Never having previously seen a Larry Semon film, I wasn't sure what to expect from Golf. I can safely say, however, that the film exceeded my low expectations and is certainly better than the two previous reviews suggest. Semon was a gangly, delicate-looking comic with very long legs and an apparently wild imagination. In Golf, he must contend with his father (a poor but honest farmer who lives in a mansion filled with badly balanced vases), a gopher that's quite handy with a pistol, and a woman who keeps a goose on a leash. All this lends Golf a surreal quality that elevates it above the majority of slapstick films and even takes a little of the sting out of the racial (and racist) humor involving an African-American caddy. Also of note is co-star Lucille Carlisle (Semon's wife at the time), who essays two roles (I think) and proves herself an adept and attractive comedienne.
