Lawrence Semon (February 9, 1889 – October 8, 1928) was an American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter during the

silent film A silent film is a film with no synchronized Sound recording and reproduction, recorded sound (or more generally, no audible dialogue). Though silent films convey narrative and emotion visually, various plot elements (such as a setting or era) ...

era. In his day, Semon was considered a major movie comedian, but he is now remembered mainly for working with both Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy before they started working together. He is also sometimes noted for directing (as well as appearing in) the 1925

'' The Wizard of Oz'', which had a slight influence on the better-known 1939

talkie A sound film is a motion picture with synchronized sound, or sound technologically coupled to image, as opposed to a silent film. The first known public exhibition of projected sound films took place in Paris in 1900, but decades passed before ...

'' The Wizard of Oz'' released by

MGM Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc., also known as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures and abbreviated as MGM, is an American film, television production, distribution and media company owned by Amazon through MGM Holdings, founded on April 17, 1924 a ...

. The film was included in the 2005 three-disc DVD version of the 1939 film, along with other silent ''Oz'' movies.

Early life

Born in

West Point The United States Military Academy (USMA), also known Metonymy, metonymically as West Point or simply as Army, is a United States service academies, United States service academy in West Point, New York. It was originally established as a f ...

, Mississippi, Semon was the son of a travelling Jewish

vaudeville Vaudeville (; ) is a theatrical genre of variety entertainment born in France at the end of the 19th century. A vaudeville was originally a comedy without psychological or moral intentions, based on a comical situation: a dramatic composition ...

magician

Zera Semon ''Zera'' is a genus of skippers in the family Hesperiidae Skippers are a family of the Lepidoptera (moths and butterflies) named the Hesperiidae. Being diurnal, they are generally called butterflies. They were previously placed in a separat ...

, who billed himself as "Zera the Great". His mother, Irene Semon (née Rea) worked as his assistant. Along with his older sister, Semon joined his parents' act until his father's death. After completing his education in Savannah, Georgia, Semon moved to New York City, where he worked for ''

The New York Sun ''The New York Sun'' is an American online newspaper published in Manhattan; from 2002 to 2008 it was a daily newspaper distributed in New York City. It debuted on April 16, 2002, adopting the name, motto, and masthead of the earlier New Yor ...

'' and later ''The New York Morning Telegraph'' as a cartoonist,

comics artist A cartoonist is a visual artist who specializes in both drawing and writing cartoons (individual images) or comics (sequential images). Cartoonists differ from comics writers or comic book illustrators in that they produce both the literary a ...

and graphic artist. While working as an artist, Semon appeared in monologues in vaudeville, where he attracted the attention of Vitagraph Studios. In 1915, he was offered a contract with the company.

Career

After signing with

Vitagraph Vitagraph Studios, also known as the Vitagraph Company of America, was a United States motion picture studio. It was founded by J. Stuart Blackton and Albert E. Smith in 1897 in Brooklyn, New York, as the American Vitagraph Company. By 1907, ...

, Semon worked behind the scenes as a scenario writer, director, and film producer for actor Hughie Mack's films. He occasionally cast himself in bit parts in the films he worked on. When Mack left Vitagraph, Semon began playing the lead roles. He usually played a white-faced goof in

derby hat The bowler hat, also known as a billycock, bob hat, bombín (Spanish) or derby (United States), is a hard felt hat with a rounded crown, originally created by the London hat-makers Thomas and William Bowler in 1849. It has traditionally been worn ...

and

overalls Overalls, also called bib-and-brace overalls or dungarees, are a type of garment usually used as protective clothing when working. The garments are commonly referred to as a "pair of overalls" by analogy with "pair of trousers". Overalls were ...

who would enter any given setting (a bakery, a restaurant, a

construction site Construction is a general term meaning the art and science to form objects, systems, or organizations,"Construction" def. 1.a. 1.b. and 1.c. ''Oxford English Dictionary'' Second Edition on CD-ROM (v. 4.0) Oxford University Press 2009 and co ...

