Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-09-16
MIL TON S|LLS DIES
OF HEART DISEASE
Actor Who Was Once Edu-
Gator Is Stricken While Play
in0 Tennis With Wife.

NV ire Associated Press.
Los ANGELES September ia
Milton slils, who deserted career as
en- educator for the stage and reached
his zenith Of fame Is a motion pic
ture actor. Is dead.
The player of atwo-nsfed rolls was
ntrieken last night waIle playing tennis
with his wife. the former Doris Kenyon.
MIN sctress. at their suburban home
and IS minutes later died Of what was
diagnosed as hearts disease without
rsgaining consciousness lie was 80
years oId
Death Takes Two Actors
sills passing takes from the screen
the second Of its noted actors within
4 month. Lon CLANCY noted for his
grotesque character roles, died here In
August
Tall and strapping, sills was one Of
tie films best athletes. Although ne
had beer III IL 1929 and last Spring. he
was thcugllt 70 have been IN perfect
heaIth this Summer.
A party of friends gathered at the
miii5 home yesterday During the att
ernonn the actor complained Of feeling
Ill. hsff said ii was nothing serious. At
e,aH psn. be collapsed and was carried
into tire house He was dead when
physicians arrived Mrs. Sllis. SHOCKED,
was placed under the care Of physicians.
Since no physician was present when
Eiils died. the death certificate was ur-
signed Coroner Prank Nance took
charge 81 the body and said an autopsy
might be performed.
was College instructor.
siIls was born in Chicago January r.
1882 and attended public schools there.
He graduated With 8 bachelor OF Rxts
derres from the University OF Chicago
in 1908, but remaaned 81 the university
for several years as en- instructor of
philosophy,
Interest In amateur theetricals took
Gills from the scholarly atmosphere Of
the university and put him behind the
footlights A prominent producer Wit
messed enc Of his performances and per-
snaded him to take W acting as Yoca-
Gion
Success came quickly to the Young
scholar, and after debut in Dora
Theme" in 1906, II New Palestine,
Ohio. he soon became Broadway's mat
inee idol Twenty years ago he PLAYED
n such successes as This Woman and
This Mar, Just Married The Cow
ernDr's Lady. Law Of the Land and
Diplomacy he also appeared in
Shakespearean plays.
Took Two.Flsted Roles,
In 1914 he joined the migration to
HOLLYWOOD and the screen. His stature
-sSills was s feet I inch tai and weigr-
ed 100 pounds-won for him the tWo-
flsted roles which led 70 stardom,
Among the beet ct his motion pic
lures were The Barker. Burning
DAYLIGHT. "The Crash, "The Hawks
Nest and THE Valley Of the Giants
At the height of his Stage career Sills
married Gladys Edith Wynne In Lon
don. May 26. 1910. To them was born
q daughter. Dorothy, who was with her
father when he died The marriage
ended in The local divorce courts IN
1925. Mrs. Stills charging desertion a
wear later Suls married Miss Kenyon,
ard to them was born a son, kenyon
Clarence Sills, now years old.
Survived BIZ Mother.
The actor is survived BY his mother.
Mrs. William Siiis, Of Chicago His fa-
tler died Of a heart attack several
wears ago. A brother, Clarence S4lls.
Chicago banker also survives. The flrst
Mrs Sills is living IN New York.
Sills was a member 81 Delta Kappa
Epsllon Fraternity several southern
California clubs. a director of the Mo-
tion Picture Academy of Arts and Sei-
ences