There are really only two problems with Three's A Crowd, and one has nothing to do with the film: (1) the editing is often a problem (this can be fixed), and (2) it needs insightful and properly-synced music (this can also be fixed).
It seems to me that final editing was never actually done on the film. It was re-cut and then quickly released. I maintain that with refined editing to fix the "matching shots" that do not match (ex: the "Husband" gets out of bed twice), to cut down some of the sequences that go on too long (climbing up the rug, preparing the diaper for the rolling pin), and to eliminate some of the unnecessary and repetitious shots (such as of the 'goodbye note', and Gladys at the boxing ring), and cut out the entire Adventures-of-a-Doll sequence (which is damaged beyond repair anyway), an effective film results that flows along seamlessly with one exception—the pigeon. I would NOT cut down the Harry-Langdon-static-shots, which are the essence of Harry Langdon. I would, however, cut some of the unnecessary business that stretch out certain scenes too long (some of waiting-at-the-door-with-the-toys shots, people milling around inside the shack after the baby is born, repetitious business during the diaper scene, pretending to spank the baby, etc.).
After making these editing refinements, if some enterprising film-school Harry Langdon nut could find a Langdon impersonator and film the missing section where Harry sees Gladys at a distance (through his toy telescope), and sends off his pitiful love letter with his pet pigeon (who then just drops down to the window below, where his boss's wife finds it), I swear that would make this a perfect movie.
You might not like the story, but there are a whole lot of depressing films out there that have received awards; and in this case, the ending is NOT so bleak as some insist: there is a strong ray of hope at the end. Gladys tells Harry that she and her husband hope to show their gratitude. When the husband's father sees that his daughter-in-law and grandchild were saved from an icy death by good-hearted Harry, he will surely hire him as a handy man!
This is a beautiful film, engaging and haunting. The cinematography is gorgeous (ex: the horses snorting along in the first snow-fall of the year). All the characters are ultimately sympathetic, and unlike the opinion of 50% of those who have seen this movie, I find Langdon very funny; not only that, but I find his character immediately and constantly mesmerizing. The movie only needs a little refined editing at the least (and an added scene at most), and a sensitive soundtrack that is actually synchronized to the action (unlike the organ track currently on the Kino release of the movie, which is sensitive, but not well-synchronized to the picture).
