Larry Semon
Directing
American silent film comedian whose hugely successful career disappeared virtually overnight, Larry Semon was the son of a traveling vaudeville magician, Zera the Great. He grew up in show business and was trained in stage comedy and acrobatics. A talent for drawing and cartooning led to art school and then work as a cartoonist for various New York City newspapers. The humor evident in his published cartoons prompted executives at New York's Vitagraph Studios to hire him as a gag writer in 1916. He quickly proved himself and was promoted to director for the Hughie Mack series of comedies. His background in magic helped him create interesting new gags for the comedian. When Mack left the studio in 1917, Semon took over the starring role himself. His one-reelers were quite successful, and Vitagraph sent him to California to participate in its new West Coast operation. He produced as well as wrote, starred in and directed his own films, at the same time also producing films for other comics. In the summer of 1928 Semon apparently fell ill with tuberculosis and simultaneously, it seems, suffered a nervous breakdown. He entered a sanitarium near San Bernardino, CA, where he reportedly died on October 8. However, an air of mystery surrounds his death, since his wife (and former co-star) Dorothy Dwan was allowed almost no contact with him and never saw his body, which was ordered cremated after a tightly secured funeral, which was carried out per Semon's "previous instructions" and to which almost no attendees were allowed. The whereabouts of Semon's cremated remains are to this day a mystery, and his widow professed until her death to be mystified by the circumstances of his passing. With enormous financial obligations facing him Larry Semon could easily have considered a dramatic escape of this sort from his creditors. Whether he did, or whether his death was the sad final chapter to a high-rising, briefly brilliant, but ultimately short-lived career may never be known for certain.
Known for
Directing77
movieA Simple Sap
1928
Director
Dummies
1928
Director
movieOh, What a Man!
1927
Director
movieThe Stunt Man
1927
Director
movieThe Cloudhopper
1925
Director
movieThe Wizard of Oz
1925
Director
movieKid Speed
1924
Director
movieHer Boy Friend
1924
Director
movieTrouble Brewing
1924
Director
movieHorseshoes
1923
Director
movieLightning Love
1923
Director
movieThe Gown Shop
1923
Director
movieThe Barnyard
1923
Director
movieThe Midnight Cabaret
1923
Director
movieGolf
1922
Director
movieA Pair of Kings
1922
Director
movieThe Show
1922
Director
movieThe Sawmill
1922
Director
movieThe Bell Hop
1921
Director
movieThe Fall Guy
1921
Director
movieThe Bakery
1921
Director
movieThe Rent Collector
1921
Director
movieThe Hick
1921
Director
movieThe Sportsman
1921
Director
movieThe Suitor
1920
Director
movieThe Stage Hand
1920
Director
movieSchool Days
1920
Director
movieThe Fly-Cop
1920
Director
movieThe Grocery Clerk
1919
Director
movieThe Head Waiter
1919
Director
movieDew Drop Inn
1919
Director
movieDull Care
1919
Director
movieBetween the Acts
1919
Director
movieThe Simple Life
1919
Director
movieHis Home Sweet Home
1919
Director
movieThe Star Boarder
1919
Director
moviePassing the Buck
1919
Director
movieWell, I'll Be
1919
Director
movieScamps and Scandals
1919
Director
movieTraps and Tangles
1919
Director
moviePluck and Plotters
1918
Director
movieFrauds and Frenzies
1918
Director
movieBears and Bad Men
1918
Director
movieHuns and Hyphens
1918
Director
movieDunces and Dangers
1918
Director
movieHindoos and Hazards
1918
Director
movieBabes and Boobs
1918
Director
movieRisks and Roughnecks
1917
Director
movieWorries and Wobbles
1917
Director
movieRips and Rushes
1917
Director
movieBullies and Bullets
1917
Director
movieThe Man from Egypt
1916
Director
movieThe Baby and the Boss
1915
Director
Acting70
Dummies
1928
The Entertainer
movieOh, What a Man!
