Tramp, Tramp, Tramp
Brief Synopsis
Cast & Crew
Harry Edwards
Harry Langdon
Joan Crawford
Edwards Davis
Tom Murray
Alec B. Francis
Film Details
Technical Specs
Synopsis
Threatened with eviction by his landlord, Nick Kargas, penniless shoemaker Amos Logan turns to his son Harry for help. The disabled Amos tells Harry that unless he raises enough money to pay their back rent within three months, they will lose their business. Thus entrusted, the bumbling, naïve Harry, who has a crush on a model who appears in billboards advertising Burton Shoes, takes a job carrying luggage for Kargas. Unknown to Harry, Kargas is competing in a cross-country walking contest that has been sponsored by John Burton of the Burton Shoe Company. When Harry arrives first at the the race's "kick-off" barbecue, he is mistaken for Kargas, the world's champion walker, and believes that the crowd's cheers and applause are meant for him. After Kargas shows up, Harry is scorned by the crowd and is fired by Kargas. Burton's daughter Betty, who is Harry's beloved "billboard girl," witnesses his rejection and immiedately feels pity for him. Betty then finds him staring with adoration at one of her billboards, and he nearly faints with joy when he sees her in person. Touched by Harry's humility and gentleness, Betty convinces him to sign up for her father's $25,000 race. To Harry's dismay, however, he is assigned to share a hotel room with Kargas and nearly misses the opening of the race when Kargas, harangued by his roommate's nervous, bumbling activities, feeds him several sleeping pills. During the long race, Harry suffers many hardships, including sliding down an enormous cliff on a section of fence, and serving time on a chain gang for stealing a farmer's fruit, but stays in the competition until only he and Kargas are left. On the final lap of the race, Kargas, having crossed the desert first, arrives in Sand City, Utah, confident that he has beaten Harry. Soon after, however, an approaching tornado is spotted, and everyone in the town, including Betty and her father, rush for cover. A decimated, shoeless Harry then arrives in town and, unaware of the tornado, tries to take a bath in a nearby barbershop. After his clothes blow away, Harry runs outside in a shower curtain and pulls Betty from a second-story window moments before the building collapses. Angry and desperate, Harry throws rocks and pebbles into the storm, and it suddenly dies. Harry then wins the race in California and, with the $25,000 prize money, saves his father, who has been watching his progress on movie house newsreels, marries Betty and has a bumbling baby boy.
Director
Harry Edwards
Cast
Harry Langdon
Joan Crawford
Edwards Davis
Tom Murray
Alec B. Francis
Brooks Benedict
Carlton Griffin
Tom Murray
Crew
Lloyd Bierly
Frank Capra
Hal J. Conklin
Gerald Duffy
J. Frank Holliday
William Jenner
Elgin Lessley
George Marion Jr.
Murray Roth
George Spear
Tim Whelan
Harold Yung
Film Details
Technical Specs
Quotes
Trivia
Notes
Although Tramp, Tramp, Tramp was advertised as Harry Langdon's first feature film, His First Flame, which was released in March 1927, was actually made a year earlier. Langdon made Tramp, Tramp, Tramp under a new contract with First National under the aegis of the Harry Langdon Corp., over which he had full creative control. Langdon brought several members of his creative team from the Mack Sennett studio into his new company, including director Harry Edwards and writers Arthur Ripley and Frank Capra. In his autobiography, Capra recalled working as co-producer, co-dorector and co-writer. The cross-country walking race depicted in the film was based on similar races that were popular in the U.S. in the mid-1920s. Modern sources indicate that the production cost $150,00 and was a definite, if not outstanding, box office success. Tramp, Tramp, Tramp was Edwards' last film with Langdon after a long association that began when they worked on short films with Mack Sennett.
Miscellaneous Notes
Released in United States 1926
Released in United States March 1976
Released in United States 1926
Released in United States March 1976 (Shown at FILMEX: Los Angeles International Film Exposition (Special Programs: Classic American Clowns) March 18-31, 1976.)
