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The storm that almost blew away Oz first blew through this forgotten 20-minute chaos bomb.
TMDB
64
IMDb
62

Lightning Love (1923)

silent era chaosslapstick sprintstorm-chasing comedy

Overview

Comedy

The storm, which takes up most of the second reel, is a trial run for the storm sequence in The Wizard Of Oz which Semon would make in 1925. Fox released a comedy that was an exact copy of Lightning Love just before the Semon film was due to come out. Albert E. Smith noticed the similarities and on September 5, 1923 attempted to have the Fox film pulled from the exhibitors.

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Content warning

Standout Aspects

Practical Effects

That storm sequence—literally a dry run for cinematic history.

Stunts

Semon destroys everything on screen. Everything.

Best for:Solo: Perfect lunch break chaos. 20 minutes of pure unhinged energy.·Rewatch: Spot Hardy before Hardy. Spot the Oz storm prototype.
J

Director

James D. Davis

ReleasedOct 22, 1923
Runtime20m
StatusReleased

Vibe

Pacefast
Intensityhigh
Tonelight
Feellight

Top Cast

Larry Semon

Larry Semon

Larry, a Suitor

Oliver Hardy

Oliver Hardy

Oliver, the Other Suitor

Kathleen Myers

Kathleen Myers

Rhea

Al Thompson

Al Thompson

Father

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Deep Dive

Trivia, insights & behind the scenes

Trivia

Albert E. Smith tried to have Fox's copycat comedy pulled from theaters on September 5, 1923—early Hollywood's version of a copyright strike.

Cultural

The storm effects here were refined for The Wizard of Oz (1925), making this essentially the beta test for one of silent cinema's most famous sequences.

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