The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1923-11-01
Film Actors Go On
Even After Death
Stage Player Passes From
Sight, but Movie Star
Appears as In Life.


A curious and melancholy privi-
lege goes with 9'movie" acting as
distinguished from the acting of the
stage. It's a privilege that only re-
veals itself at times of death and
mourning. When the stage player
ceases to respond to the summons
of the call boy those who have
loved him see sim no more forever,
but when a "movie" star has passed
the final "fade out" he may still be
seen in all the vivacity of life.
And the mourners in such case find
a singular and very real comfort in
going to movie theater where one
of the recent films of the dead player
is being exhibited watching him lin
his habit as he lived" and Whispering
through their tears:
There he is, so full of life! 1t seems
impossible to believe that he is dead"
Each familiar look and smile and ges-
ture fills these grief stricken ones with
a new wonder. The animated figure on
the screen hypnotizes them with an IL
fusion Of personality, and while it
moves before their eyes they almost
feel as if death were robbed if its sting
and the grave of its victory.
Softened by Film View.
Reality comes back with the close OF
the picture, but it has been softened
by the experience. And the mourner
knows that he can return for another
view, and buy an hours forgetfulness
for the price of seat. To an outsider
it may seem a little grotesQue at first,
especially in connection with the ma
terialistic fact that the death of a
screen star gives sudden and valuable
10 no In
plays. But in cinema circles this con-
ISOLATION of the bereaved isca priceless
guerdon of sentiment.
Twas apropos of Frank Bacons
death that it came up for discussion in
a group of theatrical people. Somebody
remarked that it seemed almost in
credible that the lovable old figure OF
Li0btnin' Bill Jones as created and inn
mortalized by Frank Bacon, should
never be seen again.
The play had gone on with another
actor in the part, just as RIP Van
Tinkle' had gone, on for a while in
the hands of Joe Jeffersons son, after
the old mans death; but the man
whom the New York and Chicago pub
lie had come to regard as LightniP Blu
in the flesh was blotted out forever.
\. HIGH seemed unnatural, somehow, in
this age when all kinds of trvialties,
visual and spoken, are recorded re-
HglouSly for ages to come as If they
were of the greatest Importance.
Somebody recalled how the admirers
of Olive Thomas after her tragic death
in Paris, flocked to the movie theaters
all over the country where her films
were being presented.
"Those audiences were so charged
with emotion" remarked Randolph
Lewis, the man who collaborates with
Rudyard Kipling in preparing the lat
ter's work for the American screen and
who is to do another story with him
when Kipling RECEIVERS from his present
illness, that the showing of the Olive
Thomas pictures for a week or so after
her death had all the solemnity and
suspense of funeral services. .
Film Impressive as Funeral.
1.-The consolation that friends really
derive from seeing their departed loved
ones on the SCREEN" continued Mr..
Lewis was brought home TO me not
long ago when a friend of mine an
actor received news of the death of
his father an admirable cinema per-
former. My friend was not able to go
to the funeral, but he and 1 went to- A.,
gether to see q screen play in which his
father had made one of his latest APP
j pearances.
MY friend was filled with emotion
as he watched this living presentment
of his father and didn't attempt to re-
strain his tears I was pretty badly
cut up myself And in the midst of it
all some friends whom we hadn't seen
leaned over from behind in the darkness
and touched us just to let us know that
they We're there on,ethe same mission
and sharing the same emotions-an
actor and his wife, both of them in
tears. L tell you. it beat any funeral
service I ever saw"