, a prison camp, etc.) and cause chaos, with people being covered with debris and property being destroyed. His short slapstick comedies were made and released quickly and prolifically, making Semon very familiar to moviegoers. As his fame grew, his films expanded from one reel (about 12 minutes) to two reels, and Semon was given a free hand in making them. This became a dangerous policy because Semon became notorious for being expensive and extravagant: his two-reel comedies could easily cost more than an average five-reel feature film. As a former cartoonist, Semon staged similarly cartoony sight gags. These were not achieved with camera tricks or miniatures: Semon used full-sized props and structures, but on an epic scale. No gag was too big for Semon. He loved chase sequences involving airplanes (sometimes using three in a film), exploding

barn A barn is an agricultural building usually on farms and used for various purposes. In North America, a barn refers to structures that house livestock, including cattle and horses, as well as equipment and fodder, and often grain.Alle ...

s, falling water towers, auto wrecks and/or explosions, and liberal use of substances in which to douse people. A typical Semon comedy might involve barrels of flour, sacks of soot, gallons of ink, pools of motor oil, or pits filled with mud. For example, in Semon's '' The Bell Hop'', a man sleeping under the spray of a malfunctioning fountain imagines he is swimming in the ocean, and in his sleep he dives off the bed, through the floor, and into a vat of paint in the lobby below. Oliver Hardy recalled in an interview that Semon, when staging his comedy short '' The Sawmill'' set in a

lumber camp A logging camp (or lumber camp) is a transitory work site used in the logging industry. Before the second half of the 20th century, these camps were the primary place where lumberjacks would live and work to fell trees in a particular area. Many ...

, would not film in the studio and use traditional, painted stage sets. Instead, Semon took his troupe on location -- itself an expensive undertaking -- and insisted on building permanent log cabins, complete with modern conveniences for the entire cast and crew. The production budget soared, and his bosses at Vitagraph finally demanded that Semon become his own producer and underwrite his productions personally. Semon also spent freely in his personal life, with frequent long-distance travel. Director

Norman Taurog Norman Rae Taurog (February 23, 1899 – April 7, 1981) was an American film director and screenwriter. From 1920 to 1968, Taurog directed 180 films. At the age of 32, he received the Academy Award for Best Director for '' Skippy'' (1931). He i ...

recalled that by the mid-1920s Semon would hand a script to him and then depart for New York, leaving Taurog to film the script with stunt double Bill Hauber impersonating Semon. Upon Semon's return to Hollywood, Taurog would film close-ups of Semon to fit into the action filmed with Hauber. Semon tried to reverse his money problems by entering the more lucrative field of feature films. He produced and starred in a few features in the mid-1920s, including the financial disaster '' The Wizard of Oz'' in 1925;"Larry Semon"
obituary, ''Variety'', October 10, 1928, p. 57, col. 1. Internet Archive. Retrieved November 28, 2018. but by 1927 he was back in short subjects released through

Educational Pictures Educational Pictures, also known as Educational Film Exchanges, Inc. or Educational Films Corporation of America, was an American film production and film distribution company founded in 1916 by Earle (E. W.) Hammons (1882–1962). Educational pr ...

. After filing for bankruptcy in March 1928, Semon returned to vaudeville. While traveling on the vaudeville circuit, he suffered a

nervous breakdown A mental disorder, also referred to as a mental illness or psychiatric disorder, is a behavioral or mental pattern that causes significant distress or impairment of personal functioning. Such features may be persistent, relapsing and remitt ...

and went back to Los Angeles.

Death

After returning to Los Angeles, Semon was admitted to a

sanatorium A sanatorium (from Latin '' sānāre'' 'to heal, make healthy'), also sanitarium or sanitorium, are antiquated names for specialised hospitals, for the treatment of specific diseases, related ailments and convalescence. Sanatoriums are often ...

Victorville, California Victorville is a city in Victor Valley in San Bernardino County, California. Its population as of the 2020 census was 134,810. History In 1858, Aaron G. Lane came to what is now known as Victorville and founded a waystation called "Lane's Cr ...

, where on October 8, 1928—at the age of 39—he died of

pneumonia Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung primarily affecting the small air sacs known as alveoli. Symptoms typically include some combination of productive or dry cough, chest pain, fever, and difficulty breathing. The severi ...

and

tuberculosis Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease usually caused by '' Mycobacterium tuberculosis'' (MTB) bacteria. Tuberculosis generally affects the lungs, but it can also affect other parts of the body. Most infections show no symptoms, i ...

. His wife Dorothy Dwan was reported to be at his bedside when he died. In its obituary for Semon, the

trade paper A trade magazine, also called a trade journal or trade paper (colloquially or disparagingly a trade rag), is a magazine or newspaper whose target audience is people who work in a particular trade or industry. The collective term for this ...

Variety Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...

