This is the infamous short which is supposed to have killed Langdon: he had a cerebral hemorrhage and died soon after it was finished. Since it was 1: a Columbia short and 2: costarred El Brendel, who reasonably held the record of World's Worst Comic Actor between Al Joy -- who, by the way, turned out shorts that were no worse than your average 1970s situation comedy: not great perhaps, but relatively painless to anyone who has ever sat through a Brady Bunch marathon -- and Paulie Shore, it is supposed to be an awful short.

Think again. It is actually a pretty good short. True, it does have the usual Columbia monstrosities, but it also has a funny story, some good comic acting, Christina McIntyre gets to sing for a change and Harry and El do a fine little dance-and-piano number.

Shed no tears for Harry. He worked steadily in the movies, did some interesting work -- his PRC features are very funny -- and he lived a very comfortable life, just as Buster Keaton did in his last decade. He went out in harness turning out a good comedy. There's nothing wrong with that, and this one is a bit of all right too.

The slapstick comedy subgenre, a term that originates from a type of wooden paddle with a hinged flap that was used in early comedic performances to create slapping noises during comedic actions, is a form of physical comedy characterized by exaggerated, boisterous, and often absurd actions, situations, and physical interactions. Slapstick humor relies on visual gags, physical stunts, and exaggerated movements to create laughs.

Leslie Nielsen in The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad! (1988)

The comedy genre refers to a category of entertainment that aims to amuse and entertain audiences by using humor, wit, and comedic situations. Comedies are created with the primary intention of eliciting laughter and providing lighthearted enjoyment. They encompass a wide range of styles, tones, and themes, appealing to various tastes and audiences.

Will Ferrell, Angela Grillo, and Lap-Gei Cheung in Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (2004)

The short form refers to creative works characterized by their brevity and concise storytelling. Unlike full-length feature films, short films have a running time of less than 45 minutes, while TV shorts have a running time of less than 22 minutes.

Benedict Cumberbatch in The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar (2023)

The Western genre features stories set primarily in the 19th-century American Old West and often depict the rugged frontier life, exploring themes of individualism, justice, morality, and the clash between civilization and the untamed wilderness. The genre has its roots in the historical context of westward expansion and the challenges faced by pioneers, settlers, outlaws, and lawmen.

John Wayne and Harry Carey Jr. in The Searchers (1956)

Harry and his pal protect a pretty saloonkeeper from a gang of thugs.

The Biggest Movies and TV Coming in September

See which big screen releases you can watch from the comfort of your couch.

Theatrical Releases Coming to Streaming

Get a closer look at these actors from their many TV and streaming series roles.

Pistol Packin' Nitwits

Photos

Top Cast12

User reviews3

Related interests

Storyline

Did you know

Top picks

Details

Tech specs

Contribute to this page

More to explore

Recently viewed