OBITUARY.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1286, 15 November 1911, Page 6

OBITUARY.

MR. KYTiLE BELLEW, ACTOE.

According to a cable mee-age in th» Sydney "Sun" Mr. Kyrlo Bcllew, tho I V kn ,?, WII actor > ,lic(1 at Salt Lake City. Utah (L.b.A.), lost month. Mr. BelW was ono of the moit gifted of romantio actors who ever came to New Zealand. Ho visited tho Dominion sixteen vcarg ago as leading actor with Mrs. Bfcwn--1 otter, and though tho ladv's name appeared in the largest type, "the real star of the company was the (atolv deceased actor, who gave notable performances in. '~n Tosca >' "Camillc/ "Francillon," Romeo and Juliet," and "Tho Ironmaster." Mr, Bellow had a most interesting career. He was the son of tho Rev. J. C. M. Bellow, the well-known Lnglish public reader and reciter, and was born at Prestcot, Lancashire, on March 26, 1855. Ho commenced lifo in the mercantile marine, but at sixteen failed for Australia, whero ho tried hie hand as a lecturer with a waxworks show. His next venture was on tho goldfields, but, finding tho yellow metal elusive, he became a pressman, and was for a time a. reporter on tho Melbourne "Herald." In 1874 he made'his first apnearanoe on the stago in Melbourne as Eglinton in "Turn Him Out." Tho year following he returned to England, owing to the death of his father, and there took to tho boards once more. Such rapid progress did ha mako that he was a member of Company at the Lyceum in 1878. Four years later lie went to America, but returned without playing there. He next was associated with Miss Litton at tha old Imperial Theatre, London, and later appeared in important narts at the Prince of AValcs'6 Theatre. In 18.95 lie made bit first appearance in New York, where he first met Mrs. Brown-Potter. Throe vears later they toured Australia, New Zealand, and tho East, returning to England in 1891. .On returning to London, he mado a big success as Marat in "Charlotte Corday," and as Lucien in "Francillon." After a flying visit to Australia (where he had mining investments), he revisitod America, and scon became ono of tho most noted dramatic stars. In 1902 ho mado a hit as Gaston do Marsac in "A Gentleman of Franco," and a year later mado the success of bis lifo ns "Raffles" in the play of that' name. Ho was also markedly successful as Brigadier Gerard in Conan Doyle's nlay, and as Richard Voysin in "The Thief." Kyrlo Bellow was a singularly' handsomo man, having classic, clean-cut features, a low-set, wellpoised liead and straight, grey hair, worn rattier long. His last porfo'rmaneeg in Wellington were Baron Scarpia in "La Tosca," and Romeo in "Romeo and Juliet." (a part in which lie was considered very little, short of ideal).