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[Holmes]

I saw Zenobia for the first time last night. I was wondering if anyone knows what the public thought of it when it was released? I'm also curious how Roach marketed the film. It still had two great comedians in it but I wonder if the public was upset that the super comedy duo was separated. I was a little depressed Harry wasn't in it more, I feel like Zenobia had more screen time than he did. Nevertheless, I don't think it was a great film but I still enjoyed watching Harry and Ollie interact with each other and thought Harry did a fine job filling in for Stan.

While watching the film, I became interested in Zero, the guy who played Hardy's butler, and wanted to know more about him. I looked him up on IMBD and Wikipedia and was surprised to read that he became the first black actor in history to become a millionaire, how they kept track of something like that and how accurate it is, who knows. And regarding his name, how does one go from Lincoln Theodore Monroe Andrew Perry to Stepin Fetchit? From what I read on Wiki, it sounds like he lead quite an interesting life.

[Ian Elliot]

[booklover]

There is also a recent biography of Fetchit-Stepin Fetchit: The Life & Times of Lincoln Perry by Mel Watkins. It's very good. Interestingly enough, Fetchit was considered for the role of Fred Sanford on "Sanford and Son" (I believe Watkins writes that Fetchit had to turn down the role for health reasons). Flip Wilson was considered for the role of Lamont.

[thescribe]

There seems to have been a considerable amount of press leading up to the release of ZENOBIA, but once it was out there it was left to a quiet death. All the hype surrounded Harry Langdon's "huge comeback", replacing Laurel in films that would be oh-so-much-better because they'd be based on important stories from important authors.
When the film was finally released, posters and even the titlecards annouced ZENOBIA in huge type, with the popular new team of Hardy and Langdon listed individually under "with" (and for the life of me, I can't remember if Harry was billed second or third).

[Phil]

Third in Yugoslavia:



Not even on this one (sorry it's so small):


_________________
Phil

My website - Chaplin and more.... http://www.philposner.com including a Chaplin filmography here - http://www.philposner.com/ccfilmo1.htm

[thescribe]

...and not billed at all on what appears to be a Film Classics reissue poster!

Btw, on the subject of Stepin Fetchit, his Our Gang appearance A TOUGH WINTER is finally out on DVD on the new collection (it was already released on VHS and laser disc). It's oddly charming, and Step fits in well with the kids in the same way Edgar Kennedy did. Too bad Roach's plan for a Fetchit series didn't pan out, although I wonder how many people would have the patience to sit through 20 minutes of the slowest man on earth? (If Roach thought Langdon moved too slowly...!)

Chris

[jplibby]

I think in the actual onscreen credits, Harry is billed second.

Joe Libby

[Ian Elliot]

Joe has it right, and the contemporary newspaper ad copy has it that way too, billing Hardy then Langdon after the title. Nothing at all about the new "team" here (Laurel had reconciled with Roach before this was released), but some prankish teasers about the title figure, who is not depicted in the ads--eg, "Too big to handle! She was a new kind of love from the South!", "Zenobia, the girl of your dreams...and maybe of your nightmares too! There's something big in store for you when you set your eager eyes on her."

[Holmes]

Poor Harry... How could the film be billed as Harry's "huge comeback" when he was making films throughout the '30's? Were all of them considered duds? I wonder what he thought of his performance and if he had any hopes for it?

Joe is right, he is billed second in the beginning and the end of the film. And thanks to Phil for posting those posters.

[thescribe]

Essentially, Harry's post-First National career was one big comeback story after another. It made for great press, after all, poor hapless Harry always hoping for another chance to make people laugh, and resigned to his fate with quotes along the lines of "I don't miss the big money, it was swell and all but..." and "I know I can do this if I'm not licked..!". You see this all over the place for features like MY WEAKNESS, HALLELUJAH I'M A BUM, ZENOBIA, even the RKO short GOODNESS, A GHOST.

It appears that Harry's Educational, Paramount and Columbia shorts were so far off the radar that interviewers wouldn't even mention them...usually declaring that Harry had been off the screen for 2 or 3 years, even though he'd had a recurring series of shorts for pretty much all of the 1930s.

Chris

[Rob Farr]

Harry had a rough patch around 1931-32, but his on-screen presence was otherwise uninterrupted for over two decades. Add to that a stage career that lasted even longer and Harry had a professional longevity that was the envy of most actors, then and now. The guy was a survivor and would certainly have been making "comebacks" well into the television era if he had not died prematurely. Any number of 1950s sitcoms would have cast him as the town's "quirky old geezer". The kind of thing that Burt Mustin, Sterling Holloway and Parker Fennelly specialized in.

[Robert Summit]

I love the idea of Harry playing Clarence in ITS A WONDERFUL LIFE in a bittersweet reunion with Frank Capra . . . .I think he would have been marvelous in it. I can totally see him in that role.
I think he would have been a welcome and frequent presence in many TV shows in the fifties and sixties! Can you imagine Harry guest starring on Wagon Train, The Untouchables, The Twilight Zone, etc...?
Ah well, RIP Harry! You were one of kind...irreplaceable!
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"If you had a face like mine, you'd punch me right in the nose, and I'm just the fella that can do it!"

[Bill Cassara]

Serious question; does anyone know the name of the elephant who was billed as Zenobia in the movie? I'm trying to determine if she was Anna May? Seems like I came across this sometime ago, now I can't remember the source.
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Bill Cassara

[FrankFay]

[Dean]

I'm not sure what the elephants name was Bill but I do recall reading it somewhere, I'll have to look through my stuff.



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'Life isn't short enough!' - Stan Laurel