So we’ve already discussed THE WIZARD OF OZ a while back. Like I mentioned in that review, sad that, of all films, would be the one Semon is most remembered by. Larry of course was much better at really insane slapstick shorts like THE SAWMILL, the subject of this review. By the time THE SAWMILL was released in 1922, Semon was one of the biggest comedy stars, but the films were also quite expensive. Much more than Vitagraph was willing to spend for two reelers, so Semon became his own producer. Look at the opening shot. A real forest with a lot of extras and real elaborate sawmill equipment. A lot of this stuff would be destroyed as well. So we get an entertaining short, but stuff like this is also a contributing factor in Larry Semon’s financial problems which possibly contributed to his early death.
First thing I want to talk about is the plot. I say, who cares? I have watched this short probably a dozen times and I still can’t tell you what exactly what was being celebrated in the end of the short. Larry and his girl get away from the bad guys and with Frank “Fatty” Alexander are celebrating. What did they actually gain from this escape? I don’t understand. I don’t care.
The reason why I don’t care because the sole purpose of THE SAWMILL for me is elaborate gags and jaw dropping spectacle. That’s it. Larry Semon himself is not really that important as far as on screen contributions go. When it’s a close up, it’s Larry. When it’s a medium shot, maybe it’s Larry. When it’s a long shot, it’s definitely not Larry. The Larry Semon character is on screen a lot, but his stunt double does the bulk of the heavy lifting.
So what does Semon do? A little ukulele playing for his girl. When Oliver Hardy accidentally whips himself and starts dancing around, Semon claps in rhythm. The Three Stooges would do that gag later on. I think Walter Kerr mentions this, but Semon had this little thing where he spits in his hands and rubs them together before chasing someone. He does that here a few times. At this point, the majority of the films were shot without Semon and he would come in later for close ups. The earlier Semon stuff has more work from Larry, so perhaps some of those early one reelers might be worth reviewing someday.
For me, besides Semon’s stunt double, the actual star of the film is Frank “Fatty” Alexander. He earned the nickname “Fatty” as he made Oliver Hardy look like Slim Summerville. He gets more gook on him and takes really impressive falls for a big man. A real silent comedy trooper, we will be discussing him again in a couple of weeks. I also love it when he falls off the horse and lands on that giant box! That box really breaks big time. Every gag is done for maximum impact.
These maximum impact gags are another star of THE SAWMILL. One thing I’ve heard Semon films criticized for is how the gags are telegraphed. You’ll get no Keaton like camera angle tricks here. The telegraphing for me is endearing. My favorite shot. Frank Alexander and others are eating at a table on the ground outdoors. Above them, for some inexplicable reason, there are people painting. All I think is, “Geez, I wonder what’s going to happen here?” Frank Alexander is, of course, eating from the most giant bowl of soup imaginable. He’s also not eating from a spoon, he’s eating from a ladle! When Alexander pours himself more soup into the giant bowl, he does so from a bucket. So yes, maximum impact and no subtlety even with the eating utensils. Semon drops a pain brush into the soup bowl, leading to a giant splash on Alexander’s face. You know this stuff is coming, but the big execution if it makes it all worth it.
Another great telegraphed gag. Frank Alexander ties his dog to a rickety pole that has a vase on top of it. He then manages to place himself in a rocking chair just below the vase. Need I tell you what’s going to happen? You can figure it out, but the impact of the blow and the amount of dirt covering Alexander is what makes it all worth it.
Then there are the chases and the destruction. There is a chase four minutes into this short that would be the finale of the average Sennett short. Here? Throw it in early and also insert a few other massive chases in the middle and the end. Yes, this short is pretty breath taking as far as that goes. The first chase with the logs is quite awesome. Love the log rolling downhill crushing a bunch of people. Then there’s the part with Semon high on top of building. Oliver Hardy from below throws giant log that hits Semon. Semon falls into some giant container holding dirt. A mass group of people are standing below the container. The container, due to Semon falling in, opens up, pouring a massive amount of dirt on these people. Again, a really big and messy gag that’s quite the spectacle.
We get another great real crazy gag with a wheelbarrow that defies the laws of physics and is an excuse for Frank Alexander to get crushed and covered in gunk. We have some big telegraphed giant trees falling on cabins. We get the massive swinging escape from the stunt double that is a staple of Semon shorts. What’s really jaw dropping is the cabin explosion. While not as expensive as destroying trains like in THE GENERAL, the amount of destruction is almost as impressive. Again, this is just a two reeler.
Yes, Oliver Hardy is in this one playing the whip happy bad guy, but is hardly the Oliver we all know in this film. Al Thompson also chase Larry around, so our patron saint of Stoogedom and this board makes an appearance. But yeah, overall? Just enjoy this one for the spectacle and hope out of all that budget, Frank “Fatty” Alexander got a decent paycheck out if this. He earned it. A very enjoyable film.
