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Larry Semon is a Actor, Director, Scriptwriter and Producer American born on 14 july 1889 at West Point (USA)

Larry Semon

Larry Semon
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Birth name Lawrence Semon
Nationality USA
Birth 14 july 1889 at West Point (USA)
Death 8 october 1928 (at 39 years) at Victorville (USA)
Creator of Larry Semon Productions

Lawrence "Larry" Semon (February 9, 1889 – October 8, 1928) was an American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter during the silent film era. In his day, Semon was considered a major movie comedian, but he is now remembered mainly for working with both Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy before they started working together.

He is also sometimes noted for directing (as well as appearing in) the 1925 silent film Wizard of Oz, which had a slight influence on the better-known 1939 talkie The Wizard of Oz released by MGM. The compliment was repaid in the 2005 three-disc DVD version of the 1939 film, in which the 1925 version appears along with other silent "Oz" movies.

Biography

Né Lawrence Semon à Westpoint dans le Mississippi, Larry Semon est issue d'une lignée d'artiste. Son père est magicien, ventriloque et artiste de vaudeville, tout comme sa mère qui est aussi sa partenaire. Très tôt il montre des dons pour la comédie, la danse et surtout le chant. S'il est encouragé pour embrasser une carrière artistique, il suit cependant des études supérieures à Savannah en Géorgie. C'est au collège qu'il se blesse au cou dans l'équipe de football : il en garde des séquelles et perd notamment sa voix.


Il suit en parallèle de ses études des cours de dessin et c'est comme dessinateur qu'il débute dans différents journaux.



Les débuts
En parallèle de son travail de dessinateur et graphiste, il poursuit sur les traces de ses parents et monte sur les planches. Sur scène, il effectue des pantomimes et des monologues comiques et attire l'attention des studios de la Vitagraph Company avec laquelle il signe un contrat en 1915.


Rapidement, il se révèle être un gagman ingénieux et de l'écriture passe rapidement à la réalisation de courts métrages de comédies burlesques. Hughie Mack est à l'époque une des vedettes des studios et Larry Semon écrit et met en scène ses apparitions. Il réalise plus de 30 films pour ce dernier. Il travaille aussi pour Frank Daniels, une autre vedette de la Vitagraph qui joue le personnage de Captain Jinks.


En 1917, il prend de plus en plus d'importance auprès de la Vitagraph et se voit aussi confier la réalisation et l'écriture des comédies de Jimmy Aubrey. Parallèlement à son travail de réalisateur et de scénariste, Larry Semon apparaît pour des seconds rôles, de plus en plus importants, dans ses propres films.


La consécration
Un auteur dispendieux

Best films

Underworld
Underworld
(1927)
(Actor)

Usually with

Norman Taurog
Norman Taurog
(14 films)
William Hauber
William Hauber
(29 films)
Oliver Hardy
Oliver Hardy
(27 films)
Frank Alexander
Frank Alexander
(23 films)
Al Thompson
Al Thompson
(18 films)
Source : Wikidata

Filmography of Larry Semon (51 films)