'' speculated that ongoing stress related to his dire financial circumstances was a contributing factor in his demise, alluding to the 1925 production of '' The Wizard of Oz'' as the major cause of his money woes:

Nicknames

French audiences knew him as Zigoto, Italian ones as Ridolini, and Spanish ones as Jaimito ("Jimmy") in pre-

war War is an intense armed conflict between states, governments, societies, or paramilitary groups such as mercenaries, insurgents, and militias. It is generally characterized by extreme violence, destruction, and mortality, using regular o ...

releases and Tomasín ("Tommy") in the 1940 rereleases by Manuel Rotellar.Claudia Sassen
quotes Juan Gabriel Tharrats.

Filmography

As a Director, not a star: * ''Bringing Up Father (unconfirmed as director)'' (1915) * ''

Tubby Turns the Tables Tubby is a nickname and surname and may refer to: People Nickname * Tubby Clayton (1885–1972), Anglican clergyman, founder of the Christian movement Toc H * Michael Lindsay Coulton Crawford (1917–2017), Second World War Royal Navy officer a ...

'' (1916) * ''

Terry's Tea Party Terry's is a British chocolate and confectionery maker, formerly based in York, England, until 2005, and re-established in 2019 as Terry's Chocolate Co and based in London. The company was founded in 1767. The company's headquarters and facto ...

'' (1916) * ''

Out Ag'in, in Ag'in Out may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Films * ''Out'' (1957 film), a documentary short about the Hungarian Revolution of 1956 * ''Out'' (1982 film), an American film directed by Eli Hollander * ''Out'' (2002 film), a Japanese film ba ...

'' (1916) * ''

More Money Than Manners More or Mores may refer to: Computing * MORE (application), outline software for Mac OS * more (command), a shell command * MORE protocol, a routing protocol * Missouri Research and Education Network Music Albums * ''More!'' (album), by Booka ...

'' (1916) * '' The Battler'' (1916) * '' Losing Weight'' (1916) * ''

The Man from Egypt ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the ...

'' (1916) * ''

A Jealous Guy A, or a, is the first letter and the first vowel of the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is ''a'' (pronounced ), plural ''aes' ...

'' (1916) * ''

Romance and Roughhouse Romance (from Vulgar Latin , "in the Roman language", i.e., "Latin") may refer to: Common meanings * Romance (love), emotional attraction towards another person and the courtship behaviors undertaken to express the feelings * Romance languages, ...

'' (1916) * '' There and Back'' (1916) * ''

A Villainous Villain A, or a, is the first letter and the first vowel of the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is ''a'' (pronounced ), plural ''aes' ...

'' (1916) * ''

Love and Loot Love encompasses a range of strong and positive emotional and mental states, from the most sublime virtue or good habit, the deepest interpersonal affection, to the simplest pleasure. An example of this range of meanings is that the love o ...

'' (1916) * '' Sand, Scamps and Strategy'' (1916) * ''

She Who Last Laughs She most commonly refers to: * She (pronoun), the third person singular, feminine, nominative case pronoun in modern English. She or S.H.E. may also refer to: Literature and films *'' She: A History of Adventure'', an 1887 novel by H. Rider Hagg ...

'' (1916) * ''

Walls and Wallops Walls may refer to: *The plural of wall, a structure *Walls (surname), a list of notable people with the surname Places * Walls, Louisiana, United States * Walls, Mississippi, United States * Walls, Ontario, neighborhood in Perry, Ontario, C ...

'' (1916) * ''

Jumps and Jealousy Jumping or leaping is a form of locomotion or movement in which an organism or non-living (e.g., robotic) mechanical system propels itself through the air along a ballistic trajectory. Jumping can be distinguished from running, galloping and ...

'' (1916) * ''

His Conscious Conscience His or HIS may refer to: Computing * Hightech Information System, a Hong Kong graphics card company * Honeywell Information Systems * Hybrid intelligent system * Microsoft Host Integration Server Education * Hangzhou International School, ...

'' (1916) * ''

Hash and Havoc Hash, hashes, hash mark, or hashing may refer to: Substances * Hash (food), a coarse mixture of ingredients * Hash, a nickname for hashish, a cannabis product Hash mark * Hash mark (sports), a marking on hockey rinks and gridiron football fie ...

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Captain Jinks' Evolution Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...

'' (1916) * ''

Rah! Rah! Rah! ''Rah'' is a 1962 studio album by Mark Murphy, arranged by Ernie Wilkins. This was Murphy's first Riverside Records album, and he is supported by an orchestra including Bill Evans, Wynton Kelly, Urbie Green, Ernie Royal, Clark Terry and Jimmy ...

