Town Hall Theatre in Wilton presents ‘Tramp Tramp Tramp’

Harry Landon and a young Joan Crawford star in “Tramp Tramp Tramp.” 

Harry Landon and a young Joan Crawford star in “Tramp Tramp Tramp.”  COURTESY PHOTO

Published: 07-24-2024 12:07 PM

Town Hall Theatre, 40 Main St. in Wilton, will present “Tramp Tramp Tramp,” a 1926 comedy starring Harry Langdon and written by a young Frank Capra, who would later direct “It's A Wonderful Life.”

Joan Crawford, at the very beginning of her career, co-stars with Langdon, a comedian whose popularity rivaled that of Charlie Chaplin for a brief period in the 1920s. The screening, the latest in the venue's silent film series, will feature live accompaniment by Jeff Rapsis.

In “Tramp Tramp Tramp,” Langdon plays a young man determined to rescue the family shoe business from a much larger manufacturer. To win money, he enters a cross-country walking race, but things get complicated when he develops a crush on the daughter of the rival factory's owner, whom he only knows through her picture on billboards. Can Harry beat the odds, win the race, get the girl and save the family business?

“Tramp Tramp Tramp,” filmed outdoors and on location, takes viewers on a cross-country journey that pits Harry against competitors, convicts, police officers and even Mother Nature. Langdon, a vaudeville performer and latecomer to silent film comedy, rocketed to sudden stardom in the late 1920s on the strength of “Tramp Tramp Tramp” and other popular movies. His character was that of an innocent child-like man constantly bewildered by the complexity of modern life. Langdon's popularity fizzled as the movie business switched to talkies in the late 1920s.

Admission is free, and donations are accepted, with $10 per person suggested to defray expenses.

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