jr., played by Ralph Graves, the son of the popular ABC restaurant chain. Totally smitten with Molly, Andy asks her out on a date that same night. Within a few hours, Molly and Andy get married. The following day, associates of Charles, Sr. arrive in the couple's honeymoon suite and confiscate all the wedding gifts Andy bought Molly on his father's credit account. Charles, Sr., played by Burr McIntosh, suspects that Molly married Andy for his money and promptly disinherits his son. At this point, Andy rolls up his sleeves and goes to work on a building site digging ditches to support himself and his wife. Molly, who is truly in love with Andy, packs her husband a box lunch daily and takes it to his worksite. When a minor problem on the job makes Andy lose his appetite, he offers his lunch to one of his co-workers, who is so impressed with Molly's box lunch that he swears he would be willing to pay good money for it. Pretty soon Molly starts making box lunches which Andy eagerly sells to his co-workers. When word gets out that Molly's box lunches are better than the ones from the Charles restaurant chain, Andy's millionaire father has to deal with some serious competition. What will happen when Charles, Sr. finds out his own son and daughter-in-law can drive him out of business?


Frank Capra's first Columbia feature, "That Certain Thing" is delightful and is worth watching just to see how clever a director he was in his silents. Even at this early stage of his career, this film has that Capra "feel good" touch. It showcases three of the four elements that later became customary in all Capra's films: comedy, romance, pathos, and drama. The pathos is missing, but this kind of film did not really need it. Columbia was a Poverty Row studio in 1928. Typical of Columbia films from this period, "That Certain Thing" suffers from the small budget, especially noticeable in the scenes shot in the office of millionaire Charles, Sr., which is rather cramped. However, the film has excellent lead performances from Ralph Graves and Viola Dana. Claiming that he was losing his hair and his sex appeal, Ralph Graves decided to become a director for Harry Cohn at Columbia in the late 1920's, although, in fact, he did continue acting until as late as 1949. At Columbia, Graves became associated with Frank Capra, whom the actor had become familiar with at the Mack Sennett studios. Aside from "That Certain Thing" (1928), Capra did star Graves in "Submarine" (1928), "Flight" (1929), "Ladies of Leisure" (1930), and "Dirigible" (1931). Viola Dana, who started her feature film work at seventeen with the Edison Company, worked in many silents for Edison, comedies with Mack Sennett, and starred in some fifty feature films for Metro where she was the highest paid female star. Viola Dana, who had a wicked sense of humor, always claimed that Frank Capra had chosen her for "That Certain Thing" (1928), because, when she walked, she had the "cutest little wiggle." Fast paced and filled with Capraesque humor, "That Certain Thing" is a forgotten gem of the silent screen that is worth discovering.

Frank Capra "The Matinee Idol" (1928)

"The Matinee Idol" (1928) is a silent romantic comedy that stars Bessie Love and Johnnie Walker. Directed by Frank Capra, this film is a forgotten gem of the silent era. The story begins with Broadway star Don Wilson, played by Johnnie Walker, heading out to the country with three of his theatre pals for some rest and relaxation. Here he stumbles across an amateur acting troupe run by Ginger Bolivar, played by Bessie Love, and her father, Jasper Bolivar. Smitten by Ginger, Don assumes the phony name of Harry Mann and auditions for a bit part involving a love scene with her. He gets the part because the other applicants are just awful. The Civil War melodrama is just terrible, but the townspeople think it is terrific as do the Bolivar actors. Amused by the sincerity of the amateur actors, Don secretly arranges for the troupe to be hired to perform in his own Broadway revue. On the night of their debut, the troupe's Civil War melodrama is received with derisive laughter by the sophisticated New York audience and praised as the comedy hit of the year. Ginger, humiliated, walks off the stage. When she finds out Don's true identity, Ginger walks out on him as well. Will she forgive Don?

"The Matinee Idol" was considered a lost film until its rediscovery at the Cinematheque Francaise in the early 1990's. A new print was reconstructed through digital restoration and released in 1997. This film is delightful and is worth watching just to see how clever a director Capra was in his silents. It showcases the four elements that later became customary in all Capra's films: comedy, pathos, romance, and drama. Even at this early stage of his directing career, this film has that Capra "feel good" touch. Unfortunately, some aspects of the film date it greatly. One is the use of black face, a widely accepted form of entertainment back in the 1920's, which modern audiences may view with offense. Today's viewers may also be appalled at how the gay character was ruthlessly mocked in the film for his mannerisms. However, modern viewers should not lose perspective that this film was made over eighty years ago. If today's viewers can overlook the dated plot and negative stereotyping, they can take a glimpse at Capra in the early stages of his directing career. Even though Columbia was still a Poverty Row studio in 1928, "The Matinee Idol" is as polished as anything MGM would have put out at the time. The masquerade party scenes, for example, feature some striking outfits. Johnnie Walker, who is all but forgotten today, is quite charming and his comedic timing is good. Bessie Love, who starred in more than thirty silent features in the 1920's, gives a sympathetic performance in this film. Not only did Love have an expressive face that evoked great pathos, but she also engaged in physical comedy. In "The Matinee Idol," Capra was skillfully able to blend broad comedy with a touching romance.