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Help! Help! Help! ''Help!'' is the fifth studio album by the English rock band the Beatles and the soundtrack to their film of the same name. It was released on 6 August 1965. Seven of the fourteen songs, including the singles " Help!" and " Ticket to Ride", ...

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Shanks and Chivalry Shanks may refer to: People with the surname * Alison Shanks (born 1982), New Zealand professional racing cyclist * Bill Shankly, British football manager nicknamed "Shanks" * Bill Shanks, American sports broadcaster and writer * Bruce Shanks ( ...

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Speed and Spunk In everyday use and in kinematics, the speed (commonly referred to as ''v'') of an object is the magnitude of the change of its position over time or the magnitude of the change of its position per unit of time; it is thus a scalar quanti ...

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Captain Jinks' Widow Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...

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Captain Jinks' Nephew's Wife Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...

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Captain Jinks' Dilemma Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...

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Bullies and Bullets A bully is someone responsible for bullying, using aggression to intimidate or dominate others. Bully may also refer to: Animals * American Bully, a breed of dog * Bull Terrier or bully, a breed of dog * '' Gobiomorphus'' or bully, an Australia ...

'' (1917) * '' Jolts and Jewelry'' (1917) * ''

Big Bluffs and Bowling Balls Big or BIG may refer to: * Big, of great size or degree Film and television * ''Big'' (film), a 1988 fantasy-comedy film starring Tom Hanks * '' Big!'', a Discovery Channel television show * ''Richard Hammond's Big'', a television show present ...

'' (1917) * '' Somewhere in Any Place'' (1917) * ''

Rips and Rushes Rips may refer to: Places * Rips, Sarandë, location in Albania on the border with Greece * De Rips De Rips is a village east of Helmond and Eindhoven in southern part of the Netherlands. Until the late 1990s it formed the municipality of ...

'' (1917) * ''

He Never Touched Me He or HE may refer to: Language * He (pronoun), an English pronoun * He (kana), the romanization of the Japanese kana へ * He (letter), the fifth letter of many Semitic alphabets * He (Cyrillic), a letter of the Cyrillic script called ''He'' ...

'' (1917) * ''

Cops and Cussedness Cop or Cops commonly refers to: * Police officer Cop and other variants may also refer to: Art and entertainment Film * ''Cop'' (film), a 1988 American thriller * ''Cops'' (film), an American silent comedy short starring Buster Keaton * ''The ...

'' (1917) * ''

Masks and Mishaps A mask is an object normally worn on the face, typically for protection, disguise, performance, or entertainment and often they have been employed for rituals and rights. Masks have been used since antiquity for both ceremonial and pract ...

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Guff and Gunplay Guff may refer to: *Surname of various characters in the comic strip '' The Teenie Weenies'' *Nickname of a statue in Herald Square, New York City * Guff, Punjab, a place in Pakistan See also *Guf Guf ( he, גּוּף, also transliterated '' ...

'' (1917) * ''

Pests and Promises PESTS was an anonymous American activist group formed in 1986 to critique racism, tokenism, and exclusion in the art world. PESTS produced newsletters, posters, and other print material highlighting examples of discrimination in gallery represent ...

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Footlights and Fakers Cambridge University Footlights Dramatic Club, commonly referred to simply as the Footlights, is an amateur theatrical club in Cambridge, England, founded in 1883 and run by the students of University of Cambridge, Cambridge University. Histo ...

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Bombs and Blunders A bomb is an explosive weapon that uses the exothermic reaction of an explosive material to provide an extremely sudden and violent release of energy. Detonations inflict damage principally through ground- and atmosphere-transmitted mechani ...

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Turks and Troubles Turk or Turks may refer to: Communities and ethnic groups * Turkic peoples, a collection of ethnic groups who speak Turkic languages * Turkish people, or the Turks, a Turkic ethnic group and nation * Turkish citizen, a citizen of the Republic ...

'' (1917) * ''

Flatheads and Flivvers Flathead may refer to: Peoples * Flathead people, one of three tribes of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes of the Flathead Nation in Montana. * The Flathead, or Flathead Indian (or Amerindian) tribe more formally known as the Confed ...

'' (1917) * '' Dubs and Drygoods'' (1917) * ''

Hazards and Home Runs A hazard is a potential source of harm. Substances, events, or circumstances can constitute hazards when their nature would allow them, even just theoretically, to cause damage to health, life, property, or any other interest of value. The probab ...

