Friday, February 14, 2014

Laurel and Hardy as Drawn by Harry Langdon


My friend, illustrator Adrian Sinnott, sends the above screen grab along with this note:

"You may already know this but I thought I'd pass it on. Watched 'Flying Deuces' with Laurel and Hardy. It opens with them in a Paris cafe having a 'photograph' taken. Turns out the sketch (according to IMDB) is by fellow comedian and writer on the movie, Harry Langdon."

Ha ha! No, I did not know that! 

Harry Langdon, a major star in the silent era (making $7,500 a week at his peak in the 1920s), whose best features were directed by Arthur Ripley and Frank Capra. The story goes that he fired Capra, and directed himself in some movies. They all tanked. Capra would explain that Langdon did not understand the character he had created. 

But Langdon persevered, acting in the sound era, as well as writing. He was a writer on "Flying Deuces." But I do know know for sure if he was the fellow who actually drew this drawing. I tend to think that he may very well be for some reason.

1 comment:

Faff said...

Man I love Langdon, kinda coool to think there's a good chance he was an excellent cartoonist too.