Misbehaving Husbands (1940) User Reviews

Ain't misbehaving

[hte-trasme · 6/10 · 11 September 2009]

I can imagine this film was a big event for Harry Langdon. After his three self-directed features failed to be popular with audiences in the late 1920s, his star power dropped and he went back to starring in short subjects and playing featured role through the 1930s. He briefly got to be Stan Laurel's replacement alongside Oliver Hardy in the Hal Roach Studios feature "Zenobia" in 1939, but that gig ended when Hardy was freed from his Roach contract and reunited with Laurel. 1940's "Misbehaving Husbands," even though it was produced by PRC, one of the poorest studios around, was Langdon's first chance in a long time to carry a feature on his own.

Fortunately, Harry is great, and I give him even more credit than usual for developing new dimensions to his performance. He takes the innocent, bewildered, childlike character that made him famous, and "grow him up," so to speak, enough to believably be the hardworking but oblivious middle-aged department store owner that "Misbehaving Husbands" calls for. His funniest qualities, the delayed reactions, the uncertain twitchiness, and all are still present in spades, and happily the camera here gives him a chance to play to his strengths, such as in the scene where he wildly indicates everything in the house that is "his," then jumps to the couch chastised when a statue begins to fall.

The director is the infamous William "One Shot" Beaudine, known for his quick production of mystery and horror films for cheap studios. He was never known his comedies, and sure enough this film is not played for broad or wacky comedy. Beaudine clearly knows how to be efficient, but to let Langdon play slower when he needs to. The tone of the whole film is slightly odd, though (see the early scene in the department store window). There's a comic lead and a solid comic premise with complications to develop, but it often has the feel of a serious story about a divorce following a tragic misunderstanding. Ineffably, there is a sense sometimes that Harry Langdon is comic relief in his own starring film.

The story is solid material despite some wildly implausible plot points that I found forgivable. The parts that Luana Walters and Ralph Byrd play seem rather shoehorned in as a halfhearted concession to the need for romantic leads, though it's interesting to see Byrd doing some detective work outside his famous Dick Tracy role.

Without Harry Langdon's performance this would be a completely standard 1940s B-feature domestic comedy, but that performance makes it well worth the watch.

A pleasant enough film, but a major surprise for many looking for Harry Langdon

[planktonrules · 6/10 · 27 June 2007]

Considering that Harry Langdon was one of the top movie comics of the mid-1920s, this film will probably come as quite a bit of a surprise because he plays a role that isn't terribly funny--nor was it really intended to be. Instead of a hilariously funny film, it's a pleasant little movie with a few small laughs at most. Now this isn't really a complaint, because it IS a decent film, it just isn't a slapstick or belly-laugh comedy that you might expect from Langdon.

According to the stories I have read about Langdon, after some success in films it all "went to his head" and he quit the studio and started off on his own--thinking he could write, direct and produce masterpieces. Considering that he is almost unknown today, you can tell he was not a success in this venture. In fact, for years he had a hard time getting work until Hal Roach hired him in the late 1930s to write gags or act in his new one-hour format films. I've seen quite a few of them lately, though this is only the second starring Langdon I've seen. All of them are moderately funny--some worth seeing and some definitely not! None of them are stylistically like Roach's Laurel and Hardy or Our Gang films, but are instead light comedies.

In this one, Langdon plays a forgetful mouse of a man who has been happily married for 20 years. Infortunately, on the night of his surprise anniversary party some bizarre events conspire to make him miss the party. He had been accused of murdering a woman but instead it was only a mannequin from his department store he nicknamed "Carole"--perhaps after actress Carole Landis who was under contract with Roach at the time. Instead of telling his wife that he was late because he was at the police station he tried to sneak back in the house. The wife naturally catches him along with a shoe and some other accessories from the mannequin and she thinks he's been having an affair. This story idea is pretty novel but unfortunately one where a SIMPLE explanation could have avoided the mess that their lives became and that is a problem. But instead of being a normal person and just telling her exactly what occurred and taking her to the police station to verify the story, we spend forty more minutes until the truth comes to light. Now understand, the film is enjoyable and worth a look--it's just that the plot doesn't make much sense and they should have worked this out better before filming. IMDb claims it was shot in only 15 days and this would lend credence to my feeling they rushed the film before working out all the kinks. Watchable but nothing more.

Misbehaving Wives!

[JohnHowardReid · 6/10 · 21 May 2016]

The title of this cheapo comedy is wrong. There are no misbehaving husbands in this movie, just misbehaving wives! There is also a misbehaving lawyer and a number of misbehaving or just plain stupid policemen. But the main reason I watched this film was to hear Harry Langdon talk, and I'm happy to report that his voice is excellent, and well suited to the character he plays in this somewhat strained "comedy". The script is not overly convincing - particularly when it tries to strike a more serious note when Langdon himself is not in the scene - and production values are somewhat limited, but, all told, Langdon manages to carry the day and this movie is certainly an absolute must for his fans. A good print is available in the boxed set of Hollywood Comedy Legends.

Harry Langdon stars!