'' (1917) * ''

Gall and Gasoline Galls (from the Latin , 'oak-apple') or ''cecidia'' (from the Greek , anything gushing out) are a kind of swelling growth on the external tissues of plants, fungi, or animals. Plant galls are abnormal outgrowths of plant tissues, similar to be ...

'' (1917) * ''

Boasts and Boldness Boasting or bragging is speaking with excessive pride and self-satisfaction about one's achievements, possessions, or abilities. Boasting occurs when someone feels a sense of satisfaction or when someone feels that whatever occurred proves thei ...

'' (1917) * ''

Worries and Wobbles Worry refers to the thoughts, images, emotions, and actions of a negative nature in a repetitive, uncontrollable manner that results from a proactive cognitive risk analysis made to avoid or solve anticipated potential threats and their pote ...

'' (1917) * ''

Shells and Shivers Shell may refer to: Architecture and design * Shell (structure), a thin structure ** Concrete shell, a thin shell of concrete, usually with no interior columns or exterior buttresses ** Thin-shell structure Science Biology * Seashell, a hard ...

'' (1917) As a Comedy Star: * '' Chumps and Chances'' (1917) * ''

Gall and Golf Galls (from the Latin , 'oak-apple') or ''cecidia'' (from the Greek , anything gushing out) are a kind of swelling growth on the external tissues of plants, fungi, or animals. Plant galls are abnormal outgrowths of plant tissues, similar to be ...

'' (1917) * ''

Slips and Slackers Slips (or SLIPS) may refer to: *Slips (oil drilling) *SLIPS (Slippery Liquid Infused Porous Surfaces) *SLIPS (company) *SLIPS (Sri Lanka Interbank Payment System) * Slip (cricket), often used in the plural form *The Slips The Slips are a UK ele ...

'' (1917) * ''

Risks and Roughnecks In simple terms, risk is the possibility of something bad happening. Risk involves uncertainty about the effects/implications of an activity with respect to something that humans value (such as health, well-being, wealth, property or the environme ...

'' (1917) * ''

Plans and Pajamas A plan is typically any diagram or list of steps with details of timing and resources, used to achieve an objective to do something. It is commonly understood as a temporal set of intended actions through which one expects to achieve a goal. ...

'' (1917) * ''

Plagues and Puppy Love Plague or The Plague may refer to: Agriculture, fauna, and medicine *Plague (disease), a disease caused by ''Yersinia pestis'' * An epidemic of infectious disease (medical or agricultural) * A pandemic caused by such a disease * A swarm of pe ...

'' (1917) * ''

Sports and Splashes Sport pertains to any form of competitive physical activity or game that aims to use, maintain, or improve physical ability and skills while providing enjoyment to participants and, in some cases, entertainment to spectators. Sports can, th ...

'' (1917) * ''

Tough Luck and Tin Lizzies Tough may refer to: * Toughness, the resistance to fracture of a material when stressed * Machismo, prominently exhibited or excessive masculinity * Psychological resilience Tough may also refer to: People * Allen Tough (1936–2012), Canadia ...

'' (1917) * ''

Rough Toughs and Roof Tops Rough may refer to: * Roughness (disambiguation) * Rough (golf), the area outside the fairway on a golf course Geography * Rough (facility), former gas field now gas storage facility, off the Yorkshire coast of England People * Alan Rough (born 1 ...

'' (1917) * ''

Spooks and Spasms Spook is a synonym for ghost. Spook or spooks may also refer to: People * Spook (nickname), shared by several notable people * Per Spook (born 1939), Norwegian fashion designer * a ghostwriter * a racial slur referring to a black person * an u ...

'' (1917) * ''

Noisy Naggers and Nosey Neighbors Noisy is the name or part of the name of six communes of France: * Noisy-le-Grand in the Seine-Saint-Denis ''département'' *Noisy-le-Roi in the Yvelines ''département'' * Noisy-le-Sec in the Seine-Saint-Denis ''département'' * Noisy-Rudignon i ...

'' (1917) * ''

Guns and Greasers A gun is a ranged weapon designed to use a shooting tube (gun barrel) to launch projectiles. The projectiles are typically solid, but can also be pressurized liquid (e.g. in water guns/cannons, spray guns for painting or pressure washing, ...

'' (1918) * ''

Babes and Boobs Babes may refer to: __NOTOC__ Arts and entertainment * Babes (band), an American indie pop band * "Babes", a song from the album '' The Inner Me'' by Lala Hsu * ''Babes'' (TV series), an American sitcom (1990–1991) * Babes (website), a pornograp ...

