Larry Semon’s The Wizard of Oz 1925 is a silent, weird, adaptation! Grossly different from the book,, Oliver Hardy as the Tin Man …
The Wizard of Oz (1925) starring Larry Semon, Oliver Hardy
Whether you’re a fan of the original book, or the 1939 movie with Judy Garland, it’s fair to say the 1925 adaptation of The Wizard of Oz is really, really strange! You have to throw everything that you know about the story out the window. In this film, by Larry Semon, Dorothy is actually princess Dorothea of Oz. She was sent by the villain to be raised by Uncle Henry, far away from Oz. But now that it’s her 18th birthday, she’s going to be giving a letter explaining her true lineage. Which the villains don’t want! Two of the farm hands on the farm, played by Larry Semon and Oliver Hardy, respectively, are in love with her and want to marry her. There’s a third farmhand, Snowball, who is a very racist caricature.
The villains have come from Ox to prevent Dorothy from finding out about her heritage, and taking the throne. But it’s too late! She and the farm hands are blown by a small tornado, while in a small shed, to the land of Oz. Once they are, they’re all being pursued. So for a brief moment, the farmhands disguise themselves as the Scarecrow and the Tin Man. Which doesn’t work. After that, the villain promises Oliver, the hand of Dorothy, if he’ll keep her from marrying Prince Kynd. So Oliver becomes a villain.
And there is a lot of comedy – Larry Semon’s a film clown, after all. There’s an underground chase scene between Oliver and Larry that’s laugh out loud hilarious! But the ending breaks poor Larry’s heart …
Product description
THE WIZARD OF OZ (83 minutes) Before he teamed with Stan Laurel, “Babe” Hardy worked with popular movie comedian Larry Semon on many films, including Semon’s own peculiar 1925 version of THE WIZARD OF OZ. Semon stars as the Scarecrow, along with directing the film. See Ollie as the Tin Woodsman!
When Dorothy (played by Dorothy Dwan) discovers that that she is the next heir to the throne in the Kingdom of Oz, she must journey to Oz to be appropriately crowned as princess of Oz. In her journey, she enlists the assistance of the Wizard (played by Charles Murray), the Scarecrow, the Tin Woodsman, and the Cowardly Lion (played by G. Howe Black), Dorothy must defeat Prime Minister Kruel, the evil ruler of Oz, who is attempting to deny Dorothy her rightful throne.
Unfortunately, the distributor went bankrupt and Semon lost a fortune. However, this version of THE WIZARD OF OZ made it to TV before the better known version was made-first broadcast on experimental television in 1931!
Cast of characters
- Dorothy Dwan … Dorothy / Princess Dorothea
- Mary Carr (Pack Up Your Troubles) … Aunt Em
- Virginia Pearson … Lady Vishuss
- Bryant Washburn (Captain Midnight) … Prince Kynd
- Josef Swickard (Caught in a Cabaret) … Prime Minister Kruel
- Charles Murray (Mabel’s Married Life) … Wizard of Oz
- Oliver Hardy (The Candy Kid) … Woodsman / Knight of the Garter / Farmhand (as Oliver N. Hardy)
- Frank Alexander … Uncle Henry / Prince of Whales
- Otto Lederer (The Jazz Singer) … Ambassador Wikked
- Frederick Ko Vert … Phantom of the Basket
- Larry Semon … Scarecrow / Toymaker / Farmhand
- Spencer Bell … Cowardly Lion / Rastus / Snowball (as G. Howe Black)
- Rosalind Byrne (Double Whoopee) … Herald Trumpeter (uncredited)