1927
The Detective
movieUnderworld
1927
Slippy Lewis
movieSpuds
1927
Spuds
movieThe Perfect Clown
1925
Bert Larry
movieThe Cloudhopper
1925
Borden Rhoom / Getz A. Bunn
movieThe Wizard of Oz
1925
Scarecrow / Toymaker
movieKid Speed
1924
The Speed Kid
movieHer Boy Friend
1924
Larry, the Chief's son
movieTrouble Brewing
1924
Government agent
movieHorseshoes
1923
Larry
movieLightning Love
1923
Larry, a Suitor
movieThe Gown Shop
1923
Larry, a salesman
movieThe Barnyard
1923
Lay Zee, Farm Hand
movieThe Midnight Cabaret
1923
Larry, a Waiter
The Counter Jumper
1922
Larry, the Counter Jumper
movieGolf
1922
The son
movieA Pair of Kings
1922
King August / Stranger
movieThe Show
1922
The Prop Man / Gentle Onlooker
movieThe Sawmill
1922
The Dumb-Bell
movieThe Bell Hop
1921
The Bellhop
movieThe Fall Guy
1921
Larry, the Fall Guy
movieThe Bakery
1921
Larry, a Bakery Clerk
movieThe Rent Collector
1921
Larry, the Rent Collector
movieThe Hick
1921
Larry, the Hick
movieThe Sportsman
1921
The Sportsman
movieThe Suitor
1920
The Suitor
movieThe Stage Hand
1920
The Stage Hand
movieThe Fly-Cop
1920
The Fly Cop
movieThe Grocery Clerk
1919
The Grocery Clerk
movieThe Head Waiter
1919
The Head Waiter
movieDew Drop Inn
1919
Larry, the Detective
movieDull Care
1919
Larry, a Detective
movieBetween the Acts
1919
Larry, the Handy Man and a Drunkard
movieThe Simple Life
1919
A Farmer's Boy
movieHis Home Sweet Home
1919
The Husband
movieThe Star Boarder
1919
Star Boarder / Little Joe, Escaped Convict
moviePassing the Buck
1919
The House Detective
movieWell, I'll Be
1919
The Sheriff
movieTraps and Tangles
1919
Detective Sparks
moviePluck and Plotters
1918
The Janitor
movieFrauds and Frenzies
1918
Larry, First Prisoner
movieBears and Bad Men
1918
Larry Cutshaw
Romans and Rascals
1918
Caesar / A Minstrel
movieBabes and Boobs
1918
A Boob
movieRisks and Roughnecks
1917
Our Hero
Gall and Golf
1917
O.U. Dubb
Writing50
movieThe Stunt Man
1927
Writer
A Dozen Socks
1927
Scenario Writer
The Dome Doctor
1925
Scenario Writer
movieKid Speed
1924
Writer
movieTrouble Brewing
1924
Writer
movieLightning Love
1923
Writer
movieThe Barnyard
1923
Writer
movieGolf
1922
Writer
movieA Pair of Kings
1922
Writer
movieThe Show
1922
Writer
movieThe Sawmill
1922
Writer
movieThe Bakery
1921
Writer
movieThe Sportsman
1921
Story, Scenario Writer
movieThe Stage Hand
1920
Writer
movieSchool Days
1920
Writer
movieThe Fly-Cop
1920
Writer
movieThe Head Waiter
1919
Writer
movieDull Care
1919
Writer
movieBetween the Acts
1919
Scenario Writer
movieThe Simple Life
1919
Scenario Writer
movieHis Home Sweet Home
1919
Scenario Writer
moviePassing the Buck
1919
Scenario Writer
movieWell, I'll Be
1919
Scenario Writer
movieScamps and Scandals
1919
Scenario Writer
movieDunces and Dangers
1918
Scenario Writer
movieHindoos and Hazards
1918
Scenario Writer
Romans and Rascals
1918
Scenario Writer, Writer
Turks and Troubles
1917
Scenario Writer
Footlights and Fakers
1917
Scenario Writer
He Never Touched Me
1917
Scenario Writer
movieRips and Rushes
1917
Scenario Writer
Somewhere in Any Place
1917
Scenario Writer
Jolts and Jewelry
1917
Scenario Writer
There and Back
1916
Scenario Writer
Production19
movieSpuds
1927
Producer
movieThe Cloudhopper
1925
Producer
movieThe Wizard of Oz
1925
Producer
movieKid Speed
1924
Producer
movieHer Boy Friend
1924
Producer
movieThe Midnight Cabaret
1923
Producer
movieGolf
1922
Producer
movieA Pair of Kings
1922
Producer
movieThe Show
1922
Producer
movieThe Sawmill
1922
Executive Producer
movieThe Bell Hop
1921
Producer
movieThe Bakery
1921
Producer
movieThe Rent Collector
1921
Producer
movieThe Stage Hand
1920
Producer
movieSchool Days
1920
Producer