'' (1918) * ''

Rooms and Rumors In a building or large vehicle, like a ship, a room is any enclosed space within a number of walls to which entry is possible only via a door or other dividing structure that connects it to either a passageway, another room, or the outdoors, tha ...

'' (1918) * '' Meddlers and Moonshiners'' (1918) * ''

Stripes and Stumbles Stripe, striped, or stripes may refer to: Decorations * Stripe (pattern), a line or band that differs in colour or tone from an adjacent surface * Racing stripe, a vehicle decoration * Service stripe, a decoration of the U.S. military Entertainme ...

'' (1918) * ''

Rummies and Razors Rummies is a 1989 novel by American author Peter Benchley. It features an ensemble cast of characters who meet and interact at a drug rehabilitation clinic. The main character, the "WASP-ish" Scott Preston, has a debilitating alcohol addiction, ...

'' (1918) * ''

Whistles and Windows Whistling without the use of an artificial whistle is achieved by creating a small opening with one's lips, usually after applying moisture (licking one's lips or placing water upon them) and then blowing or sucking air through the space. The ...

'' (1918) * ''

Spies and Spills Spies most commonly refers to people who engage in spying, espionage or clandestine operations. Spies or The Spies may also refer to: * Spies (surname), a German surname * Spies (band), a jazz fusion band * "Spies" (song), a song by Coldplay ...

'' (1918) * ''

Romans and Rascals Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *''Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a letter ...

'' (1918) * ''

Skids and Scalawags __NOTOC__ Skid or Skids may refer to: * Skid, a type of pallet * Skid (aerodynamics), an outward side-slip in an aircraft turn * Skid (automobile), an automobile handling condition where one or more tires are slipping relative to the road * Skid, ...

'' (1918) * ''

Boodle and Bandits Boodle is a slang term for money derived from the Dutch word 'boedel' meaning property or estate. Afrikaans inherited the word and its meaning from the Dutch, which probably accounts for its widespread use for money amongst English-speaking Sou ...

'' (1918) * ''

Hindoos and Hazards Hindus (; ) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism. Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pages 35–37 Historically, the term has also been used as a geographical, cultural, and later religious identifier for ...

'' (1918) * ''

Bathing Beauties and Big Boobs Bathing is the act of washing the body, usually with water, or the immersion of the body in water. It may be practiced for personal hygiene, religious ritual or therapeutic purposes. By analogy, especially as a recreational activity, the term ...

'' (1918) * ''

Dunces and Dangers ''Dunces and Dangers'' is a 1918 American film directed by Larry Semon. Plot summary A man and his wife are having trouble financially and barely have anything to eat. The grocer and butcher visit and, seeing that the couple cannot pay them, take ...

'' (1918) * ''

Mutts and Motors A mutt is a mongrel (a dog of unknown ancestry). Mutt may also refer to: People * Mutt, a derogatory term for mixed-race people Nickname * Larry Black (sprinter) (1951-2006), American sprinter * Mutt Carey (1886–1948), New Orleans jazz tru ...

'' (1918) * '' Huns and Hyphens'' (1918) * '' Bears and Bad Men'' (1918) * '' Frauds and Frenzies'' (1918) * '' Humbugs and Husbands'' (1918) * ''

Pluck and Plotters Pluck or plucking may refer to: Removal * Plucking (hair removal), the removal of hair, fur, or feathers * Feather-plucking, a behavior in birds * Plucking post, as used by birds of prey to dismember their prey * Plucking (glaciation), a proc ...

'' (1918) * ''

Traps and Tangles TNF receptor associated periodic syndrome (TRAPSsubscription needed) is a periodic fever syndrome associated with mutations in a receptor for the molecule tumor necrosis factor (TNF) that is inheritable in an autosomal dominant manner. Individu ...

'' (1919) * ''

Scamps and Scandals The seventh season of ''Adventure Time'', an American animated television series created by Pendleton Ward, premiered on Cartoon Network on November 2, 2015, and concluded on March 19, 2016, and was produced by Frederator Studios and Cartoon N ...

'' (1919) * '' Well, I'll Be'' (1919) * ' (1919) * '' The Star Boarder'' (1919) * ''

His Home Sweet Home His or HIS may refer to: Computing * Hightech Information System, a Hong Kong graphics card company * Honeywell Information Systems * Hybrid intelligent system * Microsoft Host Integration Server Education * Hangzhou International School, in ...

