You never know what you can find on the Internet. For example, I never expected to find Harry Langdon lip-syncing a pop tune about women’s clothing while wearing that apparel.
But, hey, thanks to YouTube’s algorithms I was served up “Beautiful Clothes (Make Beautiful Girls),” a two-and-a-half minute ditty created as part of the Soundies series of musical shorts that were screened in jukebox-style devices during the 1940s. The title song was performed by Cliff Navarro, but Langdon was brought in to mime the song while engaging in light comic mugging with a bevy of pretty starlets modeling the then-popular styles.
At the end of the short, the starlets go through a revolving door wearing overcoats and emerge in chic gowns. Langdon goes through the revolving door and comes out wearing the drag costume he wore in the Monogram programmer “Double Trouble” (1941).
Langdon’s lip-syncing skills are lousy, but he can still generate a smile or two with his antics. There is quick bit of fun where he slightly lifts the hem of a mannequin’s skirt, only to quickly drop it, then rapidly wipe his hands together (as if cleansing away the sin of impropriety) and tip his hat to the mannequin in a gentlemanly manner, making a belated sign of respect after trespassing in forbidden territory. Even in this in mild and minor format, Langdon had the ability to shine.