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)
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)
Scamps and Scandals
(Larry)
School Days
(Joe)
The Suitor
(The Suitor)
The Hick
(Larry, the Hick)
The Fly-Cop
(The Fly Cop)
Dummies
(The Entertainer)
A Weakend Driver
The Star Boarder
(Star Boarder / Little Joe, Escaped Convict)
A Simple Sap
(It)
The Grocery Clerk
(The Grocery Clerk)
The Cloudhopper
(Borden Rhoom / Getz A. Bunn)
The Perfect Clown
(Bert Larry)
Plagues And Puppy Love
(Larry)
Dew Drop Inn
(Larry, the Detective)
Bears and Bad Men
(Larry Cutshaw)
Huns and Hyphens
(Larry)
Dunces and Dangers
(Larry)
His Home Sweet Home
(The Husband)
Romans and Rascals
(Caesar / A Minstrel)
Dull Care
(Larry, a Detective)
Frauds and Frenzies
(Larry, First Prisoner)
Traps and Tangles
(Detective Sparks)
A Pair of Kings
(King August / Stranger)
The Bakery
(Larry, a Bakery Clerk)
The Fall Guy
(Larry, the Fall Guy)
The Stunt Man
(Larry)
The Rent Collector
(Larry, the Rent Collector)
The Counter Jumper
(Larry, the Counter Jumper)
The Bell Hop
(The Bellhop)
The Sportsman
(The Sportsman)
Lightning Love
(Larry, a Suitor)
The Midnight Cabaret
(Larry, a Waiter)
Horseshoes
(Larry)
No Wedding Bells
(Larry)
The Gown Shop
(Larry, a salesman)
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)
Flatheads and Flivvers
(Director)
A Dozen Socks
(Scenario Writer)
The Grocery Clerk
(Writer)
The Fly-Cop
(Writer)
The Simple Life
(Scenario Writer)
Between the Acts
(Scenario Writer)
Dunces and Dangers
(Scenario Writer)
Well, I'll Be
(Scenario Writer)
The Simple Life
(Director)
Passing the Buck
(Scenario Writer)
The Wizard of Oz
(Director)
Bullies and Bullets
(Writer)
The Man from Egypt
(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)
Pluck and Plotters
(Director)
Passing the Buck
(Director)
The Suitor
(Director)
Plagues And Puppy Love
(Director)
Between the Acts
(Director)
School Days
(Director)
Scamps and Scandals
(Director)
The Fly-Cop
(Director)
The Hick
(Director)
Bears and Bad Men
(Director)
Frauds and Frenzies
(Director)
Romans and Rascals
(Director)
Huns and Hyphens
(Director)
Dunces and Dangers
(Director)
Dull Care
(Director)
His Home Sweet Home
(Director)
Dew Drop Inn
(Director)
Traps and Tangles
(Director)
Dummies
(Director)
A Simple Sap
(Director)
The Star Boarder
(Director)
A Weakend Driver
(Director)
The Bell Hop
(Director)
The Rent Collector
(Director)
The Sportsman
(Director)
The Bakery
(Director)
The Fall Guy
(Director)
The Grocery Clerk
(Director)
The Counter Jumper
(Director)
A Pair of Kings
(Director)
The Stunt Man
(Director)
Lightning Love
(Director)
The Midnight Cabaret
(Director)
No Wedding Bells
(Director)
Horseshoes
(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
(Writer)
Golf
(Producer)
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
(Scenario Writer)
The Dome Doctor
(Producer)
The Cloudhopper
(Producer)
The Girl in the Limousine
(Director)
The Bell Hop
(Story)
The Bell Hop
(Producer)
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)
His Home Sweet Home
(Scenario Writer)
Scamps and Scandals
(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
(Producer)
The Rent Collector
(Writer)
The Fall Guy
(Story)
The Show
(Producer)
The Bakery
(Writer)
The Show
(Writer)
The Stage Hand
(Producer)
The Bakery
(Producer)
Spuds
(Producer)
The Girl in the Limousine
(Producer)
Lightning Love
(Writer)
The Baby and the Boss
(Director)