Larry Semon
82 movies
- Known for
- Directing
- Born
- Feb 9, 1889
- Died
- Oct 8, 1928 (age 39)
- Place of birth
- West Point, Mississippi, USA
- Also known as
- Lawrence Semon · Ларри Симон · Lawrence "Larry" Semon
Biography
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.
Profiles IMDb
Known for
Larry Semon: movies and TV shows
Acting (70)
- 1928 A Simple Sap
as It
- 1928 Dummies
as The Entertainer
- 1927 Oh, What a Man!
as The Detective
- 1927 The Stunt Man
as Larry
- 1927 Underworld
as Slippy Lewis
- 1927 Spuds
as Spuds
- 1925 The Perfect Clown
as Bert Larry
- 1925 The Cloudhopper
as Borden Rhoom / Getz A. Bunn
- 1925 The Dome Doctor
as Peter Pep
- 1925 The Wizard of Oz
as Scarecrow / Toymaker
- 1924 Kid Speed
as The Speed Kid
- 1924 Her Boy Friend
as Larry, the Chief's son
- 1924 The Girl in the Limousine
as Tony
- 1924 Trouble Brewing
as Government agent
- 1923 Horseshoes
as Larry
- 1923 Lightning Love
as Larry, a Suitor
- 1923 The Gown Shop
as Larry, a salesman
- 1923 The Barnyard
as Lay Zee, Farm Hand
- 1923 The Midnight Cabaret
as Larry, a Waiter
- 1923 No Wedding Bells
as Larry
- 1922 The Counter Jumper
as Larry, the Counter Jumper
- 1922 Golf
as The son
- 1922 A Pair of Kings
as King August / Stranger
- 1922
- 1922 The Show
as The Prop Man / Gentle Onlooker
- 1922 The Sawmill
as The Dumb-Bell
- 1921 The Bell Hop
as The Bellhop
- 1921 The Fall Guy
as Larry, the Fall Guy
- 1921 The Bakery
as Larry, a Bakery Clerk
- 1921 The Rent Collector
as Larry, the Rent Collector
- 1921 The Hick
as Larry, the Hick
- 1921 The Sportsman
as The Sportsman
- 1920 The Suitor
as The Suitor
- 1920 The Stage Hand
as The Stage Hand
- 1920 School Days
as Joe
- 1920 The Fly-Cop
as The Fly Cop
- 1919 The Grocery Clerk
as The Grocery Clerk
- 1919 The Head Waiter
as The Head Waiter
- 1919 Dew Drop Inn
as Larry, the Detective
- 1919 Dull Care
as Larry, a Detective
- 1919 Between the Acts
as Larry, the Handy Man and a Drunkard
- 1919 The Simple Life
as A Farmer's Boy
- 1919 His Home Sweet Home
as The Husband
- 1919 The Star Boarder
as Star Boarder / Little Joe, Escaped Convict
- 1919 Passing the Buck
as The House Detective
- 1919 Well, I'll Be
as The Sheriff
- 1919 Scamps and Scandals
as Larry
- 1919 Traps and Tangles
as Detective Sparks
- 1918 Pluck and Plotters
as The Janitor
- 1918 Frauds and Frenzies
as Larry, First Prisoner
- 1918 Bears and Bad Men
as Larry Cutshaw
- 1918 Huns and Hyphens
as Larry
- 1918 Dunces and Dangers
as Larry
- 1918 Bathing Beauties and Big Boobs
as Lawrence
- 1918 Hindoos and Hazards
as Larry
- 1918 Romans and Rascals
as Caesar / A Minstrel
- 1918 Babes and Boobs
as A Boob
- 1917 Tough Luck and Tin Lizzies
as Larry
- 1917 Plagues And Puppy Love
as Larry
- 1917 Risks and Roughnecks
as Our Hero
- 1917 Gall and Golf
as O.U. Dubb
- 1917
- 1917
- 1917
- 1917
- 1917
- 1917
- 1917
- 1917 Plans and Pajamas
as The Idler / Headmistress
- 1916
Behind the camera (79)
- 1928 A Simple Sap
Director
- 1928 Dummies
Director
- 1927 Oh, What a Man!