'' (1919) * ''

The Simple Life ''The Simple Life'' is an American reality television series starring Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie. It depicts the two wealthy socialites, as they struggle to do manual, low-paying jobs such as cleaning rooms, farm work, serving meals in fast ...

'' (1919) * ''

Between the Acts ''Between the Acts'' is the final novel by Virginia Woolf. It was published shortly after her death in 1941. Although the manuscript had been completed, Woolf had yet to make final revisions. The book describes the mounting, performance, and a ...

'' (1919) * '' Dull Care'' (1919) * ''

Dew Drop Inn Dew Drop Inn may refer to: *Dew Drop Inn (New Orleans, Louisiana) *Dew Drop Inn (Mountain View, Arkansas) *Dew Drop Inn (musical), 1923 Broadway musical {{disambiguation ...

'' (1919) * ''

The Head Waiter ''The Head Waiter'' is a 1919 American silent comedy film featuring Oliver Hardy. Cast * Larry Semon as The Head Waiter * Oliver Hardy as A Cop (credited as Babe Hardy) * Lucille Carlisle as Cashier (credited as Lucille Zintheo) See also * ...

'' (1919) * ''

The Grocery Clerk ''The Grocery Clerk'' is a 1919 American silent short comedy film directed by and starring Larry Semon, Lucille Carlisle, Monty Banks, Frank Hayes, Frank Alexander, Pete Gordon, and Jack Duffy. The film has been released as part of a collection ...

'' (1919) * ''

The Fly Cop ''The Fly Cop'' is a 1917 American silent comedy film featuring Oliver Hardy. Like many American films of the time, ''The Fly Cop'' was subject to cuts by city and state film censorship boards. The Chicago Board of Censors required cuts in sce ...

'' (1920) * '' School Days'' (1920) * ''

Solid Concrete Solid is one of the four fundamental states of matter (the others being liquid, gas, and plasma). The molecules in a solid are closely packed together and contain the least amount of kinetic energy. A solid is characterized by structura ...

'' (1920) * ''

The Stage Hand ''The Stage Hand'' is a 1920 American silent short comedy film featuring Oliver Hardy. Cast * Larry Semon as The Stage Hand * Lucille Carlisle as The Leading Lady * Frank Alexander as The Stage Manager * Thelma Percy as The Animal Trainer * ...

'' (1920) * '' The Suitor'' (1920) * '' The Sportsman'' (1921) * ''

The Hick ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the ...

'' (1921) * ''

The Bakery ''The Bakery'' is a 1921 American short comedy film featuring Oliver Hardy that was directed by Larry Semon and Norman Taurog. Cast * Larry Semon as Larry, a Bakery Clerk * Oliver Hardy as Foreman (credited as Babe Hardy) * Frank Alexander as ...

'' (1921) * ''

The Rent Collector ''The Rent Collector'' is a 1921 American silent comedy film directed by Larry Semon and Norman Taurog. It featured Semon and Oliver Hardy. It was produced by Larry Semon's production company and distributed by the Vitagraph Company of America. ...

'' (1921) * ''

The Fall Guy ''The Fall Guy'' is an American action/adventure television series produced for ABC and originally broadcast from November 4, 1981, to May 2, 1986. It starred Lee Majors, Douglas Barr, and Heather Thomas as Hollywood stunt performers who mo ...

'' (1921) * '' The Bell Hop'' (1921) * '' The Sawmill'' (1922) * '' The Show'' (1922) * '' A Pair of Kings'' (1922) * ''

Golf Golf is a club-and-ball sport in which players use various clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a course in as few strokes as possible. Golf, unlike most ball games, cannot and does not use a standardized playing area, and coping ...

'' (1922) * '' The Agent'' (1922) * ''

The Counter Jumper ''The Counter Jumper'' is a 1922 American film directed by Larry Semon and featuring Oliver Hardy. It is a remake of the 1919 film ''The Grocery Clerk'', which was also directed by Semon. The film was screened at the Museum of Modern Art in 200 ...

'' (1922) * ''

No Wedding Bells ''No Wedding Bells'' is a 1923 American silent short comedy film featuring Oliver Hardy. Cast * Larry Semon as Larry * Lucille Carlisle as The Girl * Oliver Hardy as The Girl's Father (credited as Babe Hardy) * Spencer Bell as The Butler * ...

