In the year 1921. Mack Sennett established and founded Mack Sennett Inc, and would release his films through First National. In 1923, he would make some further organizational changes and from then until 1929, distribute his films through Pathe Exchange. The Pathe era was notable; chiefly for the series of films produced with actor Harry Langdon, who was perhaps the oddest of the great comedy stars with his screen character of a middle-aged baby or a crazed Pierrot Lunaire. It was Frank Capra who wrote and directed Langdon's finest features, notably Long Pants in 1927, was later to claim that it was he, as a gag-man with Sennett who first recognized Langdon's potential and helped shape his screen character. And though it is a fact that Langdon's latter efforts as his own director were less than successful, Capra's version, which has been accepted by history, dissevers Langdon. For more than two decades had already been a lauded vaudeville star, with his own signature comic character ; and even before Capra, his whole essence was evident in a series of Sennett two-reelers helmed by Harry Edwards.
The times, oh yes they were indeed a'changing, and Sennett was reluctant to respond in kind and to the chagrin of the audiences who deemed themselves far too sophisticated for the old style of slapstick two-reelers. Sennett was well aware that sound was not his element, nonetheless, Sennett would cave in and create his first sound feature, fittingly titled The Lion's Roar and in the year 1930, would experiment with color.
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| Here Ye, Here Ye |
Industrial reorganization entailed that Sennett films in 1929 be distributed by the ominously named Educational Film Company. In 1933, Sennett was obliged to shut down his studios. In 1935, the financial woes of Paramount had ramifications which resulted in the loss of Sennett's considerable personal fortune.
Sennett moved back to his native Canada and worked for a while as a producer for Fox. Even by this time, Mack and the Keystone Kops were celebrated as a Hollywood legend. Consequently, legend was of small benefit to Sennett. He died still mourning his dearheart Mabel Normand on November 5, 1960 at the age of eighty in a nursing home in Hollywood.
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| Mack & Mabel 4E |