Larry Semon
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.
Underworld
(Slippy Lewis)
The Wizard of Oz
(Scarecrow / Toymaker)
The Sawmill
(The Dumb-Bell)
Golf
(The son)
Kid Speed
(The Speed Kid)
Go Straight!
(Self)
The Simple Life
(A Farmer's Boy)
Pluck and Plotters
(The Janitor)
Passing the Buck
(The House Detective)
Between the Acts
(Larry, the Handy Man and a Drunkard)
School Days
(Joe)
Scamps and Scandals
(Larry)
The Hick
(Larry, the Hick)
The Fly-Cop
(The Fly Cop)
The Suitor
(The Suitor)
Dummies
(The Entertainer)
A Weakend Driver
A Simple Sap
(It)
The Star Boarder
(Star Boarder / Little Joe, Escaped Convict)
The Grocery Clerk
(The Grocery Clerk)
The Cloudhopper
(Borden Rhoom / Getz A. Bunn)
The Perfect Clown
(Bert Larry)
Plagues And Puppy Love
(Larry)
Romans and Rascals
(Caesar / A Minstrel)
His Home Sweet Home
(The Husband)
Bears and Bad Men
(Larry Cutshaw)
Huns and Hyphens
(Larry)
Dew Drop Inn
(Larry, the Detective)
Frauds and Frenzies
(Larry, First Prisoner)
Dunces and Dangers
(Larry)
Dull Care
(Larry, a Detective)
Traps and Tangles
(Detective Sparks)
The Bakery
(Larry, a Bakery Clerk)
The Fall Guy
(Larry, the Fall Guy)
The Rent Collector
(Larry, the Rent Collector)
The Bell Hop
(The Bellhop)
The Sportsman
(The Sportsman)
The Counter Jumper
(Larry, the Counter Jumper)
A Pair of Kings
(King August / Stranger)
The Stunt Man
(Larry)
The Gown Shop
(Larry, a salesman)
Horseshoes
(Larry)
The Midnight Cabaret
(Larry, a Waiter)
Lightning Love
(Larry, a Suitor)
No Wedding Bells
(Larry)
Her Boy Friend
(Larry, the Chief's son)
Gall and Golf
(O.U. Dubb)
Walls and Wallops
The Girl in the Limousine
(Tony)
Bathing Beauties and Big Boobs
(Lawrence)
Oh, What a Man!
(The Detective)
The Barnyard
(Lay Zee, Farm Hand)
The Head Waiter
(The Head Waiter)
Hindoos and Hazards
(Larry)
The Dome Doctor
(Peter Pep)
Risks and Roughnecks
(Our Hero)
Tough Luck and Tin Lizzies
(Larry)
The Show
(The Prop Man / Gentle Onlooker)
Well, I'll Be
(The Sheriff)
Trouble Brewing
(Government agent)
The Stage Hand
(The Stage Hand)
Spuds
(Spuds)
Turks and Troubles
Footlights and Fakers
He Never Touched Me
Somewhere in Any Place
Big Bluffs and Bowling Balls
Jolts and Jewelry
Bullies and Bullets
Flatheads and Flivvers
(Director)
A Dozen Socks
(Scenario Writer)
Between the Acts
(Scenario Writer)
The Fly-Cop
(Writer)
The Grocery Clerk
(Writer)
The Simple Life
(Director)
The Simple Life
(Scenario Writer)
Well, I'll Be
(Scenario Writer)
Dunces and Dangers
(Scenario Writer)
Passing the Buck
(Scenario Writer)
The Wizard of Oz
(Director)
The Man from Egypt
(Writer)
Bullies and Bullets
(Writer)
Bathing Beauties and Big Boobs
(Writer)
The Sawmill
(Director)
Golf
(Director)
The Stunt Man
(Writer)
Kid Speed
(Director)
A Pair of Kings
(Producer)
A Pair of Kings
(Writer)
Her Boy Friend
(Producer)
Passing the Buck
(Director)
Pluck and Plotters
(Director)
Scamps and Scandals
(Director)
School Days
(Director)
The Fly-Cop
(Director)
Between the Acts
(Director)
The Suitor
(Director)
Plagues And Puppy Love
(Director)
The Hick
(Director)
Romans and Rascals
(Director)
Dunces and Dangers
(Director)
Huns and Hyphens
(Director)
Bears and Bad Men