'' (1923) * '' The Barnyard'' (1923) * ''

The Midnight Cabaret ''The Midnight Cabaret'' is a 1923 American film directed by Larry Semon and featuring Oliver Hardy. Cast * Larry Semon as Larry, a Waiter * Kathleen Myers as Kathleen, a Cabaret Performer * Oliver Hardy as Oliver, an Impetuous Suitor (as Bab ...

'' (1923) * ''

The Gown Shop ''The Gown Shop'' is a 1923 American silent comedy film directed by and starring Larry Semon that featured Oliver Hardy. Cast * Larry Semon as Larry, a salesman * Kathleen Myers as Head saleslady * Oliver Hardy as Store manager (credited as ...

'' (1923) * ''

Lightning Love ''Lightning Love'' is a 1923 silent comedy film featuring Oliver Hardy. Cast * Larry Semon - Larry, a Suitor * Kathleen Myers - Rhea * Oliver Hardy - Oliver, the Other Suitor (as Babe Hardy) * Spencer Bell - Butler * Al Thompson - Father * W ...

'' (1923) * ''

Horseshoes Horseshoe is a shoe for horses and by analogy is applied to many things with a similar shape. Horseshoes (game), a tossing game played with a horseshoe Horseshoe(s) or Horse Shoe(s) may also refer to: Places * Horseshoe Valley (disambiguation) ...

'' (1923) * '' Trouble Brewing'' (1924) * ''

The Girl in the Limousine ''The Girl in the Limousine'' is a 1924 American comedy film starring Larry Semon and featuring Oliver Hardy. The film is based on the 1919 play of the same name by Wilson Collison and Avery Hopwood. Plot Cast Preservation With no prin ...

'' (1924) * ''

Her Boy Friend ''Her Boy Friend'' is a 1924 American silent comedy film featuring Oliver Hardy.Kid Speed ''Kid Speed'' also known as ''The Four Wheeled Terror'' is a 1924 American silent comedy film directed by Larry Semon and featuring Oliver Hardy. Plot A group of young men are tuning up their race cars and sportsters in a small garage. Dange ...

'' (1924) * '' My Best Girl'' (1925) * '' Wizard of Oz'' (1925) * ''

The Dome Doctor ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the ...

'' (1925) * '' The Cloudhopper'' (1925) * '' Stop, Look and Listen'' (1926) * ''

Pass the Dumplings Pass, PASS, The Pass or Passed may refer to: Places * Pass, County Meath, a townland in Ireland *Pass, Poland, a village in Poland *Pass, an alternate term for a number of straits: see List of straits *Mountain pass, a lower place in a mounta ...

'' (1927) * '' Spuds'' (1927) * ''

The Plumber's Daughter ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the ...

'' (1927) * ''

A Dozen Socks A, or a, is the first letter and the first vowel of the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is ''a'' (pronounced ), plural ''aes' ...

'' (1927) (uncredited) * '' The Stunt Man'' (1927) * '' Oh, What a Man!'' (1927) * ''

Underworld The underworld, also known as the netherworld or hell, is the supernatural world of the dead in various religious traditions and myths, located below the world of the living. Chthonic is the technical adjective for things of the underwor ...

'' (1927) * '' Dummies'' (1928) * ''

A Simple Sap A, or a, is the first letter and the first vowel of the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is ''a'' (pronounced ), plural ''aes' ...

'' (1928)

Gallery

File:Passing the Buck (1919) - Ad 1.jpg, Ad for the comedy short film '

MOVING PICTURE WORLD The ''Moving Picture World'' was an influential early trade journal for the American film industry, from 1907 to 1927. An industry powerhouse at its height, ''Moving Picture World'' frequently reiterated its independence from the film studios. I ...

References

External links

*
Larry Semon: The Cartoonist as Comic (Part 1)(Part 3)Larry Semon
at Virtual History
Larry Semon at Find a grave
{{DEFAULTSORT:Semon, Larry 1889 births 1928 deaths Male actors from Mississippi American male film actors American male screenwriters American male silent film actors 20th-century deaths from tuberculosis Deaths from pneumonia in California People from West Point, Mississippi Vaudeville performers Silent film comedians People from Victorville, California Film directors from California Film directors from Mississippi 20th-century American male actors Articles containing video clips 20th-century American comedians American male comedy actors Screenwriters from California Screenwriters from Mississippi American cartoonists American comics artists American graphic designers American people of Dutch-Jewish descent 20th-century American male writers 20th-century American screenwriters Tuberculosis deaths in California