I'm not terribly familiar with Larry Semon, the comedian with whom Stan Laurel co-starred in this 1918 two-reeler, and who later appeared in a number of films with Laurel's future partner Oliver Hardy. He was well-known in his day and here appears to be a very capable comic actor and performer. In fact, the best thing "Frauds and Frenzies" has going for it is the charming interaction between Semon and Laurel as two chain-gang convicts who escape. It's delightful to watch them as they gleefully cause mischief together and squabble over comic misunderstandings. Their timing together is excellent, and it seems like a shame that more of their films together don't survive if for no other reason.
"Frauds and Frenzies" moves fast enough that it never drags, but the actual material here is not very original or memorable. There's one rather racist sequence that won't play well with most modern audiences (Semon and Laurel are both dismayed to find that the girl behind an umbrella with whom they have been flirting is black). Not boring but nothing to write home about, though I am curious to see Larry Semon in his other films.
"Frauds and Frenzies" moves fast enough that it never drags, but the actual material here is not very original or memorable. There's one rather racist sequence that won't play well with most modern audiences (Semon and Laurel are both dismayed to find that the girl behind an umbrella with whom they have been flirting is black). Not boring but nothing to write home about, though I am curious to see Larry Semon in his other films.