(Director)
Frauds and Frenzies
(Director)
Dew Drop Inn
(Director)
Traps and Tangles
(Director)
Dull Care
(Director)
His Home Sweet Home
(Director)
Dummies
(Director)
The Star Boarder
(Director)
A Simple Sap
(Director)
A Weakend Driver
(Director)
The Bakery
(Director)
The Bell Hop
(Director)
The Fall Guy
(Director)
The Sportsman
(Director)
The Rent Collector
(Director)
The Grocery Clerk
(Director)
The Counter Jumper
(Director)
A Pair of Kings
(Director)
No Wedding Bells
(Director)
The Stunt Man
(Director)
The Midnight Cabaret
(Director)
Horseshoes
(Director)
Lightning Love
(Director)
The Gown Shop
(Director)
Her Boy Friend
(Director)
The Cloudhopper
(Director)
Gall and Golf
(Director)
The Man from Egypt
(Director)
Romans and Rascals
(Scenario Writer)
Walls and Wallops
(Director)
Rips and Rushes
(Director)
Golf
(Producer)
Golf
(Writer)
Bullies and Bullets
(Director)
Kid Speed
(Writer)
Kid Speed
(Producer)
Bathing Beauties and Big Boobs
(Director)
Oh, What a Man!
(Director)
The Barnyard
(Director)
There and Back
(Director)
Hash and Havoc
(Director)
The Wizard of Oz
(Writer)
Worries and Wobbles
(Director)
The Barnyard
(Writer)
A Villainous Villain
(Story)
A Villainous Villain
(Director)
The Sawmill
(Writer)
The Sawmill
(Executive Producer)
The Dome Doctor
(Producer)
The Dome Doctor
(Scenario Writer)
The Cloudhopper
(Producer)
The Girl in the Limousine
(Director)
The Bell Hop
(Producer)
The Bell Hop
(Story)
The Dome Doctor
(Director)
The Wizard of Oz
(Producer)
Risks and Roughnecks
(Director)
Losing Weight
(Director)
School Days
(Writer)
School Days
(Producer)
The Head Waiter
(Director)
Tough Luck and Tin Lizzies
(Director)
A Weakend Driver
(Writer)
Hindoos and Hazards
(Director)
Scamps and Scandals
(Scenario Writer)
His Home Sweet Home
(Scenario Writer)
The Midnight Cabaret
(Producer)
The Midnight Cabaret
(Writer)
Skids and Scalawags
(Director)
Captain Jinks' Evolution
(Director)
The Show
(Director)
Well, I'll Be
(Director)
Romans and Rascals
(Writer)
The Star Boarder
(Writer)
The Stage Hand
(Director)
The Stage Hand
(Writer)
Trouble Brewing
(Director)
Trouble Brewing
(Writer)
Bears and Bad Men
(Writer)
The Rent Collector
(Writer)
The Stage Hand
(Producer)
The Show
(Writer)
The Rent Collector
(Producer)
The Fall Guy
(Story)
The Show
(Producer)
The Bakery
(Writer)
The Bakery
(Producer)
Spuds
(Producer)
The Girl in the Limousine
(Producer)
Lightning Love
(Writer)
The Baby and the Boss
(Director)
Turks and Troubles
(Director)
Turks and Troubles
(Scenario Writer)
Footlights and Fakers
(Director)
Footlights and Fakers
(Scenario Writer)
He Never Touched Me
(Director)
He Never Touched Me
(Scenario Writer)
Rips and Rushes
(Scenario Writer)
Somewhere in Any Place
(Director)
Somewhere in Any Place
(Scenario Writer)
Big Bluffs and Bowling Balls
(Director)
Big Bluffs and Bowling Balls
(Scenario Writer)
Jolts and Jewelry
(Director)
Jolts and Jewelry
(Scenario Writer)
There and Back
(Scenario Writer)
Dull Care
(Writer)
The Counter Jumper
(Writer)
The Counter Jumper
(Producer)
The Counter Jumper
(Editor)
No Wedding Bells
(Writer)
No Wedding Bells
(Producer)
The Head Waiter
(Writer)
Hindoos and Hazards
(Scenario Writer)