A Blitz on the Fritz

Harry Langdon was well past his big money starring days by the time he made this short subject, but he had not outlasted his talent. By this time, Harry had figured out how to make his character work in talkies, and the only shame is that this one is pretty unknown and hard to see.

In short, Harry is his usual childish dimwit -- with a 40's patriotic fervor to do the right thing, but somewhat at a loss at how to do the right thing. Through the writing skills of Clyde Bruckman (who is busily raiding the comedy attics of all the comedians he has worked for), Harry figures it out, but not before providing some good laughs (and the occasional pratfall.) The final sequence is a standout, as is the three or four minutes where Harry becomes a guinea pig for his wife's first aid class.

Much better than most Columbia shorts of the period.

While wife Louise Currie concentrates on first aid as her part of the war effort, Harry Langdon discovers a nest of German spies planning to blow up stuff and decides to take them out himself, rather than bothering the police, the FBI, or anyone competent.

With Jules White directing, I wasn't expecting anything funny. As a result, I was only mildly disappointed. White uses chase sequences that were the hot thing in 1907, and the usual assort of sound effects that indicate that everyone's head is made of rock and empty. The main pleasure in watching this movie is knowing that, even if they're not permitted to do anything funny, old-time comics like Blanche Payon, Vernon Dent, Stanley Blystone, and Bud Jamison got a paycheck.