The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1922-12-18
WALLY REID, ACTOR,
ON VERGE OF DEATH;
INFLUENZA IS FEARED

LOS ANGELES, Calf, Dec. IS
Wallace Reid, motion picture star, is
on the verge of death, and for several
days has not been expected to live,
according to Mrs. Wallace Reid,
dorothy Davenport) in an interview
today in the Los Angeles Examiner,
given at Hollywood sanitarium last
night One of the physicians, accord
ing to the examiner, corroborated Mrs.
Reid's statement, saying:
"Mr. Reid has been near death for
the past five or six days. His tenn
perature has repeatedly reached 1O3
and his pulse 130. His heart action is
irregular and weak. He has tainted
on an average of three times daily
and has lost 20 pounds in weight.
Laboratory findings at the present
time indicate he is suffering either
from a condition of complete exhaus-
ton or influenza. A reinfectlon OF
influenza is possible at any time and
could cause his death. This is not
anticipated by attending physicians,
but is being considered
The physician describing the actors
Illness, according to the examiner,
said:
"His present illness has no connec-
ton with over-indulgence in alcohol
or narcotics, although such indulgen-
ces have undoubtedly undermined
his strength and system in months
gone by"
Hays to Cooperate.
Will Hays today declared he will
not assume control of the narcotic sit
uation in Hollywood, but will cooper
| ate with state and federal officials,
'&in case they call on me-"
81 am not the arbiter of Hollywood S
morals" Hays again emphasized. My
mission is not to mete out punishment
or to act in a judicial capacity but to
work constructively to remodel the mo-
tion-picture industry until it is sound
to the core and is serving the public
to the utmost artistic and educational
capacity.
'As for Wallace Reid, my sympa
thies of all good people are with him.
Mrs. Reid and her mother blame
'Wally's fairweather friends" who
made his home a 'roadhouse" and the
heavy work he was forced to undergo
for his plight.
Not Censor of Morals.
/ Hays assertion he will not act as su
DTen6 censor Ol ulOIdlS VI lhOfAC obetl
was in answer to whether he would
start active investigation of the
dope" situation in the movie colony
! II cannot act as a policeman any
more than can the head of any othel
CORPORATION in a case of this kind, bu
must leave it to the legally constituted
authorities" he said.
81 will, however, cooperate with tht
authorities in every way in case the.
call on me, but it would be presumptu
|, Gus for me to assume control of an ID
vestigation which is their business.
The pictures being produced hav'
. improved already the movie head con
tinued, "and will improve more.
, have faith that the recent unfortunat
affair is of a type now the of past, bu
at best is only an incident and canno
: check the inspiring work of co-opera
ton, integrity and idealism now unde
, way"
!. Hays statement is taken here to il
I dicate clearly for the first time an
: despite his spectacular barring @
: Fatty Arbuckle, that he is not to be re
garded as a Judge Iandis of tn
{ Movies" with rigid powers over cor
! duct and behavior Of stars, but is NOR
e to be regarded as combination effiC
d iency expert and large scale welfar
worker.