Director and actor Larry Semon was among the most popular and highly paid comedians in American silent films. His father was Zera the Great, a professional magician. Semon came to film in 1916 after working as a cartoonist for the New York Sun. Hired by Vitagraph as a writer and director of comedy shorts, he began staffing his one and two-reelers by 1917. Playing a pasty-faced, baggy pants-wearing idiot, he gained an international reputation and at his peak rivaled the popularity of Charlie Chaplin and Harold Lloyd. His films frequently co-starred Oliver Hardy (usually cast as the heavy) and starlets Lucille Carlisle and Dorothy Dwan, each of whom Semon married. Due to his consistent disregard for strict production budgets, Vitagraph fired Semon in 1922. He went on to make a few big-budget, feature-length films, but they were relatively unsuccessful. In 1927, he tried to revitalize his flagging career by playing a serious part in Von Sternberg's drama Underworld, but was again unsuccessful. Semons died in March the following year after suffering from pneumonia.
| Title | Year | Editors' Rating | User Rating | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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Silent Comedies: The Laugh's on Us
Archival Appearance |
1990 | |||
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Spuds
Actor, Director, Screen Story, Screenwriter |
1927 | |||
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Underworld
Actor |
1927 | |||
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Stop, Look and Listen
Actor, Director |
1926 | |||
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Perfect Clown
Actor |
1925 | |||
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The Dome Doctor
Actor, Director |
1925 | |||
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The Wizard of Oz
Actor, Director, Screenwriter |
1925 | |||
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Girl In Limousine
Actor, Supervisor/Manager |
1924 | |||
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Girl in the Limousine
Director |
1924 | |||
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Her Boy Friend
Actor, Director, Producer, Screen Story |
1924 | |||
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Kid Speed
Actor, Director, Producer, Screenwriter |
1924 | |||
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Trouble Brewing
Actor, Director, Producer, Screen Story |
1924 | |||
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Horseshoes
Actor, Director, Producer, Screen Story |
1923 | |||
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No Wedding Bells
Actor, Director, Producer, Screen Story |
1923 | |||
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The Barnyard
Director |
1923 | |||
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The Gown Shop
Actor, Director, Screenwriter |
1923 | |||
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The Midnight Cabaret
Actor, Director, Producer, Screen Story |
1923 | |||
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Pair of Kings
Actor, Director, Screen Story |
1922 | |||
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Show
Actor, Director, Screen Story |
1922 | |||
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The Agent
Actor, Director, Producer, Screen Story |
1922 | |||
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The Counter Jumper
Actor, Director, Producer, Screen Story |
1922 | |||
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Fall Guy
Actor, Director, Screen Story |
1921 | |||
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Hick
Actor, Director, Screenwriter |
1921 | |||
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The Bakery
Actor, Director |
1921 | |||
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The Bell Hop
Actor, Director |
1921 | |||
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The Fly Cop
Director |
1921 | |||
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The Sawmill
Director |
1921 | |||
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Stage Hand
Actor, Director, Screen Story |
1920 | |||
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The Grocery Clerk
Actor, Director, Screenwriter |
1920 | |||
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Between the Acts
Actor, Director, Screenwriter |
1919 | |||
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Dull Care
Actor, Director, Screen Story |
1919 | |||
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Head Waiter
Actor, Director, Screen Story |
1919 | |||
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Bears and Bad Men
Actor, Director, Screenwriter |
1918 | |||
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Frauds and Frenzies
Actor, Director |
1918 | |||
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Huns and Hyphens
Actor, Director |
1918 | |||
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The Man from Egypt
Director, Screenwriter |
1916 |