[lzf0 · 24 November 2001]

It's not a great film, but the legendary silent screen comedian Harry Langdon is the star. The PRC film stock is second rate and the sound is just audible. But it is an opportunity to see this brilliant comic at work.

Where's Mr. Roper?

[Spuzzlightyear · 4/10 · 15 February 2006]

Sort of like an extended Three's Company sketch, except made in the 1930's, 'Misbehaving Husbands' stars Harry Langdon as an overworked oaf who forgets his anniversary and winds up working through the surprise party is wife has organized. What's worse, he gets caught in silhouette with a department store mannequin by some town gossips who are on their way to the party. Soon, rumors spread like wildfire, and one complication leads to another until the wife wants a divorce! This is all put together very nicely, thank you very much, and Harry Langdon does his befuddled Benny Goodman impersonation quite well. There's a few laughs here and there, but this is nothing extraordinary.

A delightful period piece

[shane_604 · 7/10 · 18 February 2006]

Misbehaving Husbands is a delightful period comedy that is well worth a look. Harry Langdon is Henry Butler, the owner of a department store about to have a big annual sale and it's all that he can think of. In fact, it's made him forget his wedding anniversary, This will, of course, lead to trouble, especially under the influence of his wife Effie's newly divorced friend. When a series of mishaps is misinterpreted by almost everyone concerned, a divorce is threatening in the Butler household. A shady divorce lawyer enters the picture and hell breaks loose.

What happens after this would be impossible today as this movie is rooted in its time as surely as a restoration comedy is in its time. Henry and Effie Butler's mores are set squarely in the 30's, but Langdon's picture of the work-a-holic store owner is convincing because he plays it straight. He walks through the story like an innocent and comes out the end just about as innocent, whereas his wife Effie (Betty Blythe) comes out a little wiser in the end. The allusions to Three's Company are a bit misleading. This is more like I Love Lucy minus the Spanish accent and the scenery chewing. It is definitely situation comedy. but Langdon makes it work with his deft portrayal of the bumbling but effective Henry.

This movie is too short to be a main feature and probably was then, but it must have been a great curtain raiser then. Now, it certainly rates an hour of our time.

What Edgar Kennedy and Leon Errol did in 20 minutes, Harry Langdon tries to do here in an hour.

[mark.waltz · 4/10 · 28 February 2014]

Yes, this is really an overlong short, padded out with gags and a ridiculous set-up to give the former silent comic a chance to strut his stuff more than a decade after his brand of comedy had dried up. Harry Langdon is the most unbelievable department store owner you'll ever see on screen, as dizzy as Billie Burke and as henpecked as both Kennedy or Errol were in the series of shorts they were doing exactly at the same time. All the archetypes are there: Interfering friends and relatives, a sexy femme fatal, and a one-dimensional villain, here an attorney who specializes in manipulating couples into getting a divorce so he can get his hands on the ex-wife's settlement.

Betty Blythe is the portly wife, planning an anniversary party with all friends (including the lawyer) present. All she's missing is the husband, kept after work by ambitious employees and dress dummies who resemble Hedy Lamarr and Carole Lombard. One of the guests on her way to the party happens to spot a shadow of Langdon with the Lombard dummy and this leads to all sorts of gossip once the party (minus the husband) is in motion. The wife demands a divorce and Langdon gets drunk while determined to prove his innocence.

There's some funny stuff here, particularly a bit with Langdon escorting the Lombard dummy down the street wearing roller skates. But there's also some offensive dialog for the black servants and some unbelievable characters who get the couple closer to divorce just for something fun to talk about at the next society party. You'll have to take everything here with a grain of salt as this is about as realistic as a hot Alaskan day in December.

For Harry Langdon Fans

[jayraskin · 7/10 · 23 June 2012]

This is a slight comedy about a sleazy divorce lawyer and mistaken identity adultery from low budget studio Monogram, directed by its ace "One Shot" William Beaudine. His films generally range from mediocre to tolerable. This one is in the tolerable range.

It would not be worth watching except that this is one of the few feature films that Harry Langdon did in the last 15 years of his career. He was in about 50 shorts and had a half dozen supporting roles, but Harry was only featured in four or five films during the sound era.

Langdon had the most tragic career of the four Hollywood silent screen greats, Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton, Harold Lloyd and Harry Langdon. Chaplin and Lloyd were always regarded as geniuses. Keaton was rediscovered and celebrated ten years before he died. Only Langdon was forgotten and died in obscurity at age 60 in 1945.

Despite terrible second rate material, shot quickly at a third rate studio, Langdon manages to be funny in every scene he is in. Notice the scene at the end where he comes out of a bar after having one drink. This two minute scene has almost nothing to do with the plot, but Langdon is just hilarious improvising and riffing on his own.

This is a skip-it for anyone else, but a must-see for Langdon and slapstick comedy fans.

fluffy fun, but annoying.

