Vintage original 14 x 17 in. jumbo lobby card from the classic silent film comedy, THE STRONG MAN, released in 1926 by First National Pictures and directed by Frank Capra.
The image features a sepia-tinted interior shot of Paul Bergot (Harry Langdon) seated in a large crowd as he rests his against the shoulder of Zandow the Great (Arthur Thalasso) who sits without any reaction. It is unrestored in fine- condition.
*"The Strong Man is a 1926 American silent comedy film starring Harry Langdon. Along with Tramp, Tramp, Tramp, The Strong Man is Langdon's best known film. Capra would also direct Langdon's next feature, Long Pants (1927), which would be their final collaboration.
The staff at Variety magazine liked the film and wrote, "A whale of a comedy production that has a wealth of slapstick, a rough-and-tumble finish and in the earlier passages bits of pantomimic comedy that are notable. Harry Langdon has a comic method distinct from other film fun makers. The quality of pathos enters into it more fully than the style of any other comedian with the possible exception of Chaplin. His gift of legitimate comedy here has a splendid vehicle."
Critic Richard von Busack wrote, "A little tragedy and a lot of laughs can be seen in 1926's The Strong Man... Later, on the crowded bus out west, Langdon demonstrates a sterling silent comedy bit: the one about the goof who mistakes a jar of stenchy Limburger cheese for Vicks' VapoRub. With exquisite deadpan, Langdon keeps the incident from being too sad; he deftly, repeatedly, sucker-punches a bully who protests against the smell. Director Frank Capra's energy and sturdy plot sense counterpoint Langdon's wonderful strangeness."
Reviewing Langdon's career and movies, silent film critic and author Dan Navarro wrote, "When Harry Langdon's Tramp, Tramp, Tramp premiered in March 1926, it was greeted by moviegoers as a worthy challenger to the great films of Charles Chaplin, Buster Keaton, and Harold Lloyd. Langdon was hailed as 'the fourth comedy genius.' That heady feeling was reinforced when, in September 1926, Langdon appeared in an even better picture, Frank Capra's The Strong Man...[the film] was Frank Capra's first directorial effort, and his genius shines through."
*(source: Wikipedia)
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