The Actor:

Spencer Bell
[b.1887 – d.1935]

Bell was born in Lexington, Kentucky. Prior to his Hollywood career, Bell worked as a chauffeur. He costarred with comedian Larry Semon in several of his silent comedies, notably Wizard of Oz as “Snowball”. During the 1930s, Bell regularly appeared in the Mickey McGuire film series. He briefly ran an acting troup in Harlem.

A WWI vet, as well as a veteran of vaudeville and minstrel shows he was a fine comic in his own right. Bell spent most of his screen career in the comedies of Larry Semon. Semon apparently doted on Bell however, in the Wizard of Oz, Bell comes off the worst in Semon’s hopelessly dated and often offensive comic vision. His character is introduced in a crude vignette, eating a watermelon. Semon’s unpleasant characterization of Bell continues, missing few opportunities to propagate racist stereotypes by billing the actor as “G. Howe Black.”

Bell essentially retired after Semon’s death in 1928. Bell died from complications from stomach surgery on August 18, 1935. He’s buried at the Sawtell Military Cemetery in Los Angeles
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Film Synopsis:
Popular silent film comedian Larry Semon literally sold the ranch to secure film rights to L. Frank Baum’s The Wizard of Oz — then proceeded to chuck most of the Baum story in favor of his usual broad slapstick antics. In Semon’s version, Dorothy (played by Semon’s real life wife Dorothy Dwan) is the long-lost Princess of Oz. On Dorothy’s 18th birthday, she is whisked from her farm in Kansas back to Oz by way of a tornado. Along for the ride are hired hands Semon and Oliver Hardy as well as handyman G. Howe Black. To avoid being captured by the minions of the cruel Prince Kruel, Semon disguises himself as a Scarecrow, while Hardy, rummaging through a garbage heap, dons Tin Woodman garb. And so it goes until Dorothy and her boyfriend Prince Kynde (Bryant Washburn) escape from Oz via airplane. The chance to see a young Oliver Hardy, sans Stan Laurel may be the best reason to see this film. Otherwise, the more famous 1939 version remains the definitive filmization of this classic yarn. The Wizard is played by Charlie Murray, who is heaps funnier than ostensible star Larry Semon. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Director: Larry Semon
Producer: Larry Semon, I.E. Chadwick
Screenplay: Larry Semon and Leon Lee from the book by L. Frank Baum
Cinematography: Frank B. Good, H.F. Koenenkamp, Leonard Smith
Production Design: Robert Stevens
Music: Robert Israel
Cast: Larry Semon (Scarecrow/Toymaker/Farmhand), Bryant Washburn (Prince Kynde), Dorothy Dwan (Dorothy/Princess Dorothea), Virginia Pearson (Lady Vishuss), Charles Murray (The Wizard), Oliver Hardy (The Woodsman/Knight of the Garter/Farmhand), Josef Swickard (Prime Minister Kruel), Mary Carr (Aunt Em), G. Howe Black (Cowardly Lion/Rastus), Otto Lederer (Ambassador Wikked), Frank Alexander (Prince of Whales/Uncle Henry).

The 1925 version of the Wizard of Oz can be seen here (1hr 25 min): archive.org/details/TheWizardOfOz1925