[ksf-2 · 4/10 · 5 February 2018]

Fun but a tad Annoying. that's how I would describe this earlier film from PRC... Producers Releasing Corp. Harry Langdon and Betty Blythe co-star as husband and wife, and the wife THINKS she has caught hubby in a compromising situation with someone at his work. Just like an episode of Three's Company, they both could have avoided all these mis-understanings if they had just uttered a sentence that quickly cleared things up. First, HE goes to great lengths to avoid saying a simple sentence, then SHE does it. Granted, it is a bit fun if you can just buy into it and go along for the ride, but I guess it's a pretty weak script if this all fall apart so easily. That's the annoying part. Anyhoo. supporting roles by Luana Walters and Ralph Byrd. Directed by William Beaudine; he, Langdon, and Blythe had all been around since the silent films. Watch for a 27 year old Gig Young, in the credits as Byron Barr, in his first credited role. Made all those films with Doris Day. Didn't end well for him in real life. But he DID win an oscar for "They Shoot Horses, Don't They ?" I caught this one on Moonlight Movie Channel. It's okay....

Slightly Above Average; Would be worse without Langdon

[mbanak · 6/10 · 28 November 2017]

Stories like this bother me, when the resolution of their problems seems so simple to me. Goofy plot about mistaken marital unfaithfulness. Just a little communication would fix all this. It's probably the engineer in me, who resents suspending disbelief in such deep and disturbing ways, just to go along with an improbable story. Anyway, Langdon is always a gem to watch. His acting abilities are broad in scope, and he manages to manufacture yet another character in this talkie. With better direction and a decent budget, this could have been Langdon's Screw Ball Comedy, like Lloyd's "Milky Way," or Hitchcock's "Mr. and Mrs. Smith". The fun operates in three realms here. The overacting of the domestic help, behaving in caricature. Then there is Harry fumbling about, this time as a slightly eccentric businessman. And third, we have a young couple (each of them somehow related to Harry and his wife) as they set out to unmask the unscrupulous lawyer, who figures to profit from a needless divorce. This is another must-see for Langdon fans, but I would not show it on classic movie night with the guys.

A nice period piece, of particular interest for silent film aficionados.

[aneides-519-120091 · 6 November 2012]

This short feature from Poverty Row production company PRC comprises an undemanding comedy of romantic misunderstanding. On intrinsic merit alone, it offers a pleasant way to pass some time on a slow afternoon; moreover, it holds additional interest as a late-career vehicle for several stars of the silent screen. Here, 20s siren Betty Blythe is a middle-aged housewife to an overworked department store manager, played by comedian Harry Langdon. Through a series of misunderstandings and miscommunications, their marriage is imperiled and they find themselves on the brink of divorce. It is up to their niece (Luana Walters) and lawyer's assistant (Ralph Byrd) to disentangle the plot and bring about a happy resolution.

Figuring out how to manifest Langdon's iconic character as a believable figure in the world was clearly a challenge throughout his career - prior efforts had contextualized him as henpecked into helpless emasculation (SATURDAY AFTERNOON), shell-shocked (THE STRONG MAN), drunk (THE STAGE HAND), suffering from the effects of traumatic brain injury (I DON'T REMEMBER) or just straight-up defined him as an odd guy (THREE'S A CROWD). Here, his absent-mindedness is initially motivated by the pressures of his job, yet it is played with a sufficiently light hand that one accepts he is competent to have a job to begin with (contra, say, THE HEAD GUY). Often, Langdon's characters require an overt suspension of disbelief on the part of the viewer; this is one of the better efforts at making him credible.

Through a series of misunderstandings and machinations by a sleazy lawyer running a divorce scam, Langdon's character finds himself amidst the breakdown of his marriage, encountering situations he can neither understand nor control. His baffled and fluttering indecision, guilty-child responses and slow reaction humor are used to believable effect against Blythe's understated and graceful performance as a wife who honestly thinks she has been betrayed. In contrast, Walters and Byrd never seem to take the perils of the plot too seriously. This - along with some gentle punning threaded through the dialogue - keeps the feature from veering off a lighthearted and well-trodden comedic path.

Nevertheless, this film features some quintessential Langdon weirdness in the very peculiar sequences where he interacts with "Carole" the department-store mannequin as if she were a living person. When he carries "Carole" up the stairs, I so expected him to reprise the iconic gag from THE STRONG MAN that I had to re-watch the scene to be sure that he hadn't. (Incidentally, Gertrude Astor - the dangerous blonde hefted by Langdon in the former feature - reappears in this film as a gossiping frenemy to Betty Blythe.)

As other reviewers have noted, this is definitely a period piece and best appreciated as such. The plot hinges on contemporary expectations of marriage that would facilitate misunderstanding between husband and wife, and the story is flimsy in their absence. Moreover, saxophonist Billy Mitchell and vaudeville actress Hennie Brown are underutilized as servants "Memphis" and "Opal," - roles that appear frankly racist to modern audiences.

It is sad to see Harry Langdon gracefully aging into this kind of role, knowing that his late career promise would be cut short by his sudden death just a few years later. On the balance, this is a gentle-hearted little movie that foreshadows Blythe's ongoing work playing small character parts in A-list productions, as well as Ralph Byrd's role as comic strip detective Dick Tracy. Silent film enthusiasts might like to seek out this movie in order to see their early favorites in later roles, while viewers with no particular interest will probably find MISBEHAVING HUSBANDS to be a pleasant yet forgettable diversion.