Display filmography as list

Actor

The Suitor
The Suitor (1962)
, 1h23
Directed by Larry Semon, Pierre Étaix, Norman Taurog
Origin France
Genres Drama, Comedy, Romance
Actors Larry Semon, Lucille Carlisle, Pierre Étaix, Denise Péronne, Robert Blome, France Arnel
Rating71% 3.58553.58553.58553.58553.5855
Pour faire plaisir à ses parents, Pierre (un jeune homme rêveur incarné par Pierre Étaix) décide de chercher une femme. Inadapté à la vie moderne, il va de désillusions en désillusions, trouvant finalement et par hasard son bonheur auprès d'Ilka, la jeune fille au pair de la maison.
Underworld
Underworld (1927)
, 1h29
Directed by Henry Hathaway, Josef von Sternberg, Arthur Rosson
Origin USA
Genres Drama, Action, Crime, Romance
Themes Gangster films
Actors Clive Brook, George Bancroft, Evelyn Brent, Larry Semon, Fred Kohler, Helen Lynch
Roles Slippy Lewis
Rating74% 3.741983.741983.741983.741983.74198
Boisterous gangster kingpin 'Bull' Weed rehabilitates the down-and-out 'Rolls Royce' Wensel, a former lawyer who has fallen into alcoholism. The two become confidants, with Rolls Royce's intelligence aiding Weed's schemes, but complications arise when Rolls Royce falls for Weed's girlfriend 'Feathers' McCoy.
The Wizard of Oz
The Wizard of Oz (1925)
, 1h20
Directed by Larry Semon
Origin USA
Genres Comedy, Fantasy
Themes Films about magic and magicians, Monde imaginaire, Le pays d'Oz, Children's films
Actors Larry Semon, Bryant Washburn, Dorothy Dwan, Virginia Pearson, Oliver Hardy, Charles Murray
Roles Scarecrow
Rating49% 2.460442.460442.460442.460442.46044
A toymaker (Semon) reads L. Frank Baum's book to his granddaughter. The Land of Oz is ruled by Prime Minister Kruel (Josef Swickard), aided by Ambassador Wikked (Otto Lederer), Lady Vishuss (Virginia Pearson), and the Wizard (Charles Murray), a "medicine-show hokum hustler". When the discontented people, led by Prince Kynd (Bryant Washburn), demand the return of the princess, who disappeared while a baby many years before, so she can be crowned their rightful ruler, Kruel has the Wizard distract them with a parlor trick: making a female impersonator (Frederick Ko Vert) appear out of a seemingly empty basket. Kruel sends Wikked on a mission.
The Perfect Clown
The Perfect Clown (1925)
, 55minutes
Directed by Fred C. Newmeyer
Origin USA
Genres Comedy
Actors Larry Semon, Kate Price, Dorothy Dwan, Joan Meredith, Otis Harlan, Spencer Bell
Roles Bert Larry
Rating62% 3.1314753.1314753.1314753.1314753.131475
The story is about a clerk who is given $10,000 to deposit at the bank, but the bank is closed for the night so he tries to get to the bank president's house with the money.
Her Boy Friend
Her Boy Friend (1924)
, 20minutes
Directed by Larry Semon, Noel M. Smith
Origin USA
Genres Comedy, Action, Adventure
Actors Oliver Hardy, Larry Semon, Dorothy Dwan, Alma Bennett, Frank Alexander, Spencer Bell
Roles Larry, the Chief's son
Rating58% 2.918072.918072.918072.918072.91807
Méthode Jeune et belle Iva espionne pour la police au Dropem Inn, un club sordide que le suspect de la police est un front pour une opération de contrebande dirigé par gangster Slim Chance. Chance découvre l'identité de Iva et la kidnappe, et le chef de la police envoie son fils un peu maladroit à son secours.
Kid Speed
Kid Speed (1924)
, 20minutes
Directed by Larry Semon, Noel M. Smith
Origin USA
Genres Comedy, Action, Romance
Actors Oliver Hardy, Larry Semon, Dorothy Dwan, Frank Alexander, William Hauber, Grover Ligon
Roles The Speed Kid
Rating58% 2.9016852.9016852.9016852.9016852.901685
« The tale is told of two men bold, Both loving a maiden fair. To decide the case they entered a race the loser to take the air. »— Carton d'introduction
The Barnyard
The Barnyard (1923)

Directed by Larry Semon
Origin USA
Genres Comedy
Actors Oliver Hardy, Larry Semon, Frank Hayes, William Hauber, Spencer Bell, Al Thompson
Roles Lay Zee, Farm Hand
Rating54% 2.719132.719132.719132.719132.71913
The Gown Shop
The Gown Shop (1923)

Directed by Larry Semon
Origin USA
Genres Comedy
Actors Oliver Hardy, Larry Semon, William Hauber, Frank Hayes, Spencer Bell, Dorothea Wolbert
Roles Larry, a salesman
Rating52% 2.624292.624292.624292.624292.62429
Horseshoes
Horseshoes (1923)

Directed by Larry Semon
Origin USA
Genres Comedy
Actors Oliver Hardy, Larry Semon
Roles Larry
Rating64% 3.2437753.2437753.2437753.2437753.243775
Lightning Love
Lightning Love (1923)

Directed by Larry Semon
Origin USA
Genres Comedy
Actors Oliver Hardy, Larry Semon, Spencer Bell, Al Thompson, William Hauber
Roles Larry, a Suitor
Rating61% 3.07563.07563.07563.07563.0756
The Midnight Cabaret
The Midnight Cabaret (1923)

Directed by Larry Semon
Origin USA
Genres Comedy, Romance
Actors Oliver Hardy, Larry Semon, William Hauber, Al Thompson, Joe Rock
Roles Larry, a Waiter
Rating63% 3.19673.19673.19673.19673.1967
No Wedding Bells
No Wedding Bells (1923)

Directed by Larry Semon
Origin USA
Genres Comedy
Actors Oliver Hardy, Larry Semon, Spencer Bell, Glen Cavender
Roles Larry
Rating50% 2.525882.525882.525882.525882.52588