Larry Semon

Larry Semon
Semon, c. 1922
Born
Lawrence Semon

(1889-02-09)February 9, 1889
DiedOctober 8, 1928(1928-10-08) (aged 39)
Other namesLawrence Semon, Zigoto, Ridolini, Jaimito, Tomasín
Occupations
  • Actor
  • director
  • producer
  • screenwriter
Years active1915–1928
Spouses
(m. 1922; div. 1923)
(m. 1925)
Children1
The Man from Egypt (Dutch intertitles). Collection EYE Film Institute Netherlands.
Worries and wobbles, a 1917 farce with intertitles in Dutch. Collection EYE Film Institute Netherlands.

Lawrence Semon (February 9, 1889[1] – 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 The Wizard of Oz, which had a slight influence on the better-known 1939 talkie The Wizard of Oz released by MGM. The film was included in the 2005 three-disc DVD version of the 1939 film, along with other silent Oz movies.

  1. ^ World War I Draft Registration Card at ancestry.com : "Lawrence Semon, born Feb 9 1889 West Point, Mississippi, Motion Picture Director for Vitagraph Co, living in Brooklyn, New York, signed Lawrence Semon on 5 Jun 1917"