THE PASSING OF WALLACE REID.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 16987, 10 March 1923, Page 7 (Supplement)

THE PASSING OF WALLACE REID.

SUCCUMBS TO DEADLY DRUGS. LOS ANGELES, January 18. Wallace Reid, hero of romantic film plays, lost his life in fighting to overcome the drug habit, the end coming early this afternoon at a sanatorium in Hollywood, where he had been under treatment for over a month. Ho ha.d been unconscious lor nearly two days, during all of which his wile, Dorothy Davenport, was at his bedside. The direct cause of death, according to Reid’s physician, Dr G. S. Herbert, was congestion of the lungs and kidneys, which resulted from the. actor’s collapse when he endeavoured to break off the use of narcotics. Reid, who was six feet tall and whose normal weight was 185 pounds, lost sixty pounds before the end came. Up to about a week ago relatives said he was improving and would able to resume work in the studio of the Famous Players Lasky Corporation by July at the latest. “I’m winning the fight. mama.” was his invariable greeting to his wife when she called on him. Mrs Reid said her husband contracted the drug habit during an illness nearly two voars agv He Avas working on a picture earlv in November, when he suddenly collapsed. He was advised to take a long rest and started on a mountain trip with Mrs Reid, Teddy Hayes, his trainer, and H. IT. Muller. On his return to Log Angeles. his condition showing no improvement, he went to n sanatorium Shortly before Christmas his, family made public the cause of his breakdown. Mrs Reid declaring she believed the information might aid in arousing the American people to the necessity of suppressing the narcotic traffic. THOUSANDS PAY FINAL TRIBUTE LOS ANGELES. January 20. Wally Reid, “playboy” of the screen, was at rest to-night. From the early hours of the morning until late afternoon thousands of

men, women, and children filed through Hope Street to the First Congregational Church to view for the last time their favourite, Wally Reid. As the hour for the services drew near, the traffic became blocked for half a mile in four directions from the church. Then the services. A hushed church banked in flowers. Thousands of bo .v----<d heads in the street. Scarcely a sound in the midst of a great city. 44 Ashes to ashes.” A sob from, a woman near the door. The services end. The emaciated bocL carried to the white hearse. In the shadowed dusk the crowds move slowly away. The captains and the kings of movielar.d depart. Never before has such a personal tribute been paid to a man or woman in Los Angeles—a tribute and a demonstration that would be accorded to few tntesmon, few philosophers, few philanthropists. few men or women in public or private walks of life. Women sobbed as they filed througn he dim-lit church and passed the caskT. where laj' their hero of the screen, -is pale face, lined with marks of torire. calm at last. Many would nothave recognised the face as that of Wally Reid. Banked about the bier were the hundreds of magnificent floral pieces ent in tribute bv his fellow stars. Studios of Hollywood were closed throughout the day. Mourning crape lung on the door of the great Laskv studio, where for eight years Wally raced happily through his parts and mn his right to fame and fortune. To-night the “playboy of the screen’ was but a mortal memory. His bodv was cremated at the Forest Lawn Cemetery in conformance to his wishes. MRS REID WILL MAKE A PICTURE. Dorothy Davenport Reid will carry on her bailie against the drug menace through ilxs screen (says the 44 Moving Picture World ”). With the aid of leading figures in the motion picture industry she will make a picture to arouse "the public to the ; . • C f 44 dope.” It will be her message to the world, rnd Wally Reid’s gift, through tivi, to the thousands in the grip of the

! crug evil. She hopes that, it will aid and inspire the founding of a Wallace 1 Reid Memorial Home for Drug Addicts. *. This an noil neement was contained in ! a statement issued by Mrs Reid at her home in Hollywood. Beyond the announcement the only information available was that Mrs Reid, herself, would ; appear in the picture and that she ; would call specialists familiar with j every phase of the drug menace to 1 assist her in producing the most force- | ful and most accurate attack on dope ; ever undertaken. Thomas H. Ince will i b'y the producer, and G. Gardiner Sullivan will write the story. I Mrs Reid’s statement follows, in j part: — j “I am going to make a motion picj ture. In that motion picture I hope to offer to the people of America a I great lesson. I hope to show them 1 the menace of drugs, the insidious, * poisoning .serpent that has wormed its I way into the bosom of our nation and i is feeding upon the best of our talent j and youth. And I hope, too, to show them some of the remedies that the • wonderful men and women who are | attempting to check this evil have evolved and which they need only the support of an aroused public to carry

through and to stamp out the plague that threatens us. 44 The picture is not to be based on a Jot of statistics solely, but is to p'ortray a great big human, real story, a drama that will symbolise and in tease gripping, human terms tell you all that I could never, never tell you in any other way, even if you would listen.”