Linkshoch Wonderful Movie

Dartherer I really don't get the hype.

YouHeart I gave it a 7.5 out of 10

Sienna-Rose Mclaughlin The movie really just wants to entertain people.

cricket crockett . . . of all time, it's not hard to understand how this repetitious, soulless, racist waste of film bankrupted its studio and its writer\director\star, Larry Semon. (Some film critics contend that Semon once was mentioned in the same breath with Charles Chaplin, Buster Keaton, and Harold Lloyd, but these pundits are most likely bluffing and playing "Gotcha!" in an attempt to over-inflate their own stature.) Eggs eggs eggs bees bees bees mud mud mud boxes boxes boxes lions lions lions: that pretty much sums up the "plot" of Semon's lame 1925 silent version of THE WIZARD OF OZ. Since when does a hen lay eight eggs at a time? Since when do Black farm hands shirk work to chomp pilfered watermelons? Since when do people routinely survive 50- and 75-foot-falls none the worse for wear? GONE WITH THE WIND's excess essentially killed off its source material (Margaret Mitchell's novel). Unlike, say, JANE EYRE or GREAT EXPECTATIONS, there's not a new film version to enjoy of GWTW each generation. Larry Semon tried to pull the same GWTW trick on OZ. Fortunately, he failed to do so.

FerdinandVonGalitzien In the silent year of 1925, the popular Amerikan comedian Herr Larry Semon, adapted, produced and starred in Frank Baum's greatest children 's book "The Wonderful Wizard Of Oz"and this German count finds it is possible to say that it is a perfect film vehicle for Herr Semon but no one else in the story. Except for that popular silent comedian, there is no room or chance for the other characters; Dorothy ( Dame Dorothy Dwan ) is no more than a supporting character( no trace of Toto ) and the great wizard seems no mightier than a magician's apprentice.The first half of the film might be described as "A Farmhand ( obviously Herr Larry Semon himself ) In The Pratfall Land Of Texas" where a lot of sight gags are displayed, especially the inventive use of many animations tricks (amazing to this German count) The second half of the film or "A Scarecrow ( Herr Larry Semon himself again )In The Slapstick Land Of Oz", includes funny and elaborate and very well assembled scenes with walker boxes and hungry lions.Due to the omnipresent Herr Semon , the rest of the cast has little to do. Oliver Hardy (The Tin Woodsman) and Dorothy Dwan were regular supporting actors in many of Herr Semon comedy shorts. Dame Dwan is pretty old for her character so it is no great loss that her part is so minor but it's a pity in Herr Hardy's case, especially since he has a triple role."The Wizard Of Oz" is, in spite of it all, is an interesting oeuvre but Herr Larry Semon's artistic selfishness and his presence in almost scene becomes a kind of artistic egocentrism; a great classic becomes no more than a vanity project.And now, if you'll allow me, I must temporarily take my leave because this German Count must go to Berlin, the nearest place to Oz.Herr Graf Ferdinand Von Galitzien http://ferdinandvongalitzien.blogspot.com/

sunspott This film SHOULD have bankrupted everyone associated with it, to concur with Walter Kerr! I saw clips of it years ago on PBS, with a soundtrack cobbled together from Copland's OUR TOWN score and other classical selections. Not half-bad, made me curious to see more, having just read the original Oz book. Then I saw the complete film years later on cable. Whaa-OH! Not GOOD, either! Twelve parts Semon's desperation slapstick to one part Baum gave me one walloping cinematic hangover! Those titles like the quote in the above summary! Those falls from towers, airplanes, haystacks--and don't forget the mud baths! That puking duck! That THING out of the basket! I'd recommend this only for the virulently curious and undaunted. Track down Richard Roberts' superb three-part CLASSIC IMAGES essay on Semon before you do--it's online, try the Semon entry in Wikipedia. You'll find it by far more amusing (and coherent) than this film!

windypoplar The 1925 silent "Wizard of Oz' Is, in many ways, a vanity project for Larry Semon, his brand of mugging to the camera comedy is a bit hard to take now, that said this is still pretty interesting and good for a silent.Rather different from the book and later MGM Movie, this version, the print I saw is the restored 100 minute print with added narration by Jaqueline Lovell, bookends the story with a grandfather reading Baum's book to his granddaughter. The early parts of Dorothy, played by the lovely Dorothy Dwan, are funny and strange. There is an odd air of sensuality throughout the film, odd since its intended for Children, I presume? SEmon does a very touching and funny bit with a lollipop, he wants to give it to Dorothy, but can't summon up his courage, Finally it end up eaten by a duck! Oliver Hardy plays another farmhand and he's very good, you can see why he became a star, his facial expressions and manners are just much better on screen than the other players, who are either too stiff or too hammy. The twister is here along with surprisingly good lightning effects. The land of OZ is basically a big soundstage, but it moves pretty well for a silent.Some things are bad though, the character of Snowball is listed as being played by G. Howe Black, a seemingly racist play on words. If its any consolation the actor is good and the character ends up the Lion and something of a hero, he rescues the scarecrow, Semon, in a bi-plane, near the end of the pic. For a silent this isn't bad, thought its terribly dated as one might expect. Worth a look for Oz devotees.