Director
- 1927 The Stunt Man
Writer, Director
- 1927 Spuds
Producer
- 1927 A Dozen Socks
Scenario Writer
- 1925 The Cloudhopper
Director, Producer
- 1925 The Dome Doctor
Scenario Writer, Producer, Director
- 1925 The Wizard of Oz
Director, Writer, Producer
- 1924 Kid Speed
Director, Writer, Producer
- 1924 Her Boy Friend
Producer, Director
- 1924 The Girl in the Limousine
Director, Producer
- 1924 Trouble Brewing
Director, Writer
- 1923 Horseshoes
Director
- 1923 Lightning Love
Director, Writer
- 1923 The Gown Shop
Director
- 1923 The Barnyard
Director, Writer
- 1923 The Midnight Cabaret
Director, Writer, Producer
- 1923 No Wedding Bells
Director, Writer, Producer
- 1922 The Counter Jumper
Director, Writer, Producer, Editor
- 1922 Golf
Director, Writer, Producer
- 1922 A Pair of Kings
Writer, Producer, Director
- 1922 A Weakend Driver
Director, Writer
- 1922 The Show
Director, Writer, Producer
- 1922 The Sawmill
Director, Writer, Executive Producer
- 1921 The Bell Hop
Director, Story, Producer
- 1921 The Fall Guy
Director, Story
- 1921 The Bakery
Director, Writer, Producer
- 1921 The Rent Collector
Director, Writer, Producer
- 1921 The Hick
Director
- 1921 The Sportsman
Director, Story, Scenario Writer
- 1920 The Suitor
Director
- 1920 The Stage Hand
Director, Writer, Producer
- 1920 School Days
Director, Writer, Producer
- 1920 The Fly-Cop
Writer, Director
- 1919 The Grocery Clerk
Writer, Director
- 1919 The Head Waiter
Director, Writer
- 1919 Dew Drop Inn
Director
- 1919 Dull Care
Director, Writer
- 1919 Between the Acts
Scenario Writer, Director
- 1919 The Simple Life
Director, Scenario Writer
- 1919 His Home Sweet Home
Director, Scenario Writer
- 1919 The Star Boarder
Director, Writer
- 1919 Passing the Buck
Scenario Writer, Director
- 1919 Well, I'll Be
Scenario Writer, Director
- 1919 Scamps and Scandals
Director, Scenario Writer
- 1919 Traps and Tangles
Director
- 1918 Pluck and Plotters
Director
- 1918 Frauds and Frenzies
Director
- 1918 Bears and Bad Men
Director, Writer
- 1918 Huns and Hyphens
Director
- 1918 Dunces and Dangers
Scenario Writer, Director
- 1918 Bathing Beauties and Big Boobs
Writer, Director
- 1918 Skids and Scalawags
Director
- 1918 Hindoos and Hazards
Director, Scenario Writer
- 1918 Romans and Rascals
Director, Scenario Writer, Writer
- 1918 Babes and Boobs
Director
- 1917 Tough Luck and Tin Lizzies
Director
- 1917 Plagues And Puppy Love
Director
- 1917 Risks and Roughnecks
Director
- 1917 Gall and Golf
Director
- 1917 Worries and Wobbles
Director
- 1917 Turks and Troubles
Director, Scenario Writer
- 1917 Footlights and Fakers
Director, Scenario Writer
- 1917 He Never Touched Me
Director, Scenario Writer
- 1917 Rips and Rushes
Director, Scenario Writer
- 1917 Somewhere in Any Place
Director, Scenario Writer
- 1917 Big Bluffs and Bowling Balls
Director, Scenario Writer
- 1917 Jolts and Jewelry
Director, Scenario Writer
- 1917 Bullies and Bullets
Writer, Director
- 1917 Flatheads and Flivvers
Director
- 1916 Hash and Havoc
Director
- 1916 Walls and Wallops
Director
- 1916 A Villainous Villain
Director, Story
- 1916 There and Back
Director, Scenario Writer
- 1916 The Man from Egypt
Writer, Director
- 1916 Losing Weight
Director
- 1916 Captain Jinks' Evolution
Director
- 1915 The Baby and the Boss
Director
Talk shows and appearances (1)
- 1925