The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1922-12-19
REID'S CONDITION
SHOWS IMPROVEMENT
Physicians Decide Movie Star is
Suffering From Influenza
and Breakdown

Los Angeles. Dec. 19.--Wallace
Reid, motion picture actor, who re-
Gently suffered a nervous breakdown
and who was reported TO be on the
verge OF death Sunday night, improv-
ed somewhat yesterday. His wife,
known in the film world as Dorothy
Davenport, was hopeful that the crisis
was past.
"Wallace's doctors have about made
up their minds it Is influenza" Mrs.
Reid said. THE hospital charts dur
ing the last week show all symptoms
OF this disease. II he can throw this
off he will be back at work as soon as
his strength is regained. He weighs
only l3O pounds now and he is six
Ieet two inches tall"
Mrs. Reid said she believed her
husbands breakdown which came
about six weeks ago, was due to hab.
its peculiarly dangerous to one of
Wallace's high-strung temperament.
"M aliaco always drank to some ~.
tent she said, "and about two years
ago began to use drugs. He was
very i'll at that time, but there was
great deal of work at his studio
aud he ielt that he must Keep up
somehow, SO he resorted to the arti.
ficial means which have nearly been
his und0.ng. Any talk OF his having
been connected with a dope ring is
absolutely absurd and untrue. Nor
did he frequent dope parties. think
he did go to one or two such affairs
bat he found them distastetnl and
never went back He was making
d picture when the collapse came. HI
was advised at the studio 10 taka 6
rest and wen. under treatment
all satisfied lha, he has won the
ilght. He knows nothing OF he pub.
licity which has been given to his
affairs
The actors contract with the Ia
lcous Players-l.asky corporation has
.wo years TO run, Mrs. Reid said. He
expects TO retmn to work at III cor
polations studio.
4 In an interview given to The Elk
aminer at Hollywood sanitarium
one of Reds physicians said:
"Mr. Reed has been near death for
the last five or six days. His TEN
perature has repeatedly reached 10;
and his pulse 1870. His heart actor
Is irregular and weak. He has tainted
on an average of three times daily
and has lost seventy pounds. Labora
! tory finds at the present time indi
cate that he is suffering either from
q condition OF complete exhaustion ol
from influenza A ronfectlon of in
fiuenza Is possible at any time anC
could cause his death. This is mo-
anticipated by attending physicians
but must he and Is being considered
Ills present Illness has no connec
ton with overindulgence in alcohol oI
narcotics. although such indulgence.
have undoubtedly undermined hi
strength and system in months gon,
by"
Indignant denias of published re
"orts OF "orgies' in the Reid hom'
were made by Mrs, Alice Davenport
mother.in.law OF the actor, to whom
those reports had been credited
I'm know there are dope parties II
Hollywood everyone knows that.
she said. And | suppose Wally ha
attended some of them; don't know
do know that have talked wit
him after he returned from parties a
the homes of some of the people 4
Hollywood and have seen him sadl
shake his head and say: Mother,
don't like II. That isn't the way I
have pleasure. It's all so false. $
artificial.
VIII II. HAYS. directing head of th
organized motion picture industry
"c"menting on the actors illness
said:
"If Reid's condition is n result OF II
diligence in narcotics. as has been r,
nortcd, It's Il matter to be praye
over. The poor boy should be dea
with rs diseased nerson-not he cei
sured. stunned. Rather, let us 2
sanely and sympathetically try I
holm him, try TO restore him ,
health.